Rousseau and popular education

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of this article is to present the principles of popular education based on the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, especially the Emile or the Education and Considerations of the Government of Poland. Althought Rousseau did not use the expression popular education this principle appears in the work Considerations when he observes that everyone should have access to school, poor or rich. Both works are conceptually united even though they have different purposes. About of the question of the relationship between nature and culture, for Rousseau, it is observe that the education of nature, based on Emilio, does not mean letting nature educate the child by itself, but it proposes an education that is in conformity and not against nature. Therefore, Rousseau is not a critic of culture, but of a certain type of culture, that violates human beings in favour of appearance of order and civilization.