Csokonai and Education
The Harmony of Science, Art and Life-Sustaining Human Relationships
Abstract
Mihály Csokonai Vitéz was one of the most significant poets of the Hungarian Enlightenment. In this essay, his views on education and his activities as a teacher are briefly presented. He had the opportunity to teach twice for a brief period in secondary schools: in Debrecen in 1794/95 and in Csurgó in 1799. As an educator, Csokonai – following one of his great role models, Jean-Jacques Rousseau – placed great importance on a nature-based approach, a curriculum tailored to the needs of the pupils, community organisation based on group dynamics and the transmission of values. During both of his teaching periods, he wrote and performed plays with his students. The conclusion of the essay is that, in the light of the facts it contains, we can state that Csokonai’s pedagogy was characterised by the trinnity of science, art and life-sustaining human relationships.
References
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