Assessment of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's educational concept "natural inclination" from a Reformed worldview perpective

Authors

  • Morné Diedericks Akademie Reformatoriese Opleiding en Studies, Pretoria

Keywords:

Anthropology, Christian Education, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Natural Inclination, Reformed Worldview, Sin

Abstract

After almost three hundred years, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s influence in various fields of science is clearly visible. One field of science in which Rousseau is particularly indispensable is in education. A key concept within Rousseau’s ideas on education is his concept of natural inclination. In this article, Rousseau’s concept of natural inclination is assessed from a Reformed worldview perspective. Rousseau’s anthropological view of man being naturally good makes his use of the term ‘natural inclination’ different from that of Reformed thinkers, which is grounded in the Reformed confession of man’s sinful nature. This further has the effect that the conceptualisation of the different aspects of education takes a different form than the framework presented by Rousseau. As a result, educators working within a Reformed worldview cannot be uncritical towards Rousseau’s use of the concept of ‘natural inclination’.

 

 

Na byna driehonderd jaar is Jean-Jacques Rousseau se invloed op verskillende wetenskapsvelde steeds duidelik sigbaar. Een vakgebied waarin Rousseau besonder onontbeerlik is, is in die opvoedkunde. ? Sleutelkonsep binne Rousseau se idees oor opvoeding is sy konsep van natuurlike neiging. In hierdie artikel word Rousseau se konsep van natuurlike neiging vanuit ? Reformatoriese lewens- en wêreldbeskouing beoordeel. Rousseau se antropologiese siening van die mens wat van nature goed is, maak sy gebruik van die term ‘natuurlike neiging’ anders as dié van reformatoriese denkers. Reformatoriese denkers se antropologie is gegrond in die belydenis van die mens se sondige natuur. Dit het verder tot gevolg dat die konseptualisering van die verskillende aspekte van die opvoeding ? ander vorm aanneem as die raamwerk wat deur Rousseau aangebied word. As gevolg hiervan behoort opvoeders wat binne ? Reformatoriese lewens- en wêreldbeskouing werk, krities te wees teenoor Rousseau se gebruik van die begrip ‘natuurlike neiging’.

 

Published

2021-07-30

How to Cite

Diedericks, M. (2021). Assessment of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s educational concept "natural inclination" from a Reformed worldview perpective. Tydskrif Vir Christelike Wetenskap | Journal for Christian Scholarship, 57(No 1&2), 42-56. Retrieved from https://pubs.ufs.ac.za/index.php/tcw/article/view/545

Issue

Vol. 57 No. No 1&2 (2021): Tydskrif vir Christelike wetenskap/Journal for Christian scholarship

Section

Artikels | Articles

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