Some Thoughts Concerning Education
by John Locke
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1693
- Form
- Essay
- Language
- English
- Length
- Medium · 200 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendSome Thoughts Concerning Education and Of the Conduct of the UnderstandingHackett, 1996Ruth Grant and Nathan Tarcov's edition, with the related essay on training the mind.
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Advice on raising a gentleman's son, expanded from letters Locke wrote to a friend. It begins with the body, prescribing cold water, thin shoes and plain food, and then turns to the mind, arguing that the point of education is virtue and self-command rather than learning, that children should be governed by esteem and disgrace rather than the rod, and that they learn best through play and example. Locke ranks Latin and rhetoric far below good character, and he recommends a trade for every gentleman.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Some Thoughts Concerning Education are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
