エデュアール・セガンの教育思想に関する一考察

抄録

Edouard O. Seguin is called "apostle of idiots" and said to be one of the most prominent educators who tried to educate idiots systematically in 19th century. The object of this study is to place his thought in the history of education for idiots according to the following points, 1) to clarify his view and definition of "idiocy" in relation to the problem of idiots in those days and the works of pioneers in French psychiatry, 2) to research his thought of education for idiots, especially physiological education, in connection with those of modern educators, Rousseau, Saint-Simonists, Pereire and Itard. According to him, idiotic children consist of various kinds of children from the sererely handicapped to the mental retarded. His concept of idiotic children like this related to the problem of idiots which came out socially in 19th century. One of his great contributions to education is that he proposed a program of educating such children neglected by people as the incapable and tried to embody it in order to guarantee the right to education of all human beings. His method of physiological education seems to have two principles. The first is a principle of harmonious and overall development of idiotic children. It rests on the basis of Rousseau' s negative method of education and the trinity theory of Saint-Simonists. The second principle is that training of senses is important means of intellectual culture. Much influence of Pereire and Itard on Seguin can be found here. Seguin's view that work and lador play important rolls in their development also characterizes his educational thought.