Book review
Introduction
Rousseau Jean-Jacques, an active writer between 1712 and 1778, wrote the book of Emile which comprises a baby named Emile. The book majorly talks about the baby’s education from the period of the birth, how they grow up and become a man. The book is divided into five chapters with the first discussing the baby’s precise nature and their physical development. Rousseau says that education natures a person from the time of birth until they become of suitable age. He adds that it is the education that the child gets that determines how they grow up to be good people in life. In chapter one, the writer describes a baby to be helpless and cannot give any speech. The writer also put into discussion the theories of education and how these theories can be implied in a person’s life from the time of infant until they become of age enough. Emile progresses and is guided by the writer’s methods of learning. There also has to be the recognition of the writer’s excellent work as the master of the child and the guidance of the baby through creative and philosophical.
Education in practice is the best for the child than that in perception. In fact, enduring the evils and embracing the excellent yield a best-educated man. The mother must understand that the baby’s first language is crying. It is the advice to find out what the baby cries about before consoling them, shouting or even beating the baby. Rousseau says that learning of the baby usually starts at birth when they cannot say anything or even cry. Recognition of the people around them proceeds after birth. The baby has to recognize those holding him/her at the time of delivery. Second learning is up to the parents. They have to make sure they give complete instructions. The words one say should be perfect to avoid confusing the child. There is no cure for shyness and fear which is created by how one criticises a child. When a child stammers, the parents have to have patience and wait for the child to finish what they are saying. Confusion in speech arose when the child pressured to speak when they don’t want to. Rousseau explains that pronunciation problems also occur due to pressure is given to a child to speak. Walking, eating and even talking is learned about the same time but in different ways. There are different ways to take care of the useless crying of the baby rather than beating them. The most and efficient way is to ignore them. Many people do not like being in pain for nothing so they will stop ones you pay no attention to their cry. If the baby’s cry is prolonged one has to find out what the baby actually wants but should also be aware that the prolonged call causes no harm to the infants. If the parents find out they cry about nothing, then they can try to ignore them.
At birth the baby is dependent. When a person is born a person is born, at the early age, they need external help from their guardians to keep them growing. Rousseau adds that an infant needs to be taught how to speak when they are young so that they will know how to communicate with others. All that a person may lack at the time of their birth is given to them through the education they receive from their masters. At birth we a baby needs the help to understand things around them and get to realize their meanings as they grow. Things like how to walk around the house, how to eat and drink some food are the responsibility of the child’s master. Rousseau, therefore, concludes that various learning stages a baby need at that time should be offered to them when the time they should and deserve to know comes.
According to Jean-Jacques, there are various categories of learning and education depending on the stage of the infant. Rousseau gave multiple classes of schooling, but knowledge of things, training of nature, education men and the school were his three main categories of education. He adds that three main things to teach a child in life are ideas, men and the nature that surrounds us. Knowledge of things revolves knowing what stuff live around people and understanding some facts about them, how they work and how they relate to the living. Learning about things may include knowing how to drive, say for instance when a person is big enough to make and how to use some of the everyday stuff around people like opening the door. Education of men is how a person uses the things they have learned from them. For instance, a child acquires the knowledge about the phone. If the person is taught how to use this gadget, it is called the education of men. Teaching about nature refers to the know-how about the physical development of the organs in the body. The baby has to be told how the organs on their body operate and their names are given according to their stage of development. For example, one cannot say to an infant the actual names of the private parts of their body in the same way they can tell it to the elder men. Rousseau says that all the babies are born with discipline, but the men and the environment they live in affects their nature of the behavior. Children born in places where their masters do not care whether they around or not usually grow with bad morals.
Rousseau argues that it is not a good idea to send a baby to some people that are not the baby’s parents. A child requires the actual love from their parents and Rousseau explains that the best doctor for the child is the mother and considers the father as the topmost teacher for their baby. He also adds that it is not right to let the child grow on their own without the guardians around them as they will miss the quality of developing with the others. The parent should also decide whether to a make a citizen or a man out of their son as both are only but challenging to achieve but if forced they may lose both.
Babies should be given the thing to chew or suck like licorice, flowers with shaking seeds, small branches or even dried fruits. The materials help them in cutting their teeth during the weaning period. Just like puppies always try chewing soft materials rags, leathers, the parent should ensure their children do not take soft drinks like porridge nor had foods. The items are the key to making the child aware of the material. Swimming and how to stay in cold weathers should be taught to the baby and made aware that these conditions are normal. The knowledge about hardship will help them in future difficulties, and even when the guardians are absent, they can take care of their self. Rousseau considers a man whose life is most felt to be one that has lived most but not one with many years.
When a child wants something from the mother, it is not advisable to take it to them. Carrying them to that object may be suitable as the child will only that way to access that specific thing. They start to develop the feeling that their parents have to be around so that they can obtain that particular thing. The best way of reaction when a child wants something is to pretend there is nothing wrong or not listening to their command. In this manner, they learn that they should not command their elders in any way.
A child’s personality may deviate if the mentor fails to observe the universal nature principles. There are four rules to follow when to ensure one follows the laws of nature. First, one has to know that the child is given the extra strength by nature around them and requires the full utilization of this energy and not to abuse them. On the second note, a baby may often touch hot or sensitive things, fall while trying to stand, become weak or even require the physical care which should be offered by their parents. The third rule says that a parent should not help the child all the time but should only do that when it is the only option the baby needs. The last rule calls for the parents understanding. They should be aware of what the child is trying to say or wants and be on the rush to help. People are naturally brought up according to Jean-Jacques, but they may attend institutions that denature their natural course and projects them into being a new man in accordance to what the institution portrays.
Conclusion
In summary, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the Author of the Book Emile takes into consideration the stages one has to monitor in an infant if they are their masters. A person has to keep in mind that it is the work of education that will enlighten a baby into becoming useful in their future. The theories about schooling alongside the development processes have to be put into consideration. One also has to view the baby as one who needs their guidance to grow up succeeds in life. For some reasons, it is better to understand that the infants cannot speak for themselves. The speechlessness’ of the baby, therefore, call for the master’s effort to make a decision. It is, therefore, firm clear that for one to be brought up and be successful in their life there has to be a good master and right decisions which governs their stages of development from infant to being a man.