PLATO'S AND ROUSSEAU'S UNDERSTANDING OF EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF HUMAN NATURE

‘Human nature’ constituted the focus of Plato and Rousseau’s educational approach. Both of them revealed large-scale and principled methods on education. Even if they put the nature on the basis of educational approach, their approaches were different. According to Plato, human nature was determined by birth. He mentioned that there were gold, silver, iron and bronze-created people. According to Plato, the function of education seemed to reveal which metals were in the creation of children; but if we carefully examine Plato’s educational approach, we can say that human nature is shapeable, and he assumes human nature as can be created by education. In contrast, Rousseau gave equal importance to child’s physiological and psychological nature. He argued that these features should be recognized and training should be provided according to these features. He thought that designated approach of education which serves to a purpose would harm the nature of the child.