HIST 1080 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Some Thoughts Concerning Education, Tabula Rasa, Authoritarianism
16 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
Changing ideas on childhood in the 18th century: american revolution. Childhood increasingly seen as a distinct stage of life. Youth have more autonomy (mintz: american revolution: childrearing = nation-building project. Idea that babies are innately sinful is in decline (no need to break wills) Faith in reason & science & rejection of traditional religious authorities: repudiation of divine right of kings. Constitutional government: no one is above the law. Age of revolution (late 1700s: liberal political thought led to unsure ideas about the legitimacy of: monarchy slavery religious authorities subordination of women & children, historical causation : Actions of people:( great men," ordinary individuals, or collective action?) Government = derived from the consent of the governed. Citizens have right & duty to overthrow a government abuses power. Child"s mind at birth = tabula rasa. Of all the men we meet with, nine parts of ten are what they are, good or evil, useful or not, by their education.
