The Wild Boy of Aveyron

by Harlan Lane

Book Overview

The discovery of Victor, the wild boy of Aveyron, and the accomplishments of his teacher, Jean Marc Itard, launched a debate among philosophers anthropologists, psychologists, and educators that has lasted almost two centuries, has given birth to educational treatment of the mentally retarded with methods that are still widely employed, and has led in this country to a revolution in childhood education.

This beautifully written book by Harlan...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674953002
• ISBN13: 9780674953000
• Release Date: May 1979
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Good and important book

Lane has done us a real service in collecting all of this primary-source material into one place. Much if not most of this book is extended excerpts of original documents from 2 centuries ago. Some people might not like reading all of this old and stiff prose, but it gives us the most authentic picture possible of what was going on at the time. The inclusion of the deaf-mute discussion, while not everyone's cup of tea, illustrates two important points. First, questions of "human nature" were being approached from a number of directions simultaneously even 200 years ago, and some of these insights actually bore some fruit. Some of them were silly and even insulting, but people did not yet know what was what, so they had to try a lot of things. Second, out of the study of children like the wild boy, and deaf-mute children, some really innovative and important teaching methods emerged. Again, people had no idea how to explain or intervene with these cases until recently, and a few brave and thoughtful individuals began to find humane and effective treatments and training methods that we all benefit from today. Everyone interested in human nature or the early days of social science should grapple with this book.

A masterpiece for all educators

Harlan Lane, in this book which is already a little bit old but remains a masterpiece, gives us a complete picture of education movements starting with Itard's attempt at educating the wild boy of Aveyron and going through to Montessori's school of pedagogy. He carefully identifies the main mistakes made by Itard with the wild boy : he did not emphasize enough the capabilities of the wild boy when he was captured and he de-socialized him by not integrating him in a social group of his peers and in society at large. Apart from that this doctor started a completely new movement in education that will be largely amplified by his student Séguin, who will put the essential emphasis on socialisation and productive activities opening the door to Montessori who emphasizes in her turn the importance of self-education in a socially active and stimulating school environment. These three people are the founding fathers and mother of the education of deaf-mutes, mentally-handicapped children and children at large. His book though is optimistic as for the « victory » of these ideas and principles. The debate, at times conflictual, is still raging in our school systems that are not enough socialised, i.e. open onto society at large, and that are not based on self-education in a socially structured and stimulating school environment. Too often we relapse in narrow guidance if not replacing the autonomous efforts of the students with the superior frame of learning imposed by teachers. He also does not emphasize enough on the need for a strict and compelling behavior of the teachers who must not in any way accept to substitute their knowledge to the individual and collective search for knowledge among the students, in spite of all resistance that comes from the very second principle of Seguin's method. It is a natural tendency among children and teenagers to resist such a course of action because it is a lot more exacting, it requires a lot greater effort on their part. This natural tendency to do as little as possible is slightly overlooked. Autonomy is costly on the side of the students and is challenging on the side of the teachers who are not the only source of knowledge any more. A great book that should be the starting point of any educator in any field and at any level because it shows that motivation is the only engine of learning as for students, and that motivation is varied among students and contradictory with the natural tendency to do as little as possible, to rely on a pre-digested source...