"being" versus "becoming": explore the thoughts of aristotle, john locke, and jean-jacques rousseau on the nature of childhood. Which philosopher do you think has had the most impact on how we think about childhood today?
Answers
Answer:
Jean-Jacques Rousseau is the philosopher who has had the most impact on how we think about childhood today. This is due to his belief that children are born free from the inhibitions imposed on children by the State and the Church. Many parents in the modern society have become cognizant of the fact that children should be freed from many social norms that have a negative impact on their lives. This can be illustrated by the attitudes of these children towards certain things such as food, culture, music and religion.
Explanation:
According to Aristotle, a child is mainly a potential or 'prospective' adult. The child is supposed to be taught useful habits in order to attain full adulthood. There are three spheres that determine the prospects.These are : biology, habit and Reason. Only few attain excellence in all the three.
According to John Locke, a child is a 'tabula rasa,' a clean slate until life experiences begin to inscribe some patterns on it. The adult will be nothing more than a product of his or her environment.
According to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a child is born free, however soon the chains of 'civilization' are shackled on the child. The chains come from the Church and the State. The adult must learn to unshackle themselves from these chains, in order to regain the original freedom they enjoyed as a child of Nature.