DESCARTES.
(1596-1650).
Rene Descartes was a mediocre scientist, a great mathematician and an
even greater philosopher. He is considered to be the father of modern philosophy.
His thought affected educational theory in the following manner:
2. IMPORTANCE OF DOUBTING AUTHORITATIVE PROPOSITIONS. It is necessary for man to doubt everything prior to asserting any definite truths. This act of doubt leads the mind to the rational assertion of a self-evident principle that cannot be doubted. Therefore, it is possible to infer the right of each man to think for himself.
3. CLEAR AND CERTAIN TRUTHS. Man ought to accept no statement as true, unless it appears clear and certain to his intellect.
4. PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF KNOWLEDGE. In the act of knowing, the mind proceeds from what is already known to the unknown, This infers the need for a teacher to base learning upon the intellectual experience of each pupil. Descartes asserted the principle that the mind moves from the concrete to the abstract, the simple to the more complex. These principles underlie the organization of school curriculum.