Rousseau Institute
Encyclopedia
Rousseau Institute is a private school in Geneva
, Switzerland
. In 1912, Édouard Claparède
(1873-1940) created an institute to turn educational theory into a science
. This new institution was given the name of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
, to whom Claparède attributed the "Copernican reversal" of putting the child, rather than the teacher, at the centre of the educational process (cf. Thomas Kuhn
's notion of paradigm shift
).
The founder of the Institute appointed as director Pierre Bovet (1878-1965), whom he considered to be both a philosophical and rigorously scientific person. Between 1921 and 1925, Jean Piaget
(1896-1980) took over the reins, soon conferring on Genevan experimental psychology
its far-reaching renown. It was to Piaget's dismay, however, that his theoretical work was not as successful.
In his eulogy at Claparède's funeral, Bovet highlighted his friend's profound attachment for Geneva
and the broad international influence rapidly attained by the institute he had created; his capacity, in short, to be at the same time of a local land and of the greater world.
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In 1912, Édouard Claparède
Édouard Claparède
Édouard Claparède was a Swiss neurologist and child psychologist.Studies of science and medicine, later of psychology under Théodore Flournoy; 1897 MD from the University of Geneva; 1897-98 at La Salpêtrière hospital in Paris; 1901 foundation of the Archives de psychologie with Flournoy, which he...
(1873-1940) created an institute to turn educational theory into a science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
. This new institution was given the name of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
, to whom Claparède attributed the "Copernican reversal" of putting the child, rather than the teacher, at the centre of the educational process (cf. Thomas Kuhn
Thomas Kuhn
Thomas Samuel Kuhn was an American historian and philosopher of science whose controversial 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions was deeply influential in both academic and popular circles, introducing the term "paradigm shift," which has since become an English-language staple.Kuhn...
's notion of paradigm shift
Paradigm shift
A Paradigm shift is, according to Thomas Kuhn in his influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions , a change in the basic assumptions, or paradigms, within the ruling theory of science...
).
The founder of the Institute appointed as director Pierre Bovet (1878-1965), whom he considered to be both a philosophical and rigorously scientific person. Between 1921 and 1925, Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget was a French-speaking Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. His theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called "genetic epistemology"....
(1896-1980) took over the reins, soon conferring on Genevan experimental psychology
Experimental psychology
Experimental psychology is a methodological approach, rather than a subject, and encompasses varied fields within psychology. Experimental psychologists have traditionally conducted research, published articles, and taught classes on neuroscience, developmental psychology, sensation, perception,...
its far-reaching renown. It was to Piaget's dismay, however, that his theoretical work was not as successful.
In his eulogy at Claparède's funeral, Bovet highlighted his friend's profound attachment for Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and the broad international influence rapidly attained by the institute he had created; his capacity, in short, to be at the same time of a local land and of the greater world.