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  • Essay / The Development of Bertrand Russell's Educational Theory

    Education is the root of our society. Education builds a man. Liberality, tolerance, patience, these are generated by education. This is why any sane person prioritizes the education system. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Bertrand Arthur William Russell, one of the contemporary philosophers, also gives his views on the education system. Russell was also a moral and analytical philosopher. His moral philosophy is one where he opposes the repression of freedom. He was too concerned with human freedom because he believed that without freedom, personal development would not be possible. And in his pedagogical theory, which manifested itself in the light of his ethical theory, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of personal development. Philosophers like Russell are not only theory creators, but they are also social reformers. Their theories mark society. And Russell's views were also obsessed, which had a great impact on society. Russell was an open-minded philosopher. He opposed any kind of obligation that authority imposed on man. He believed that sometimes obligations make people limited, which becomes a burden for them. Fundamentally, Russell was an unorthodox thinker. He always accepted changes as time required. He believed that society is a constantly evolving formation; so if man does not change his mind according to society, he will be treated as a barbarian. And to change his point of view, man needs sufficient freedom which gives him the power to analyze between good and evil and helps him to determine the good. And thanks to these freedoms and these changes, the overall development of society is possible. And before social development, personal development is a prerequisite. And education is the first step through which this development could be possible. A perfect man is a precious gift to our society. It is therefore our duty to make a child not a machine but a rational being so that he can make rational decisions. Russell's view clearly showed that it is our responsibility to make a child capable, because he can differentiate between right and wrong, he can understand what would be appropriate in that specific situation. Basically, education is that kind of thing through which morality is built in a child or in a student who is the social being of the future. Thus, according to Russell, education does not only mean learning to adapt to the classical view of what is given by such authority, but, through education, man can understand his true duty or responsibility and he can be the judge of his own decision. So, from this point of view, it is clear that Russell was one of the modifiers who wanted to change the orthodox social system that forcibly imposed rules or standards on man. And through education, he wanted to modify the classical system. This is why he attached great importance to personal development. “On Education”, Russell's brilliant and timeless work, in which he represented some important areas of education. I will now address these topics. Firstly, I will emphasize the responsibility of teachers in matters of education. Responsibility of Teachers The primary objective of education is to develop the intellect and character of students. It is only through education that a conscious and superior type of individual can be created. According to Russell, if the teacher is notsympathetic and affectionate towards the student, the student's intelligence and character cannot be developed. No man can be a good teacher who does not feel feelings of warm affection towards his students. Teachers who have genuine sympathy and welfare awareness towards their students cannot help but adopt appropriate teaching methods. And the teacher must be serious in treating students even if they are small. The teacher should give them responsibilities, talk to them frankly, provide them with privacy and solitude and make them readers and thinkers of sufficient thoughts from the very beginning. And this, if the teacher seriously wants to become a responsible social being. After the responsibility of the teacher comes the nature of education. Russell writes: “Education is, as a rule, the most powerful force on the side of what exists and against fundamental change. According to Russell, education makes students capable of thinking, allows them to choose intelligently between two points of view that they want to accept. Education as a political weapon could not exist if we respected the rights of children. If we respect the rights of children, we must educate them to give them the knowledge and mental habits necessary to cultivate independent opinions. In the essay “The Place of Science in a Liberal Education,” Russell defines education “as the formation, through teaching, of certain habits of mind and of a certain outlook on life and the world.” The State wants an obedient citizen, the Church wants good saints, so every authority wants a man who can easily accept the given rules and easily comply with them. But this is not fruitful for a child because the real existence of a child is ignored here. In “Liberty and Organization, 1814-194,” in “Marriage and Morals,” Russell spoke repeatedly about the change in social thought. Russell defined that education for change can result in better education. This vision of Russell proves that he accepted conformism as the tomb of intelligence and that in this respect the orthodoxy of a radical is no better than that of the reactionary. Russell took four characteristics which together seemed to him to form the basis of an ideal character. These four elements are vitality, courage, sensitivity and intelligence. According to Russell, although vitality is a physical trait, it largely shapes our mental state and endurance. Russell suggested that vitality is a physical rather than a mental characteristic; it is probably always present where health is perfect, but it tends to diminish with age and gradually diminishes until it disappears with old age. In vigorous children, it quickly reaches a maximum before they reach school age, then tends to decrease with education. Where it exists, there is pleasure in feeling alive, independent of any particular pleasant circumstance. This increases pleasures and reduces pain. This makes it easy to be interested in everything that is happening and promotes objectivity which is an essential element of reason. Human beings tend to be self-absorbed, unable to take interest in what they see and hear or in anything of their own. Vitality promotes interest in the outside world; it also promotes the power of hard work. The second characteristic on our list of ideal character ingredients is courage. In a discussion of courage, Russell gives us a clear view of courage. This quality has two parts. The first Russell called the absence of fear. Then, the second aspect of courage involves the ability to understand one's own limitations. Many.