John Locke - Educating clearly thinking minds

John locke popularized 3 ideas that change society and parenting.

  • Everyone should have freedom of thought and the right to choose their own religion
  • Kings can't just do as they please, people have natural rights to liberty, property and life hence need to be asked for permission.
  • Parents should avoid punishing their children since the use of emotion to make them behave can make them sensationalist instead they should allow their children to be guided by though leading them to become free thinking rationalists.
  • Education is the key to freeing society from political and psycological tyranny
  • To become virtous adult defined virtue as a combination self denial and rationality because we need to control our desire to think clearly.

Tabula rasa

all knowledge comes from our perception which leave imprints on that blank state even smallest association of ideas can have lasting consequences.

Body and mind

  • Recommends dry bread and small non alcoholic beer to make the boy
  • Strong rich and spiced food should be avoided as they are to tempting for delicate mind.
  • exposing to harsh condition such as cold bath protects from common cold.
  • To toughen the young body abundant sleep on a hand bed is ideal.

Learning should be pleasant

  • learn reading suggests games, allow parents to discover and nurture child's natural talents
  • punishment should be avoided of as it can break the child spirit and teaches wrong value
  • to secure best education hire a tutor rather send to school

Habits always trump rules

  • Establish clear routines and aim to be become role models of rational thinking this help to learn how to control his desire and think rationally to become virtuous.
  • Rules consequently lead to reward and punishment, sensation that arouse feeling instead of reason
  • To become a free thinker/ rationalist, child shouldn't be driven by rules or incentives but by esteem and fear of disgracing oneself
"Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge, it is thinking that we read ours"

Subscribe to You Live What You Learn

Don’t miss out on the latest issues. Sign up now to get access to the library of members-only issues.
[email protected]
Subscribe