Rousseau’s concept of humanity and the main controversies In the pedagogical interpretations of “Émile”

Robi Kroflič

Summary:  The analysis of Rousseau’s concept of humanity shows that his idea is interweaved with emotional and rational factors, which can lead to the development of morality or vices. Furthermore, the dividing line between positive and negative existentials is not between the rational and emotional (as in Kant’s philosophy) because rational consciousness of morality and social justice is conditioned with compassion, moral imagination, and the readiness of the individual to harmonize her or his private morality with public to restore general will. His pedagogical solutions show Rousseau as a the predecessor of many pedagogical ideas in the eighteen and the twentieth century, including preventive pedagogy, theory of experiential learning, theory of social domains, and inductive educational approach.