ERIC Number: EJ960324
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 11
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0160-7561
EISSN: N/A
Rival Visions: J.J. Rousseau and T.H. Huxley on the Nature (or Nurture) of Inequality and What It Means for Education
Currie-Knight, Kevin
Philosophical Studies in Education, v42 p25-35 2011
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) and Thomas Huxley (1852-1895) had different, but substantial, effects on the history of education. Rousseau's educational theories supplied the intellectual foundation for pedagogical progressivism. Huxley's educational writings helped to enlarge the scope of the British curriculum to include such things as science and vocational education. Where Rousseau championed child-centered and "natural" education, Huxley championed more and better teacher-centered institutional education. In addition to their different impacts on education, Rousseau and Huxley had vastly different ideas on a wide range of topics: most notably, the character of "natural man" and whether society tends to produce or lessen inequality. In 1890, Huxley wrote "On the Natural Inequality of Men" as a critique of Rousseau's views on these subjects. In this article, the author argues that Rousseau's and Huxley's different visions of natural man and the desirability of society can largely help explain their different visions of education and its proper purpose. (Contains 31 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Educational Theories, Educational History, Vocational Education, Nature Nurture Controversy
Ohio Valley Philosophy of Education Society. Web site: http://www.ovpes.org/journal.htm
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A