Science and religion in educational writings of John Locke: the moral formation of the child

Author(s)

Christian Lindberg Lopes do Nascimento

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Educação
• Defense date: 2015-07-04

Examining board members

Lidia Maria Rodrigo; Renê José Trentin Silveira; Antonio Carlos dos Santos; Alberto Ribeiro Gonçalves de Barros; Carlota Boto

• Advisor: Lidia Maria Rodrigo

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the impact of science teaching and religious teaching in children¿s moral education, by emphasizing the educational writings of John Locke, without forgetting the other works of this philosopher. Therefore, the theoretical frameworks, as the skepticism of Montaigne and the Baconian realism, as well as the reformist contribution to education, which influenced the author of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, will be examined. From the perspective of Locke¿s educational theory, it is necessary to discuss the relationship, at first controversial, that the author establishes between the science teaching and the religious teaching to produce a certain moral education. This research considers the hypothesis that, with this kind of moral education, the author aims the establishment of a society morally christian. Thus, this thesis is divided into four chapters. In the first, John Locke¿s history of educational thought will be presented. Then, the analysis of Locke¿s main works will be done, having as guiding elements the themes: science, religion and morals. In the third chapter, the research will be grounded in his educational works, in which educational content become central. In the last chapter, the concepts of childhood and education will have a brief conceptual consideration, to then be used as a basis for reflection on the theme of children¿s moral education in Locke. Regarding the operational point of view, this research is founded in hermeneutics as a methodological conception, adopting the content analysis as a method. The methodological procedures used were reading, book reporting and analysis of the collected data and drafting the text. Finally, John Locke¿s works were adopted as a primary source and the commentators and/or philosophers¿ works were judged relevant to the development of the argument as a secondary source (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/04668-3 - Science and religion in the educational writings of John Locke: the moral formation of children
• Grantee: Christian Lindberg Lopes do Nascimento
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate