Republic of the Philippines

PRESIDENT RAMON MAGSAYSAY STATE UNIVERSITY

Graduate School

THE NATURALISTIC TENDENCY IN EDUCATION:

ROUSSEAU

• Doctrine of the “Natural State”

• The “EMILE” and Education according to
the “EMILE”
• Some Permanent Results of Rousseau’s
Influence
• Effects
Reporter:Martha upon
Jelle the School Dr. Bridget O. Orge
D. Blanco
EDMA – Student Professor
 Doctrine of the “Natural State”
 The watch words are “to follow nature, back
to nature, & maximum happiness & utmost
freedom to the learner”.
 This school of thought believes that
education should be according to the nature
of the child.
 The aim of education according to naturalism
is “SELF EXPOSITION” & “SELF
PRESERVATION”. 
Reporter:Martha Jelle D. Blanco Dr. Bridget O. Orge
EDMA – Student Professor
 The “EMILE” and Education
according to the “EMILE”
 Rousseau’s ideas about education are mainly
expounded in Emile. In that work, he advances the
idea of “negative education”, which is a form of
“child-centered” education.
 His essential idea is that education should be
carried out, so far as possible, in harmony with the
development of the child’s natural capacities by a
process of apparently autonomous discovery.

Reporter:Martha Jelle D. Blanco Dr. Bridget O. Orge

EDMA – Student Professor
 The “EMILE” and Education
according to the “EMILE”
 This is in contrast to a model of education where the teacher
is a figure of authority who conveys knowledge and skills
according to a pre-determined curriculum
 The first stage of the program starts in infancy, where
Rousseau’s crucial concern is to avoid conveying the idea that
human relations are essentially ones of domination and
subordination, an idea that can too easily by fostered in the
infant by the conjunction of its own dependence on parental
care and its power to get attention by crying.
Reporter:Martha Jelle D. Blanco Dr. Bridget O. Orge
EDMA – Student Professor
 The “EMILE” and Education
according to the “EMILE”
 From the age of about twelve or so, the program moves
on to the acquisition of abstract skills and concepts.
This is not done with the use of books or formal
lessons, but rather through practical experience.
 The third phase of education coincides with puberty
and early adulthood. The period of isolation comes to
an end and the child starts to take an interest in others
(particularly the opposite sex), and in how he or she is
regarded.
Reporter:Martha Jelle D. Blanco Dr. Bridget O. Orge
EDMA – Student Professor
 The “EMILE” and Education
according to the “EMILE”
 The task of the tutor is to ensure that the pupil’s relations with others
are first mediated through the passion of pitié (compassion) so that
through the idea of the suffering others, of care, and of gratitude, the
pupil finds a secure place for the recognition of his own moral worth
where his amour propre is established on a non-competitive basis.
 The final period of education involves the tutor changing from a
manipulator of the child’s environment into the adult’s trusted
advisor. The young and autonomous adult finds a spouse who can be
another source of secure and non-competitive recognition. This final
phase also involves instruction into the nature of the social world,
including the doctrines of Rousseau’s political philosophy.

Reporter:Martha Jelle D. Blanco Dr. Bridget O. Orge

EDMA – Student Professor
 Some Permanent Results of
Rousseau’s Influence
 POLITICAL.The Transformation of mostly despotic government
institutions into democratic institutions based on individual
freedom.
 EDUCATION.
Educational Impact:
Rousseau is known as the father of early childhood education.  As a
result of his educational viewpoint, early childhood education emerged
as a child-centered entity rich in unlimited, sensory-driven, practical
experiences.  Active participation in drawing, measuring, speaking, and
singing also emerged as a result of Rousseau’s educational viewpoint. 
Today, many elements of Rousseau’s educational principles remain
as a dominant force in early childhood education.
Reporter:Martha Jelle D. Blanco Dr. Bridget O. Orge
EDMA – Student Professor
 Effects upon the School
• Naturalist teaching and learning values experiences over books,
depth over breadth, wisdom over intelligence. For example, the
simple identification of animals without understanding their
habitats, growth cycles, behaviors and more. Because naturalists
often seek deep knowledge, they can happily sit in the same spot
every day, noting and valuing even minute changes.
• Whereas science classes are often about abstract processes like
global warming, photosynthesis, and mitosis, naturalist classes are
about tangible experiences such as identifying a tree by the texture
of its bark, or tracking an animal across various surfaces, or
exploring what edible plants grow in the neighborhood. These
differences are bigger than they first appear to be.
Reporter:Martha Jelle D. Blanco Dr. Bridget O. Orge
EDMA – Student Professor
 Effects upon the School
• Finally, naturalist teaching often
incorporates many other components
drawn from indigenous cultures,
including storytelling, hunting, cooking,
ceremony, mentoring, philosophy and
many more. Those interested in other
areas typically outside the scope of the
traditional classroom can get more ideas
for teaching.
Reporter:Martha Jelle D. Blanco Dr. Bridget O. Orge
EDMA – Student Professor
References:
K.K.Bhatai,(2004).Philosophical perspective of education.Ludiana,India: Laxmi
Nagar.             
Grimsley, R. (1969) Jean-Jacques Rousseau: A study in self-awareness. Cardiff,
University of Wales Press.
Herbart, J.F. (1902). The Science of Education. Boston : D.C.Heath & Company.
Khalid, T. (1974). Education: An Introduction to Educational Philosophy and
History. Karachi, S.M. Printers.
Rusk, R.R. (1956). Philosophical Basis of Education.University of London   ,
press:London.     
https://slideplayer.com/slide/13041692/
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/naturalism/
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-worldhistory/chapter/the-enlightenm
ent/
                          

Reporter:Martha Jelle D. Blanco Dr. Bridget O. Orge

EDMA – Student Professor
Reporter:Martha Jelle D. Blanco Dr. Bridget O. Orge
EDMA – Student Professor