Peer Review #3 Locke's empiricism and Dewey's experimentalism

John Locke (1632-1704) believed that the human mind at birth is “tabula rasa” and considered the senses as “doorways through which knowledge entered the mind” (p. 48). John Dewey (1859-1952) thought that the passive reception of knowledge through senses is not the real meaning of experience and proposed the notion of “learning by doing.” Also he claimed that “… the education comes through the stimulation of the child’s powers by the demands of the social situation in which he finds himself …” (p.218). What is the impact of empiricism and experimentalism on the philosophy of education?

Peer Review #2 Is child-centered approach always good?

Froebel, based on his book The Education of Man, indicated that each individual should actively participate in the recapitulation, “traversing in its own experience the whole previous development of mankind” (p.93). He believed in child-centered approach and education should develop each child according to his/her nature. In line with Froebel, Montessori also believed in child-centered approach and claimed that “normalized child is one who has been freed in a psychically hygienic environment to function normally” (p.147). She encouraged each child to be active and to interact with the environment. However, is child-centered approach always good and suitable for today’s society?

Peer Review #1 Are children inherently bad or good?

In the 15^th and 16^th centuries, English Puritans and reform French Catholics both believed that human nature is inherently bad so the child should be educated to become good. Rousseau in his book Emile argued that “everything is good as it leaves the hands of the author of things, everything degenerates in the hands of man.” He believed that human nature is inherently good and claimed that the child can develop well without depending on the rigid education. Are children inherently bad or good? Are children born with unacceptable idiosyncrasy so that they need to be taught to self-control?

In the 17^th century the concept of childhood emerged. Before, the child was viewed as parents’ property. Parents had rights to decide the child’s luck. The Spartans (600 B.C.), Athenians (5^th - 4^th century B.C.) considered the child as an important family member that carries on their culture and civilization but not every newborn baby was qualified. In addition, the Romans (1000 B.C. – A.D. 476) saw the child as a nonadult. The child was physically and mentally deficient and lacked the ability to make moral judgment. Hence, the utmost goal of education was to develop the child’s moral character to become a good citizen so discipline played a role in education. By A.D. 374, due to the Christian influence the child was not viewed as parents’ property. In the 15^th and 16^th centuries the idea that the child is born in sin was developed by the major Western religions. Hence, the child had to be made good through rigorous education and discipline. Not until the period of Enlightenment did the rationalist, liberal, humanitarian, and scientific trends arise. Because of this, in the 17^th and 18^th centuries Locke (1632-1704), Rousseau (1712-1778) and others proposed a new perception of the child and believed that the child is born innocent and good. Child-centered early childhood education was emerged and severe discipline was abandoned. Locke claimed that “children must have the freedom to grow, play, experiment, and make mistakes” (Lascarides & Hinitz, 2000, p.48). Also, Rousseau indicated that the aim of education is to identify and draw out “the special nature of childhood” (p.52). He also claimed that the emphasis should be placed on “learning about children rather than on controlling them through physical and psychological abuse” (p.52).

The way a child is viewed will affect the way parents and teachers treat the child. If parents and teachers believe the child is inherently bad, teacher-centered education would be supported and corporal punishment would be allowed in order to shape the child’s “good” behavior. On the contrary, if parents and teachers believe the child is inherently good, the nature of the child would be saved and the essence of education is to follow the child’s nature and interest. Child-centered education would be supported and severe punishment would be considered a way to impede child development.