In this state of being, we did, at one point in our existence, enjoy a true love of self, or ‘amour de soi’, and while he did not argue that this self-love would guarantee any sort of moral absolute or authority, it did allow us to seek out love and comfort without concern for looking bad or selfish or anti-social. He believed that people are fundamentally good, that is at least when in their ‘natural state’, a prehistoric state of being before the rise of civilization and society. He believed that we all have within us birthright talents born of a deeply profound desire for freedom, that could, if properly nurtured, create a more natural union between people, and even between people and the world around them. Rousseau had an undying faith in both simplicity and human nature, and believed that we are not born bad, or even ‘blank’ as Locke suggested, but with a goodness unrestricted by any social construct or cultural standard. So, why do we ignore our natural instincts, our inclinations to educate, teach and learn in a way that honors who we are, as human beings with instinct and intuition? Why do we keep trying to force learning through tests, accountability measures, and scopes and sequences? Maybe we simply lack faith, and not only in our children, but ourselves, too? This is natural, he believed, and I would contest that most of us would agree, at least to some degree. In his world, students are not just a ‘blank slate’ to be written upon with knowledge or content, and certainly do not need to be fixed or saved, but should be valued for their natural abilities and innate desire to be free, and thus, to learn. His ideas and writings build upon John Locke’s student-centered philosophy of schooling, suggesting an even more asset-based approach to education, one that values the innate character and birthright talents that our children offer. This second article in the series, “Why Schools Are the Way They Are”, focuses on the educational philosophy of the 17thcentury French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. “Coming from the hand of the Author of all things, everything is good in the hands of man, everything degenerates.” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau from Emile, or Education
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