Description
The French Enlightenment was a time in which intellectuals explored the correlation between early childhood experiences and the success or failure of social and political relations. Educational philosophers in the French Enlightenment sought to reveal the influence of nature and nurture on individual growth and collective life. Some Thoughts Concerning Education by John Locke was a key text in this debate, and Swiss educator Jean-Pierre de Crousaz is one of the most important thinkers in this period. Etienne-Gabriel Morelly is usually studied as a marginal thinker in the history of utopian thought, but he is revealed as the most important precursor to Rousseau in this book. The educational-philosophical dispute between Helvetius and Rousseau is explored in detail, and the influence of pedagogical theory on the political debate surrounding the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1762 is discussed.
Though Emile is still considered the central pedagogical text of the French Enlightenment, a myriad of lesser-known thinkers paved the way for Rousseau's masterpiece. Natasha Gill traces the arc of these thinkers as they sought to reveal the correlation between early childhood experiences and the success or failure of social and political relations, and set the terms for the modern debate about the influence of nature and nurture in individual growth and collective life. Gill offers a comprehensive analysis of the rich cross-fertilization between educational and philosophical thought in the French Enlightenment. She begins by showing how in Some Thoughts Concerning Education John Locke set the stage for the French debate by transposing key themes from his philosophy into an educational context. Her treatment of the abbe Claude Fleury, the rector of the University of Paris Charles Rollin, and Swiss educator Jean-Pierre de Crousaz illustrates the extent to which early Enlightenment theorists reevaluated childhood and learning methods on the basis of sensationist psychology. Etienne-Gabriel Morelly, usually studied as a marginal thinker in the history of utopian thought, is here revealed as the most important precursor to Rousseau, and the first theorist to claim education as the vehicle through which individual liberation, social harmony and political unity could be achieved. Gill concludes with an analysis of the educational-philosophical dispute between Helvetius and Rousseau, and traces the influence of pedagogical theory on the political debate surrounding the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1762. Review: 'In her thoroughly enjoyable book, Natasha Gill explores the many complexities in Enlightenment educational thought. Between nature and culture, politics and ethics, these philosophers understood that no society could function without an ambitious educational agenda. In this very well-researched study of eighteenth-century pedagogical debates, Natasha Gill demonstrates with impeccable clarity how Enlightenment views on education are still relevant today, and how much we still need them.' Anne Deneys-Tunney, Professor of French at New York University, Chercheur Associe au CNRS, and Directrice d'Etudes associee a la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme a Paris 'At a time when some argue that the broader notion of 'education' is once again under threat of being reduced to utilitarian 'instruction', Natasha Gill's intelligent and wide-ranging study helpfully reveals the intellectual origins of this debate as it was framed by the educational theorists of the French Enlightenment.' French Studies 'Philosophers mulling over questions of human potential and improvement have long found pedagogical philosophy appealing and have argued that education represents the best chance to reform society. Natasha Gill's recent book, Educational Philosophy in the French Enlightenment (2010), revisits the topic in rich detail and shows that historians who skip from Locke to Rousseau miss much of the story - [this book is] an excellent survey of pedagogical literature - Enlightenment historians will benefit from the careful study of educational philosophy in all of its rich complexity.' H-Albion 'Readers are bound to be impressed by Gill's extensive knowledge and thorough scholarship. She has consulted a broad range of sources, e.g., books, memoires, essays, articles, and philosophical tracts of the period, and quotes academic studies, master's theses, and doctoral studies extending from the nineteenth and twentieth century to the present. Gill takes particular care to set the works and authors studied in their particular social, cultural and political milieu. The comprehensive quality of the volume and its exhaustive treatment of the subject are its unequivocal strengths - scholars of Enlightenment education will appreciate the meticulous analysis and the painstaking comparisons between theories, methods, and principles of various authors.' H-France 'Gill has produced an informative work which repays close reading. Although much of the material in th
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