Abstract
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827), the father of modern pedagogy (Soetard, 1985), dedicated his life to the pursuit of truth for mankind. This quest considered the education and teaching of children as a whole hence, his famous formula of “head, heart, and hands” was conceived not just as a slogan but, particularly, as a concept of comprehensive education. But how do you get to the truth behind education and teaching? How do you teach and educate children? What method ought to be used for this task? Pestalozzi wrote five volumes on his own Method (in Germany), which were later translated into French, and in these, he aimed to address the three questions mentioned above. Ever since the first attempt to explain the Pestalozzi Method, by Marc Antoine JULLIEN in his work Spirit of the Method of Pestalozzi education (Esprit de la Methode d’education de Pestalozzi) (1812), followed by Daniel Alexandre CHAVANNES in his Elemental Method of H. Pestalozzi (Methode elementaire de H. Pestalozzi) (1819) and the works of Soetard (1994) and Throler (2008), many of the Method’s concepts have been discussed and defended. However, the various authors do not appear to have settled on a common ground. Nevertheless, this article aims to offer a reflection on the subject based on a reading and analysis of the texts by Pestalozzi that were translated into French. It will attempt to defend the argument that Pestalozzi appropriated the inductive Method of Locke and Comenios who, like himself, were protestants, and whose methodological resources for finding the “Truth” through both education and teaching involved geometry and mathematics; these were elements that Pestalozzi considered useful for approaching and identifying truth and accuracy.
Highlights
How do you get to the truth behind education and teaching? How do you teach and educate children? What method ought to be used for this task? Pestalozzi wrote five volumes on his own Method, which were later translated into French, and in these, he aimed to address the three questions mentioned above
It will attempt to defend the argument that Pestalozzi appropriated the inductive Method of Locke and Comenios who, like himself, were protestants, and whose methodological resources for finding the “Truth” through both education and teaching involved geometry and mathematics; these were elements that Pestalozzi considered useful for approaching and identifying truth and accuracy
Politics would appear in other works by Pestalozzi, such as To the innocence, the gravity and the nobility of my time and my country (À l’Innocence, à la gravité et à la noblesse de mon époque et de ma patrie) (Lausanne: LEP Éditions Loisirs et Pédagogie SA, 2012)
Summary
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was born in Zurich, Switzerland, on January 12, 1746, in a middle-class family; his father was a doctor and his mother was a housewife In his youth, Pestalozzi became involved in politics, and his attempts to expose the abuses and corruption committed by officials led to his imprisonment. He requested that the Swiss authorities give him their opinions regarding the content and practice of his Method and its feasibility at the national level His Method was assessed on three occasions: in July 1802 (Report Ith), in March 1806 (Rapport Chavannes), and in May 1810 (Rapport Girard); Pestalozzi, despite being praised by the evaluators for his Method, never saw it adopted or made universal by the government, that is, by the Swiss Confederation. The reason for this is clear: my Method is not yet complete” (Pestalozzi, 2008: p. 18).
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