Introduction
The main philosophies in education belong to two famous thinkers, Rousseau and Plato. They created and implemented their dogmas of world perception in different eras, but they were interested in the same challenge – training an individual so that education becomes a trend. However, Rousseau’s teachings, presented in a book called Emile, are much more imbued with meaning. On the other hand, Plato’s teachings, presented as part of his book The Republic, are remarkably unfinished in terms of practicality. Thus, due to the obsolescence of Plato’s philosophy, Rousseau’s work is more practical of building an institution of education in the world, and there are several important reasons for this.
Analysis of Plato’s Philosophy
In The Republic, Plato looks just at one individual, which ultimately leads him to define the structure of an ideal society and, consequently, outstanding education. This work can be interpreted as an extended investigation of education as a concept, as it examines how education shapes and is shaped by society. Moreover, it provides an outline for an ideal society in terms of its structure, going into even such details as vital roles each part of the city plays. Plato mainly explains how such a system that he has created could maintain itself in the form of a dialogue (see Footnote 1). Primarily, the dialogue defines what the sources of education should be, what principles should be in place, and how people should be educated according to the factors mentioned above. Considering the different types of people in a society, Plato thus tries to create a scheme of how all of these questions should be answered.
Analyzing Plato’s philosophy, one should start with identifying the sources of knowledge and, consequently, education. The first source described in The Republic is knowledge learned through sense organs, which is described as not real or permanent. The reasoning here is that the perception of hot, cold, tasty, soft, or solid objects is based on humans’ perception of these qualities, as the meaning for them is created in one’s mind. On the other hand, that knowledge is not permanent, as the human body develops with decades and the preferences and personal taste preferences have a tendency to change. Thus, that source of knowledge is what people should experience in childhood when learning basic world structure.
According to Plato, the second source of information is the individual opinion, which is neither accurate nor permanent; it is not universal or eternal. Following the argumentation in The Republic, the main principle here is that individual opinion is formed according to one’s experience, worldview, and various unknown circumstances, which form a human’s personality. As a result, it is logical to conclude that opinions may change with time, there are no physical factors that directly affect that source of knowledge, and there is no universality to anyone’s perception.
In this philosophy, the third and last source of knowledge is knowledge through reason; it is true, permanent, and eternal. Plato states that information acquired through research, argumentation, and debates is the one that is true according to the current perception of humankind. Moreover, it is permanent and eternal as whenever new findings change the structure or remove certain conclusions – they are considered non-existent, thus replaced with new reasoning. Consequently, whether such knowledge is present or not, it represents the current truth that will stay until proven wrong, as any modern scientific field functions nowadays.
When all the sources of knowledge are identified, the principles of teaching them to people should be analyzed accordingly. Following the principles described in The Republic, education must be accessible for everyone, as every human being has particular potential in learning. Moreover, it should be a continuous, lifelong education, as new findings may change the picture of the world completely and utterly. Consequently, justice and morality should be the basis of education, as everyone should have regular access to knowledge and feel equal to other learners. On the other hand, according to Plato, the institution of schools and universities should be controlled by the state so that the factors mentioned above would be permanently enforced in the process. Furthermore, overall development of personality needs to be commenced for the people to suit the needs of the state and, consequently, make the society better. As a result, one can conclude that the methods and main principles of education from the state’s point of view should aim to create ideal citizens to empower the state and the generations to come.
Analysis of Rousseau’s Philosophy
Many philosophers and intellectuals have contributed to shaping education into what it is today throughout history. Many contemporary intellectuals’ views continue to impact and develop the structure and concept of education. Education philosophy is one of the essential fields of study that has been impacted by the thoughts of numerous philosophers, beginning with Plato. The issue of educational philosophy has been treated as a discrete entity. In this analysis, it is crucial to study the works, ideas, and theories of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one of the most influential characters in educational philosophy.
Emile: or on education (henceforth referred to as Emile) is a book authored by Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the nature of education, as one saw in the previous lesson. It was first published in 1762, and it was written in French. Rousseau himself referred to this book as the “greatest and most significant of all my writings” in his Confessions. Emile became an inspiration for developing a national education system during the French Revolution. Emile is a political as well as a philosophical thinker. Thus, it addresses the subject of what constitutes a person’s relationship with society.
Emile (a boy) and Sophie, his female counterpart, are the central characters in the novel. It is worth noting that Rousseau’s attention in Emile mainly was on the education of males. He concludes with a segment about females’ education based on Sophie’s character. Because of some of his notions on women’s education, such as that females should be completely submissive and reliant on their husbands, these portions were immensely divisive. The book elicited reactions and criticism from both men and women in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries (see Footnote 18). As a result, the methodology regarding the education should be perceived without any chauvinistic claims and rhetoric.
Emile is divided into five parts. These five volumes also represent the main character’s five growth stages. The character’s childhood, youth, and boyhood are chronicled in the first three volumes. The fourth one delves into his early years. He introduces the character Sophie in the fifth and most contentious book (see Footnote 14). In the fifth volume, Rousseau discusses Sophie’s civic and household life in-depth, in addition to her schooling. He additionally discusses how children should be schooled and educated via the fictitious student Emile’s life. Consequently, there are several factors on which the author wants to elaborate.
Rousseau described a child’s growth in great detail in his book. The goals of education, he claims, alter with time as the child’s needs and interests change. As a result, he offered alternative curricula for these periods of a child’s growth. This is often regarded as the beginning of the contemporary era’s popular child-centered education. Pestalozzi and Froebel both expanded on this theme. They emphasized an educational paradigm based on each kid’s needs, inclinations, and uniqueness (see Footnote 22). The conclusion is that individual examination of the educational process should take place according to each learner’s needs.
Physical development, motor activity, moods, and sensory perception are significant throughout infancy. As a result, Rousseau stressed the significance of strengthening every component of a child’s body in order for him to grow up strong and healthy. “A weak body produces a feeble intellect,” writes Rousseau. He also states the following: “All evil stems from a lack of strength. Make his body robust and healthy by giving it frequent exercise” (see Footnote 24). Thus, an infant should be made strong throughout this time so that they do not do anything harmful, according to the rhetoric of the author. On the other hand, he recognized the necessity of the body’s hardening process in protecting it against the effects of season, climate, elements, hunger, thirst, and weariness (see Footnote 25). Rousseau had the belief that adversity is nature’s way of keeping youngsters strong (see Footnote 20). As a result, abilities like walking, talking, and self-help should be developed according to a child’s requirements, with as little aid as possible.
A child’s first education is the open and unrestricted expression of biological activities. Consequently, a newborn should be allowed to act on their inner urges and experience the immediate consequences of his actions. During this time, a newborn should be given complete independence, and the goal of teaching should be to improve the infant’s physical development (see Footnote 26). He advocated for negative education during childhood. The growth of a child’s physique and sense organs should be the goal of schooling (see Footnote 23). He chastised the common practice of swaddling children in tight clothing at the time. This, in his opinion, stops the infant from freely moving his body (see Footnote 25). Thus, his mother should look after him and provide proper protection.
Further juncture in human evolution, which starts from the age of six, is vital for intellectual progress. For this stage of growth, Rousseau offered two concepts. According to him, education should not be a terrible experience. Second, moral education should be accomplished through natural consequences and activities. He believed that moral instruction was meaningless if the youngster did not comprehend what morality was. The author also was a critic of the current teaching and training procedures (see Footnote 29). He chastised instructors for delivering knowledge solely via reading and memorization (see Footnote 29). According to him, “Education should be more focused on a child’s interactions with the world than on bookish knowledge at this age” (see Footnote 29). More emphasis should be placed on developing the senses and the capacity to make conclusions from them. Consequently, a youngster should be allowed to develop their sense organs through experience and observation while still in childhood.
A child’s strength and talents are higher than their requirements at the period of growth between nine and fourteen years from birth. One of the critical aspects of this stage is the emergence of reason, and he proposed a theory to explain why the rapid growth of rational judgment occurs at this time. According to Rousseau, there is a link between a child’s requirements and the power with which he can meet them. His demands are basic and limited throughout infancy, and his strength is fragile. However, by the time Emile reaches the age of twelve or thirteen, his strength has grown far faster than his demands (see Footnote 32). The rationale emerges as a result of this extra strength, thus concluding this stage of one’s growth.
The goal of adolescent education should be to help a kid develop his or her individuality via hard effort, mentoring, and the study of numerous objects. Rousseau advocated physical sciences, mathematics, language, history, and geography for youngsters of this age. He believed that science education would pique a child’s interest in learning and lead to an investigation, self-education, and innovations. Painting is advised since it strengthens the muscles and the eyes as well as handicrafts aid in the development of work skills (see Footnote 32). As a result, Emile, the book’s juvenile protagonist, is taught industrial exchange and professional expertise in banking and transportation.
The last stage begins at the age of 15, where youngsters grow emotionally, ethically, socially, and artistically. Moral and religious education assists young people in improving their relationships with their peers. It also aids in the development of moral characteristics such as compassion and kindness. The formation of feelings and emotions should be the goal of schooling at this age. Following the rhetoric of the author, education should be focused on heart training (see Footnote 35). Emotions and sentiments help young people acquire moral and social skills, and thus Rousseau places a strong focus on moral education for young people to prepare them for a virtuous life (see Footnote 35). As a result, education teaches adolescents to become ideal members of society and ideal family heads at this stage of growth.
Comparison
Comparing the two presented philosophies and basing on numerous facts from the writings describing them as well as third-party reflections on the concept of education, confident choices can be made. Firstly, the main problem of Plato’s philosophy is the strong emphasis on the political and militaristic components. The main reasons for this fixation are the realities of his time when human civilization was not developed to such an extent as to resolve conflicts without wars. On the other hand, too little attention is paid to the humanities, some of which did not exist in the period of Ancient Greece. Thus, this philosophy is not viable in the realities of modern education areas and society’s morality.
Following different academic sources and presented information certain conclusions can be made regarding Rousseau’s educational philosophy as well. Being more modern and considering the realities of the emerging liberal society, Emile touches on essential aspects of human development that apply to this day. An example of such aspects is the aforementioned need to introduce the child to nature and everything that can be considered natural. Moreover, the humanitarian factor of education is also taken into account, in contrast to Plato’s predominantly arithmetical and mathematical approaches. One of the main factors that make the philosophy of Rousseau more relevant and efficient is the commitment to the principle that the liberal arts should be taught to young people from an early age. However, such detail as outright chauvinism can negatively affect the reader’s perception and judgment about the effectiveness of such a philosophy. On the other hand, in the works of Plato, the role of a woman is not described at all; presumably, the methodology of The Republic was created exclusively for males. Thus, one can conclude that Emile is a much more culturally and intellectually developed individual compared to the ideal citizen of Plato.
On the other hand, the arguments of both authors play a role. Whereas Rousseau argues from the logical conclusions presented in his book, Plato bases part of his statements on political considerations about the state, based on the information presented above. Consequently, one can conclude that Rousseau’s deductive foundation is more valid than Plato’s. Furthermore, structurally both philosophers correspondingly have significant differences. Plato’s clearly defined age limits for each of the stages of human development he describes are not supplemented by any reasoning and are based on personal opinion. Rousseau, alternatively, has a rationale for each of the age ranges given in the analysis section of this paper. As a result, the position of Emile is much more detailed and logically justified; his philosophy has clear arguments and appropriate retrospectives on the educational system compared to The Republic.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it would be logical to state that several significant factors reflect why the Rousseau philosophy is more effective than the one created by Plato. This analysis is fundamental since the modern education system is gradually being restructured. By contributing to research on such topics, scholars can create more advanced ergonomics within the institution of education, thus increasing the percentage of culturally, intellectually, and physically fit people worldwide. Consequently, such a trend will diversify science and culture, sports, and many other areas of human activity. Based on my personal conclusions given in each of the above sections, I would like to note that today it is required to accumulate all the methodologies and dogmas that have proven effective over the past few decades. The goal of such activity should be to create a new, flexible and diversity-oriented agenda, as well as gender equality, which will allow everyone to equally receive a decent level of education.
References
Bhartiya, N. (2019). A comparative analysis of methodology of Plato & Aristotle. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences, 9(3), 810-814. Web.
Kelly, C. (2019). Rousseau’s exemplary life. Cornell University Press.
Lu, Y. (2019, May). Exploring Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s nature education thought from Emile. 2019 International conference on Management, Education Technology and Economics (ICMETE 2019) (pp. 419-422). Atlantis Press. Web.
Plato. (2004). The Republic. Translated by C. D. C. Reeve. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company.
Rousseau, J. (1979). Emile or on education. Translated by Allan Bloom. New York: Basic Books
Thompson, M. J. (2021). Rousseau’s post-liberal self: Emile and the formation of Republican citizenship. The European Legacy, 26(1), 39-53. Web.
Önder, M. (2018). JJ Rousseau,” Emile” and religious education. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 6(7), 1539-1545. Web.