FREE ESSAY ON LIFE OF COMENIUS

LIFE OF COMENIUS

In Moravia in 1592, Comenius, one of the greatest educational theorists to date, was
brought into life. From his father he received ordinary elementary and grammar school
education. While attending school the incompetence of his teachers drove him to become a
school reformer. Still today, 300 years later, we find his teachings to be the origins of
contemporary or recent trends of thought. Comenius's theories can be seen today through
the relatively young philosophy of progressivism. Through Comenius's views on the nature
and character of society, the nature of the individual, and the nature of knowledge, one
can see how his views on education may have influenced the development of progressivism.
One view that must be looked upon is the nature and character of society. Comenius
believed that human society is an educative society: though this idea is not explicitly
stated until the nineteenth century. In other words society teaches all things to all men
and from all view points as well as the fundamental union between the educational ideal
and the ideal of international organization. This then proceeds into the nature of the
individual.
The nature of the individual should also be considered when looking into Comenius's
philosophy. Comenius believed in three main issues that cannot be separated. These three
aspects consist of Erudition, virtue or seemly morals, and religion or piety. In other
words, we comprehend the knowledge of all things, arts, and tongue; under virtue, not
only external decorum, but the whole disposition of our internal and external movements;
while by religion we understand that inner veneration by which the mind of man attaches
to the supreme Godhead (Reisner 24). Comenius states that, In these three things is
situated the whole excellence of man, for they alone are the foundation of the present
and the future (Reisner, 24). All other things (beauty, riches, strength, long life) only
lead to harmful destruction if he should greedily gape after them and overwhelm himself
with them. Along the lines of virtue, Comenius believed that the seeds of virtue are born
with man. However this belief is bound up in a twofold argument. Comenius states,
...every man delights in harmony; man himself, externally and internally, is nothing but
a harmony (Reisner 30). In other words, just like a piece of clock work where throughout
the whole structure one part depends on the other, and the movements are perpetuated and
harmonized; mans body functions in the same respect. Thus we do not forthwith pronounce
it to be of no further use if it becomes disorganized and corrupt; thus with regard to
man, no matter how disorganized by his fall into sin, he can, through the grace of god
and by certain methods, be restored to harmony again (Reisner 32). Therefore throughout
life each man strives to keep harmony internally and externally. Without it he would be
lost and self-destruction would slowly take its course. Another aspect that Comenius
believes is naturally planted into humans is the seeds of knowledge.
Comenius also flows the nature of knowledge into his philosophy. In his epistemological
view he believes that the seed of knowledge is planted into man. Therefore it is not
necessary to have anything brought to man from the outside, but only that that which he
possesses rolled up within hisself should be unfolded and disclosed. Comenius explains
that since everything in the universe can either be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and
touched, it follows that there is nothing which cannot be compassed by a man endowed with
sense and reason. Therefore all things exist in man, and that only if he is sufficiently
skilled to strike the sparks to bring out his knowledge will he ever reap the fullest
enjoyment of the marvelous treasures of gods wisdom. The truth of this is backed by the
early years of childhood where the five senses are in search of food, and in return
brings forth the knowledge. Comenius states, ...for an active nature nothing is so
intolerable as ease and sloth (Reisner 28). Therefore man has a natural desire for the
wealth of knowledge and even the ignorant wish to be partakers of this wisdom, if they
could only deem it possible. For Comenius believes the true nature of thought and
knowledge is expressed in the comparison of the brain and the wax. He states,  For just
as wax, taking every form, allows itself to be remodeled in any desired way, so the brain
receiving the images of all things, takes into itself what ever is contained in the whole
universe (Reisner 29). Therefore he proves further that with the aid of our organs of
sense all that lies without can be compassed. Out of Comenius's three views on the nature
and character of society, the nature of the individual, and the nature of knowledge the
role or aims and purposes of education are produced.
Taking in the principles based on the nature and character of society, the nature of the
individual, and the nature of knowledge the roles or aims and purposes of education is
manifested. In his belief that the seeds of knowledge, of virtue, and of piety are
naturally implanted in us he theorizes that the actual knowledge, virtue, and piety are
not given, but is a role that education is partly responsible for. He believed that
thanks to the parallelism between man and nature this educative process is made more
automatic. Therefore an important role in education is to help in the integral part of
the formative process to which all beings are subject and only one aspect of that vast
development (Cremin 6). An aim of education therefore is to be there to serve and develop
everyone as humans, even for the clever who may need it far more. Comenius states, ...
since an active mind, if not occupied with useful things, will busy itself with what is
useless, curious, and pernicious; and just as the more fertile a field is, the richer the
crop of thorns and of thistles that it can produce (Reisner 37). Therefore excellence
becomes filled with fanciful notions, and through education it is sown with the seeds of
wisdom and of virtue. Other aims include that ...talents may be cultivated by study of
the sciences and of the arts, languages be learn, honest morals may be formed, and God be
sincerely worshipped (Cremin 45). With his view on what aims, roles, and purposes
education serve, he defines education.
Comenius's aims, roles, and purposes on education develops the idea that education is far
more then just the vehicle for knowledge but for other things as well. Cremin states, 
Education, according to Comenius, is not merely the training of the child at school or in
the home; it is a process affecting man's whole life and the countless social adjustments
he must make (Cremin 4). He also believes education should not just be for the children
of the rich or the powerful, but for all. Another of Comenius's ideas on how education
should be defined is based on the exact order in all things. In other words, the
teachings of all things to all men, should be, and can be, borrowed from no other source
then the operations of nature. These ideas and theories later influenced the development
of what we call now progressivism.
Today Comenius's views can be best seen in progressivism. Progressivism believes that the
child is naturally good and learns by doing and by discovering things. Comenius also had
this in mind when he believed children should be