Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1902)
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~120,000 words · 561 passages
Cite this work
- APAJohn Locke. (n.d.). Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1902). SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/john-locke/some-thoughts-concerning-education-1902
- MLAJohn Locke. "Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1902)." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/john-locke/some-thoughts-concerning-education-1902.
- ChicagoJohn Locke. Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1902). SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/john-locke/some-thoughts-concerning-education-1902.
What it is about
Locke's book on how to bring up a child, grown out of letters he wrote to a friend about his son and published in 1693.
Context and history
It is the text that put into circulation the image of the child's mind as a blank page, and it draws the practical conclusion: what he will be as a man depends almost wholly on habit, so education must form character before it fills the head. Hence his concrete recommendations, which scandalised and prevailed: no corporal punishment except for obstinacy, no rewards in sweets, plenty of exercise and open air, hard beds, and above all reasoning with the child as with a person, because he is one. It was the most influential educational manual in Europe for a century, and Rousseau wrote 'Émile' arguing with it.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
Kw, being written several Years since for Your Sake^ and are no other than what You have already by You in my Letters, I have so little var^d any Things but only the I Order of what was sent you at different Times^ and on several , Occasions^ that the Reader will easily find^ in the Familiarity and Fashion of the StiUy that they were rather the private Conversation of two Friends, than a Discourse designed for publick View, The Importunity of Friends is the common Apology for Publications Men are afraid to own themselves forward to. But you know I can truly say, that if some^ who having heard of these Papers of mine, had not presid to ^ee them, and afterwards to have them printed, they had lain dormant still in that Privacy they were designed for. But those, whose Judgment I defer much tOj telling me, that they were per' Ixii • The Epistle Dedicatory. Ixii • The Epistle Dedicatory. suaded^ that this rough Draught of mine might he of some Use^ if made more fublick^ touched upon what will always be very prevalent with me : For I think it every Man^s indispensible Duty, to do all the Service he can to his Country; and I see not what Difference he puts between himself and his Caftlcy who lives without that Thought This Subject is of so great Concernment, and a right Way of Education is of so general Advantage, that did I find my Abilities answer my Wishes, I should not have needed Exhortations or Importunitiesfrom others. However, the Meanness of these Papers, and my fust Distrust of them, shall not keep me, by the Shame of doing so little, from contributing my Mite, when there is no more required of me than my throwing it into the publick Receptacle, And if there be any more of their Size and Notions, who liHd them so well, that they thought them worth printing, 1 may flatter myself they will not be lost Labour to eve