Reflections on Rousseau's Philosophy of Education and Practice

This essay reflects on Rousseau's philosophy of education, drawing from personal observations and experiences. The author recounts an encounter with children and teachers on a university campus, which sparked reflections on Rousseau's ideas about reasoning, character development, and the role of education. The essay explores Rousseau's emphasis on developing a child's moral sense and self-discipline rather than focusing solely on imparting information. The author connects Rousseau's principles with the observed interactions between teachers and students, suggesting that fostering a child's inherent motivation to learn is more effective than forcing them into a classroom setting. The essay also emphasizes the importance of creating an environment that supports the development of virtues and principles. The author's observations and conversations with friends helped clarify and solidify their understanding of Rousseau's philosophy. The essay is supported by a bibliography of relevant academic sources.

Running head: PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Last Friday as I was hanging out with my friends Rosemary and Marley, we decided to set
inside the Thompson River university campus. When I saw the children along with the
children’s teachers in front of me, it reminded me of my childhood days, being ushered into
the classrooms by the teachers from the play field. I was lost momentarily in the thought of
my past and how my teachers would often scold me for not wanting to study. I also
remembered of a teacher who would often try to explain to me the importance of knowledge
and education. Now I can relate the instructions and guidance of the teacher with the
teachings of Rousseau. He stated that the noblest of work is that of education that helps to
develop reasoning in a person and yet we try to force a young child to reason trying to make
an instrument with the results and creating the beginning at the end. According to Rousseau,
if children understood how to reason, they would not need education in the first place.
Watching the students of the Thompson River University, I had the same feeling of the
teachers trying to help the students to reason through the real life observations and helping
the children grow in the process. Through the observations it is easy to understand the
behavior of people and contextualize them to the philosophies of human behavior. I had a
strong feeling that the behavior of the teachers with the children in the park. I could
understand the position of the children, wanting to stay outdoors and play and the attitude of
the teachers to usher them indoors into the classrooms. This led me to think how good it
would have been if the classrooms themselves would be in the open and amidst nature.
The philosophy of education proposed by Rousseau does not specifically concern with
specific teaching techniques but instead on the development of the character and moral sense
of the students in order to develop in them a sense of self-discipline and mastery ofver their
thoughts and actions. This can help individuals to maintain their virtues and principles even if
the external environment is imperfect. Thus helping the children understand the importance

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of education can in itself develop in them the motivation to learn and therefore would not
require the teachers to push them into the classrooms.
This was an important understanding and insight for me which I developed while sitting at
the place, and talking with my friends as I observed the children. It brought peace to me to
understand that my friends understood my perspectives and observations and that helped me
understand that my concepts were clear and coherent enough to be explained to others.

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Bibliography:
Burbules, N. C. (2018). Philosophy of education. In International Handbook of Philosophy of
Education (pp. 1417-1427). Springer, Cham.
Martin, J. R. (2017). Changing the educational landscape: Philosophy, women, and
curriculum. Routledge.
Noddings, N. (2018). Philosophy of education. Routledge.
Sullivan, D. (2019). Education, Liberal Democracy and Populism: Arguments from Plato,
Locke, Rousseau and Mill.