Abstract/Notes: Synthesizing ideas from such disparate thinkers as educator Maria Montessori, philosophers John Dewey and Ayn Rand, and Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, Montessori, Dewey, and Capitalism presents a philosophy of education-the theory of concentrated attention and independent judgment-that requires laissez-faire capitalism for its full realization. It is not an argument, except indirectly, for the separation of education and state nor is it a critique of present and past state-run schooling. It is an argument for the abolition of coercion in all areas of life. What is the ideal education system? asks the author. One that rejects the premise of obedience to authority. Not just in teaching, but also in parenting and in all social relations. Just as an ideal social system would allow citizens to pursue their values without interruption or control from an outside authority, namely the state, so also the ideal education system should allow children and students to concentrate without interruption on the learning tasks that interest them. The adult guides and nurtures the young, neither coercing nor neglecting them, to develop the confidence and independence required for an adult life in a capitalist society.

Language: English

Published: Upland, California: Kirkpatrick Books, 2008

Edition: 1st

ISBN: 978-0-9787803-3-3

Language: English

Archive: Seattle University, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, Special Collections

Language: Italian

Language: English

Published: Claremont, California: Claremont Graduate School, 1981

Language: German

ISSN: 0030-9249

Language: German

Language: German

Published: Heidelberg, Germany: Quelle & Meyer, 1964

Series: Anthropologie und Erziehung , 11

Language: German

Published: Heidelberg, Germany: Quelle & Meyer, 1968

Edition: 2nd ed.

Series: Anthropologie und Erziehung , 11

Abstract/Notes: This study indicates several areas in which the contributions of Piaget, Dewey, and Vygotsky appear to substantiate Montessori theory and practice. Historical information concerning the emergence and accessibility of developmental and educational theory is also provided. The work identifies similarities and differences in the theorists' views of the ways in which children learn, ways in which the learning process includes the social environment, and ways in which human beings perceive the world and learn from it. Topics addressed include characteristics of developmental stages, the nature of language acquisition, the construction of the self, the influence of social interaction and experiences with language on cognitive development, and the development of internal thought and consciousness. It is asserted that the Montessori method provides the means for the kind of social and individual growth that enables children to become "the heroes of their own lives," and leads to confident and responsible participation in a democratic culture. Concluding remarks focus on the importance of the concept of the "zone of proximal development" as a sign to teachers of a limit to their knowledge of children, and an admonition to teachers to be more observant and less directing concerning learning activities of the child.

Language: English

Published: [S.I.]: [s.n.], 1988

Series: Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) , ED304210

Language: Italian

ISSN: 0394-1302