On pliability and progress: challenging current conceptions of eighteenth-century French educational thought
Examining the educational writings of three of the eighteenth-century's most innovative thinkers, the Abbé de Saint-Pierre, Morelly and Helvétius, this article challenges the currently accepted view that it was a belief in human pliability which gave rise to the contemporary groundbreaking fai...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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UCL Press
2009-06-01
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| Series: | London Review of Education |
| Online Access: | https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/14748460902990377 |
| _version_ | 1797896598704881664 |
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| author | Tal Gilead |
| author_facet | Tal Gilead |
| author_sort | Tal Gilead |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Examining the educational writings of three of the eighteenth-century's most innovative thinkers, the Abbé de Saint-Pierre, Morelly and Helvétius, this article challenges the currently accepted view that it was a belief in human pliability which gave rise to the contemporary
groundbreaking faith in the power of education to improve society. The article delineates an intellectual process that culminated in the stance that man's innate behavioural tendencies are unalterable. It argues that, at least prior to Rousseau, the eighteenth-century faith in the power of
education to improve society rested on a conviction that it is possible to beneficially direct man's fixed behavioural tendencies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:44:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4f67db4da08f402386a261e8c9e29ba8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1474-8460 1474-8479 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:44:20Z |
| publishDate | 2009-06-01 |
| publisher | UCL Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | London Review of Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-4f67db4da08f402386a261e8c9e29ba82023-02-23T10:54:11ZengUCL PressLondon Review of Education1474-84601474-84792009-06-01710111210.1080/14748460902990377On pliability and progress: challenging current conceptions of eighteenth-century French educational thoughtTal GileadExamining the educational writings of three of the eighteenth-century's most innovative thinkers, the Abbé de Saint-Pierre, Morelly and Helvétius, this article challenges the currently accepted view that it was a belief in human pliability which gave rise to the contemporary groundbreaking faith in the power of education to improve society. The article delineates an intellectual process that culminated in the stance that man's innate behavioural tendencies are unalterable. It argues that, at least prior to Rousseau, the eighteenth-century faith in the power of education to improve society rested on a conviction that it is possible to beneficially direct man's fixed behavioural tendencies.https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/14748460902990377 |
| spellingShingle | Tal Gilead On pliability and progress: challenging current conceptions of eighteenth-century French educational thought London Review of Education |
| title | On pliability and progress: challenging current conceptions of eighteenth-century French educational thought |
| title_full | On pliability and progress: challenging current conceptions of eighteenth-century French educational thought |
| title_fullStr | On pliability and progress: challenging current conceptions of eighteenth-century French educational thought |
| title_full_unstemmed | On pliability and progress: challenging current conceptions of eighteenth-century French educational thought |
| title_short | On pliability and progress: challenging current conceptions of eighteenth-century French educational thought |
| title_sort | on pliability and progress challenging current conceptions of eighteenth century french educational thought |
| url | https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/14748460902990377 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT talgilead onpliabilityandprogresschallengingcurrentconceptionsofeighteenthcenturyfrencheducationalthought |