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Educational Philosophy Part 7: Locke’s Modern Empiricism

Writer's picture: Agastya International FoundationAgastya International Foundation

Updated: 3 days ago

The Philosophy of Education is a reflection on the nature, aims and problems of education. It is a branch of applied philosophy that borrows from epistemology, metaphysics, language etc. It looks at both the theoretical and practical aspects of education from a philosophical angle. Now, because educational practice is so vast and varied around the world, there are variations in the philosophy of education as well.

This series of articles aims at analysing the different theories on education famous philosophers across history had and their application in the modern education system. This article expands on John Locke’s educational philosophy and how it still impacts schooling after over three hundred years.


Locke’s Philosophy

Locke was a British philosopher most famous for his writings on the government and separating the church and the state. He was one of the first modern empiricists in terms of philosophical approach, meaning he believed that knowledge came from empirical observation and experience.


A lot of Locke’s philosophy and academic works stem from opposition of authority. He wrote that reason is the only way to know the truth. Hence the public should not merely believe authorities, but use their own reason to arrive at the truth. Even institutions should distinguish between their legitimate and illegitimate functions and use force correspondingly. This will help both the individual and society flourish fully, both with respect to material and spiritual welfare. This, in turn, amounts to following natural law and the fulfilment of the divine purpose for humanity.


Locke’s Philosophy of Education

As covered before, Locke believed that knowledge came from empirical observation and mindful reflection. He did not believe that human beings were innately knowledgeable. Thus, he believed that children were to be treated as human beings whose gradual development of rationality was to be fostered by their parents.


In his time, the educational system was still following the middle ages pattern where children were treated as miniature adults who were born with inherent knowledge, and thus the only purpose of education was to help them recollect this knowledge. Age did not matter, nor did their future aspirations or roles.


Contrarily, Locke believed that education should be tailored to the individual child’s needs and future profession. He encouraged parents to actually spend time with their children so as to help them develop a sound body and mind.


Locke’s writings on education continue the rejection of authoritarianism. He did not believe that the educational systems of his time were adequate centres for learning. Rote learning and corporal punishment were very prevalent in academic institutions at the time. But Locke believed that these were not effective methods and did not help the child further.


Instead, he advocated for a different type of education, one that made people think for themselves and use reason to properly self-govern and participate in public services. Locke believed that reason was the key to freedom and morality, as it helped people make good decisions that did not harm anybody. Thus, it was a responsibility of the government to provide an education that helped cultivate reason and enable people to self-govern and be productive citizens. Otherwise, there would be moral failings of partiality, passion etc. that would lead to an unhappy society.


The curriculum to make the above happen would include: both physical and mental development, exercise and study. The first requirement is to instill virtue, wisdom, and good manners. This is to be followed by book learning. For the latter, Locke gave a list of recommended texts on Latin, French, mathematics, geography, and history, as well as civil law, philosophy, and natural science. He also said to give enough time for recreational activities, including dancing and riding.


Locke’s Impact on Modern Thought

Locke’s works on empiricism, education, life and politics were all very influential for both academic study and societal reform in seventeenth century England. He was a famous influence on the period of Enlightenment in Western History.


Under his and contemporaries, there was a seration of church and state and establishment of a civil government. Many educational institutions gradually dropped the practice of rote learning and corporal punishment, moving towards a safer environment where thinking could thrive. Overall, Locke is considered to be the “best available introduction to the intellectual environment of the modern Western world.”


References

Adamson, John William. “The educational writings of John Locke.” (2011).


Baldwin, Bird T. “John Locke’s Contributions to Education.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 21, no. 2, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1913, pp. 177–87, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27532614.


Rogers, Graham A.J.. “John Locke”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Oct. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Locke. Accessed 23 March 2022.


Tesar, Marek, and Kirsten Locke. The philosophy of education. Ed. Richard Stanley Peters. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1973.


Uzgalis, William, “John Locke”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2020/entries/locke/>.


Yolton, John W., and Jean S. Yolton. “John Locke: Some Thoughts Concerning Education.” (2000).

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