Some Thoughts Concerning Education

London: Printed for A. and J.Churchill, 1693., 1693. 8vo. pp. 4 p.l., 262, [2]. contemporary mottled calf (front joint cracked, short split in upper rear joint, spine ends bit chipped, lacking front flyleaf, discolouration to outer margin in some gatherings, outer margin of last few leaves with slight fraying). a few old manuscript marginal notes. First Edition, First Issue, with with slightly skewed woodcut ornament on title, catchword ‘I my’ on A2v, and misprint ‘Patronnge’ on A3v (Yolton reversing priority given in Wing). Locke’s treatise grew out of a correspondence dating from 1684, between himself and his friend Edward Clarke, whom he was advising on the education of his son. Locke was in Holland at the time. "His thought was marked by a ready understanding of, and sympathy with, children. Three main thoughts dominate the work. First, the individual aptitudes, capacities, and idiosyncrasies of the child should govern learning, not arbitrary curricular or rote learning taught by the rod. Second, Locke placed the health of the body and the development of a sound character ahead of intellectual learning. In the third place, he saw that play, high spirits, and the "gamesome humor" natural to children should govern the business of learning wherever possible. Compulsory learning is irksome; where there is play in learning, there is also joy in it. Throughout he placed emphasis on good example, practice, and use rather than on precepts, rules, and punishment. The work was an implicit criticism of his own education at Westminster and Oxford, which he found unpleasant and largely useless." (James Gordon Clapp, Encyc. of Philosophy, p. 500) Wing 2762A. Yolton 165. Christophersen p. 57. Pforzheimer 612.. 1st Edition.