Rapport au savoir et utopie en éducation chez Rousseau et Bernardin de Saint-Pierre

Both Rousseau and Bernardin de Saint-Pierre present us with the paradox of a philosophy impregnated with literary and scientific culture which claims to turn its back on learning and to praise ignorance. This apparent contradiction disappears if we understand the Utopian aspect of their thought and argue that it is not knowledge as such that is rejected but the perverse use made of it in the ordinary world. Émile' s education directs knowledge towards a progressive pleasure untainted by the lust for power, while for Bernardin, one must be careful not to let learning smother love of beings and the exercise of sensibility ; thus it is not primordial and is only valuable as an instrument in the service of human relations. Both authors invite us, in their own way, to redefine the aim of teaching, the role and value of knowledge in education, together with the risks and contradictions involved. It is significant that the fundamental question concerning the purpose of learning is posed at the heart of the Enlightenment.Drouin-Hans Anne-Marie. Rapport au savoir et utopie en éducation chez Rousseau et Bernardin de Saint-Pierre. In: Dix-huitième Siècle, n°33, 2001. L'Atlantique, sous la direction de Marcel Dorigny . pp. 548-558