Research Proposal on "Erasmus vs. John Calvin"

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Erasmus v. Calvin

An Analysis of the Theoretical Basis and Practical Effects of Education as Perceived by Erasmus and John Calvin and Subsequent generations

The roots of the public education systems in Europe and the United States of America are often though to lie in nineteenth century reform efforts, largely as an outgrowth of the Industrial Revolution and the sweeping societal changes wrought by the behemoth of progress. There is definitely a large degree of validity to this claim; the nineteenth century did see a massive growth in the number of public education institutions and a legal basis for their operations, including mandated attendance at public expense for many children who would otherwise have simply remained uneducated and illiterate for their entire lives. Changing literacy rates during the century, in fact, provide one major source of evidence that the nineteenth century in many ways gave birth to the concept of true public education.

Yet the principles and concepts upon which public education institutions, systems, and legislation were set up extend back several centuries further into the history of Western development, stemming from certain Enlightenment and Reformation ideals that in some ways even appear antithetical to the major political philosophies and social policies of the early age of industrialization. Specifically, the German theologian and scholar Erasmus and the famed French reformer John Calvin, most well-known for his work in the then-independent city of Geneva, were both instrumental in developing theories not only of the social imperative to provide education to all citizens, but also of developing theories of instruction and progression that were and continue to be highly influential.

Ideas on Education

Erasmus effectively and explicitly divided knowledge into two primary types: the knowledge of "truths" and the knowledge of "words" (Johnson & Reed 2007). The former type of knowledge, though itself concerned more directly with concrete knowledge and theory, was wholly dependent on the latter. Without a proper knowledge of language and an ability to use it, Erasmus argued, all ideas and knowledge of "truths" are essentially useless, as it is only through language that such ideas and knowledge can be understood by the thinker and communicated to others in an intelligible fashion (Johnson & Reed 2007). He also believed that the rules for language usage should be learned through reading and experience as much as possible, rather than by rote memorization and learning.

John Calvin also had an appreciation for the necessities of learning language and proper method to use it. He also placed a heavy emphasis on the necessity of religious learning, but not on the religious control of education (Gutek 2004). This distinction is hugely important and a direct result (and cause) of the time in which Calvin lived. Geneva's recent independence from the Holy Roman Empire at the time Calvin began his work there led to an interesting balance and intertwining of civil and religious forces, which were essentially inseparable in Calvin's schema. The educational practices he instituted in Geneva were marked by a reduced emphasis on discipline and an enlargement of personal freedom and egalitarianism in education, including the singing of psalms in French rather than Latin (Gutek 2004).

Both Erasmus and Calvin also placed a heavy emphasis on the importance of the learning Greek and Latin, and in reading both the classical works of authors in these languages and Biblical and religious texts, which were also originally written in these ancient languages, for the most part. These two languages were seen as completely necessary as a foundation for education by Erasmus, who claimed (quite rightly, at the time) that the whole of human knowledge deemed worthy and necessary of learning was written in one of these two tongues (Johnson & Reed 2007). Calvin was only slightly less insistent when it came to the primacy of these two languages, believing them not quite to be the alpha and omega of education but certainly essential to a developed understanding of human knowledge and of religion.

Effects on Subsequent Educational Theory and Development

Tracing a precise and direct lineage of educational development in Europe and eventually in the United States, both in terms of the theory and the practicalities as proposed by Erasmus and Calvin, is a somewhat nebulous venture. The two theorists and reformers certainly had direct and observable effects on the educational practices and systems of their times, and many of these effects are definitely present in modern theories and systems of education, however disparate they may seem from each other. yet there were many interruptions and apparent steps backward -- including direct refutations of certain of their theories at one time or another -- that make a claim of direct and absolute effect somewhat specious. An examination of the tacit influences, however, shows the enormous degree of influence still wielded by these two thinkers.

Some of these influences are almost ridiculous in their simplicity, such as Erasmus' recommendation of the use of visual aids such as charts and graphs being hung on walls in order to aid in the understanding and eventual memorization of certain necessary facts and relationships (Johnson & Reed 2007). It is difficult to imagine a modern classroom without such visual teaching aids present, yet these were likely considered distractions from the purpose of learning through memorization as it was typically practiced with tutors. Indeed, underlying Erasmus' more specific theories regarding education is a definite belief in the need for engagement with the material on the part of the learner, and of deep understanding leading to memorization of knowledge rather than vice versa.

Calvin's theories on education were also influential, but his philosophy regarding the civic nature of education has perhaps been more so than his specific theories on instruction. The public school system started by Calvin in Geneva was one of the first compulsory no-cost educational systems in the world, and the standardization of the various districts and grades he established can be seen reflected in almost all public education systems throughout Europe and the United States (Gutek 2004). Though there are certainly many differences in the school systems of the various European countries and the United States, there is a great deal of standardization and a similar emphasis on basic educational elements within each of these countries, and all carry a similar public mandate.

Historical and Social Discussion of Religion in Public Schools

The subject of religion in schools is one that has been at least somewhat controversial since the initial advent of public education, including in Calvin's own time. Throughout European and especially American educational history, the issue has gone through periods of greater and lesser controversy concerning a number of different specific topics. Generally, these can be divided into two categories: action and content. The former is often summed up, without much undue simplification, by the three words "prayer in schools." This issue has been under near-constant debate in the United States, and it actually bears very little on issues of educational theory. The problems that arise regarding content, however, are both more complex and more directly related to educational principles and theories. The teaching of evolution has been the source of much controversy in this regard, made famous both in the so-called Scope's Monkey Trial and in recent school board decisions in various districts in the United States over the past decade.

The actual teaching of religion in schools as part of a historic and social education is at once more imperative and more fraught with complications. There is no escaping the importance of religion, and specifically of Catholicism and Christianity, in the development of Western culture. The Bible is a foundational work -- arguably the foundational work -- of the Western canon, and political progress into the modern age was a direct result of certain religious actions. If teachers were not allowed to discuss specific… READ MORE

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