Chapter I: Preface

The present volume is an effort to trace the reform movement in education from Vives, Bacon, and Ratke to Comenius, who gave the movement its most significant force and direction; and from him to the later reformers,—Francke, Rousseau, Basedow, Pestalozzi, Fröbel, and Herbart. A variety of ideas, interests, and adaptations, all distinctly modern, are represented in the life-creeds of these reformers; and, in the absence of a more satisfactory term, the progressive movement which they represent has been styled realism,—sometimes called the “new education.”

It has been well said that “the dead hand of spiritual ancestry lays no more sacred duty on posterity than that of realizing under happier circumstances ideas which the stress of age or the shortness of life has deprived of their accomplishment.” Many of the reforms represented by the realists occupy no inconsiderable place in the platforms of modern practitioners of education; and in the belief that a history of the movement might contribute toward the ultimate reforms which realism represents, it has seemed expedient to focus such a survey on the life and teachings of the strongest personality and chief exponent of the movement.

The condition of education in Europe during the sixteenth century is briefly told in the opening chapter; following are given the traces of the educational development of Comenius in the writings of Vives, Bacon, and Ratke; three chapters are devoted to the life of Comenius and the reforms in which he actively participated; an exposition of his educational writings has three chapters; a chapter is given to the influence of Comenius on Francke, Rousseau, Pestalozzi, and other modern reformers; and the closing chapter sums up his permanent influence. The volume has two appendices,—one giving tables of dates relating to the life and writings of Comenius, and the other a select annotated bibliography.

In the exposition of the writings of Comenius, the author has made liberal use of English and German translations from Latin and Czech originals. In the case of the _Great didactic_, the scholarly translation by Mr. Keatinge has, in the main, been followed. Free translations of portions of this work had been made by the author before the appearance of Mr. Keatinge’s book; and in some instances these have been retained. As regards the account of Comenius’ views on the earliest education of the child, the author’s edition of the _School of infancy_ has been followed; and in the discussion of reforms in language teaching, he is indebted to Mr. Bardeen’s edition of the _Orbis pictus_, and to Dr. William T. Harris for the use of the handsome Elzevir edition of the _Janua_, which is the property of the Bureau of Education.

WILL S. MONROE.

STATE NORMAL SCHOOL,
WESTFIELD, MASS.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

EUROPEAN EDUCATION IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

PAGE

Humanism, realism, and naturalism
characterized—Devotion of the sixteenth century to
the humanistic ideal—Study of Latin eloquence—Style
the chief aim—Neglect of the mother-tongue—Views
of John Sturm and the Jesuits—Devotion to
Cicero—Decadence of the later humanists—Erasmus
and Melanchthon on the enrichment of the course
of study—Satires of Rabelais directed against the
humanists—Protests of Montaigne—Attitude of Ascham
and Mulcaster—Transition from humanism to realism 1

CHAPTER II

FORERUNNERS OF COMENIUS

Traces of the intellectual development of Comenius.
Vives a realist—His early training in Spain
and France—Educational activity in Belgium and
England—Views on the education of women—Theory of
education—Comparison of Comenius and Vives. Bacon
the founder of modern realism—Views on the education
of his day—Attacks mediævalism—Study of nature
and the inductive method—Individual differences
among children. Ratke—Studies at Hamburg and
Rostock—Visits England and becomes acquainted with
the philosophy of Bacon—His plan of education—Its
reception by the universities at Jena and
Giessen—Organization of the schools at Gotha—Call
to Sweden—Summary of Ratke’s views—Harmony of his
teachings with those of Comenius. Campanella,
Andreæ, and Bateus—Their influence on the life and
teachings of Comenius 15

CHAPTER III

BOYHOOD AND EARLY LIFE OF COMENIUS: 1592–1628

Ancestry of Comenius—Attends the village school
at Strasnitz—Studies Latin in the gymnasium at
Prerau—Character of the Latin schools of his
day—Enters the college at Herborn—Studies theology
and philosophy—Inspired by the teachings of
Alsted—Makes the acquaintance of the writings of
Ratke—Continues his studies at Heidelberg—Begins
his career as a teacher at Prerau—Ordained as
a clergyman—Installed as pastor and school
superintendent at Fulneck—Persecution 38

CHAPTER IV

CAREER AS AN EDUCATIONAL REFORMER: 1628–1656

Flight to Poland—Appointed director of the
gymnasium at Lissa—Reforms introduced—Literary
projects—Need of a patron—Call to England—Friendship
with Hartlib—Interest of the English
Parliament—Discontent with existing educational
institutions—Lewis de Geer, his Dutch patron—Call
to Sweden—Interview with Oxenstiern—Located at
Elbing—Reform of the Swedish schools—Return to
Poland—Consecration as senior bishop—Consequences
of the treaty of Westphalia—Ecclesiastical
ministrations—Call to Hungary—Reform of the schools
at Saros-Patak—Plan of a pansophic school—Return to
Lissa—The city burned—Flight of Comenius from Poland 47

CHAPTER V

CLOSING YEARS: 1656–1670

Flight to Amsterdam—Reception by Lawrence de
Geer—Religious freedom in Holland—Publication of the
complete edition of his writings—Other educational
activities—The “one thing needful”—Death at
Amsterdam and burial at Naärden—Family history of
Comenius—Alleged call to the presidency of Harvard
College—Portraits—Personal characteristics 71

CHAPTER VI

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

The _Great didactic_—Conditions under which
produced—Aim of the book—Purpose of education—Man’s
craving for knowledge—Youth the time for
training—Private instruction undesirable—Education
for girls as well as boys—Uniform methods. Education
according to nature—How nature teaches—Selection
and adaptation of materials—Organization of pupils
into classes—Correlation of studies. Methods of
instruction—Science—Arts—Language—Morals—Religion.
Types of educational institutions—The mother’s
school—School of the mother-tongue—Latin
school—University. School discipline—Character and
purpose of discipline—Corporal punishment only in
cases of moral perversity 83

CHAPTER VII

EARLIEST EDUCATION OF THE CHILD

_School of infancy_—Circumstances under which
written—View of childhood—Conception of infant
education. Physical training—Care of the body—The
child’s natural nurse—Food—Sleep—Play and exercise.
Mental training—Studies which furnish the symbols
of thought—Nature study—Geography—History—Household
economy—Stories and fables—Principle of
activity—Drawing—Arithmetic—Geometry—Music—Language—Poetry.
Moral and religious
training—Examples—Instruction—Discipline—Some
virtues to be taught—Character of formal religious
instruction 109

CHAPTER VIII

STUDY OF LANGUAGE

Dominance of Latin in the seventeenth
century—Methods of study characterized by Comenius.
The _Janua_—Purpose and plan—Its success. _Atrium_
and _Vestibulum_—Their relation to the _Janua_.
The _Orbis pictus_—Its popularity—Use of pictures.
_Methodus novissima_—Principles of language
teaching—Function of examples—Place of oral and
written language in education 123

CHAPTER IX

INFLUENCE OF COMENIUS ON MODERN EDUCATORS

Francke—Early educational undertakings—The
institution at Halle—Character of the
Pædagogium—Impulse given to modern education.
Rousseau—The child the centre of educational
schemes—Sense training fundamental—Order and method
of nature to be followed. Basedow—Protests against
traditional methods—Influenced by the _Émile_—His
educational writings—The Philanthropinum.
Pestalozzi—Love the key-note of his system—Domestic
education—Education of all classes and sexes—The
study of nature—Impulse given to the study of
geography. Fröbel—His relations to Comenius and
Pestalozzi—Educational value of play and principle
of self-activity—Women as factors in education.
Herbart—Assimilation of sense-experience—Training in
character—Doctrine of interest 142

CHAPTER X

PERMANENT INFLUENCE OF COMENIUS

General neglect of Comenius during the eighteenth
century—Causes—Intrenchment of humanism—Summary of
the permanent reforms of Comenius—Revived interest
in his teachings—National Comenian pedagogical
library at Leipzig—The Comenius Society—Reviews
published for the dissemination of the doctrines of
Comenius—Conquest of his ideas 165

APPENDICES

I. TABLE OF DATES 173

II. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 175

INDEX 181

COMENIUS