John Locke

Originally published in 1967. Locke's views in the field of education had great influence in the UK and abroad; and the aim of this book is to present them in the context of his general philosophical thinking, since it was mainly as a philosopher that Locke won his place in history. Because Locke was at the same time very much a man of affairs, and an interesting character on his own merits, the book gives a fairly full account of his life and times. Some attention is paid to his relations with the brilliant political adventurer, Lord Shaftesbury, without whom Locke's own career would have been very different, and might not have offered the opportunities which led to his writings on education.
The book seeks to emphasize the importance of Locke's empirical approach to truth - the method of modern science, without which the modern study of education, and the science of psychology in particular, would never have developed.

Introduction Part 1: John Locke and His World 1. The Seventeenth Century in England 2. From the Restoration to the Revolution, 1660-1689 3. John Locke, 1632-1704 Part 2: Locke's Philosophy 4. Reason and Experience - Locke's Theory of Knowledge 5. Locke's Educational Thought 6. English Educational Thought and Practice before Locke Part 3: Locke's 'Thoughts Concerning Education' 7. General Principles of Education 8. The Care of the Child 9. Programme of Studies. Appendix: Note on the Mellon Collection of Locke Papers. Suggestions for Further Reading