In Emile: or A Treatise on Education, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Rousseau talks about how one should be brought up through their childhood all the way to adulthood through his fictional character Emile. Rousseau’s view on how one should be brought up is that during childhood, it should be enjoyed, and not worrying about being taught through education what is right and what is wrong. “Love childhood, indulge its sports, its pleasures, its delightful instincts. Who has not sometimes regretted that age when laughter was ever on the lips, and when the heart was ever at peace?” (Rousseau 4/5). Childhood is when one should have no worries or stress in life, but rather just nothing but happiness and joy.
Rousseau goes on to talk about that when one enters their teenage years, they should become more educated. However, they should not become more educated by being taught, but rather by teaching themselves based on their curiosity.
“Teach your scholar to observe the phenomena of nature; you will soon rouse his curiosity, but if you would have it grow, do not be in too great a hurry to satisfy this curiosity. Put the problems before him and let him solve them himself. Let him know nothing because you have told him, but because he has learnt it for himself. Let him not be taught science, let him discover it.” (Rousseau 15).
What Rousseau is saying is that one needs to become educated in what they are interested about. If one is presented with a problem before themselves and they don’t know how to answer it, they must teach themselves what the answer is on their own. Self educating based on curiosities will lead to one to be more educated about life.
I would have liked to have more of your reflection on Rousseau. Most of what you’ve given me is summary. Even in a free post, I’m interested in you making a claim or exploring a point.