Our modern notion of childhood took centuries to develop. The idea began to emerge during the thirteenth century, blossomed during the sixteenth and seventeenth century, and finally began to be recognized in the eighteenth century. Toys, games and clothes were being desgined specically for children (middle and upper class), as adults began to view children in a different light. New views with regards to children aided in the development of mass education. (Richardson).
The ideas of Jean Jacques Rousseau and John Locke contributed greatly to the image of childhood. Their philosophies began to shape the way children were viewed, treated, and educated, which influenced education in the eighteenth centrury (Richardson).
Rousseau believed that children were innocent from birth but were corrupted by the evils of society. Rousseau’s publication “Emile” expressed his views on children and how they should be educated. According to Rousseau, children should be educated in the countryside; away from the city where they can be corrupted. He believed that the goal of education was for a child to learn how to be their own masters and how to live life righteously (Richardson).
Locke’s views on children varied in comparison to Rousseau’s. He stressed the idea that an infant’s mind was tabula rasa and that early education is essential in shaping the adult. Locke believed that the education of a child should be monitired with great care by their father and a tutor, as oppose to public education. He also believed that children’s reasoning and judgment skills should be valued and emphasized, but he also recognized the vaule of play (Richardson).
