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Methods of Education from the Viewpoints of Saadi and Rousseau
based on "Gulistan" and "Emile"
Seyed Ayoub Bazyar (M.A. student of Education Philosophy, Islamic Azad University of Bushehr)
[email protected]
Dr Abbas Ashourinezhad (assistant professor in Islamic Azad University of Bushehr)
[email protected]
A’la Nasiri (MA in Counseling, Department of Education, Kazeroon)
Abstract
Doing library research, this study has tried to show that there are similarities
between Saadi’s and Rousseau’s educational methods based on their valuable books,
Gulistan and Emile, in terms of punishment and rewards. There is also a difference
so as Saadi believed that punishment and rewards should be applied properly,
adequately and thoughtfully but Rousseau believed that no punishment should be
done by adults; rather, any punishment or reward a person receives should be the
direct and natural consequence of his/her good or bad deeds. Besides, there are
differences between their intended methods; Saadi believed modeling, taking
lessons, preaching, advising, perseverance, punishment and rewards, asking and
answering, invocation and measurement while Rousseau considered intellect
development, keeping children away from the community, nature methods,
punishment and rewards, negative upbringing, and lack of method. In sum, Saadi
mainly believed direct upbringing methods but Rousseau believed indirect ones.
Keywords: Educational methods, Saadi, Rousseau, Gulistan, Emile.
Introduction
Sheikh “Moshref al-din Mosleh bin Abdullah Shirazi” known as “Saadi” was one of the greatest poets and
thinkers amongst Iranian litterateurs. He was apparently born within 600 to 610 AH in Shiraz and died there in
691 AH. Saadi was born in a science-and-literature-seeking family. His father’s kindness and wise guidance
encouraged him during his childhood. His youth coincided with the brutal invasion of the Mongols in Iran.
Therefore, he had to abandon his beautiful birthplace and, in order to save his life and due to his enthusiasm for
tourism, he went on a long journey that lasted 30 to 40 years (Yousefi, 1996: 37). The sage returned to Shiraz
after his long journey and started to compose poems and create his masterpieces “Gulistan” and “Bustan” and
achieved great fame (Hekmat, 1972:52).
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in June 28, 1712 in Geneva. His father was a watchmaker and his mother died
was he was 9 days old. Hence, Rousseau grew up with his father until he got 9 years old. In 1761, wrote the
novel “Romantic” and then, he wrote “Social Contract” and “Emile” in 1762. In England, he wrote his
autobiography named “confessions” and eventually, on January 2, 1778 he died of stroke in his house near Paris
(Aalam, 2007:7).
Generally, the concept of education from Saadi’s viewpoint was important. That is to say, he was interested in
Ethics and Spirituality, admired superior values and spiritual perfection, talked of inferior desires of human
beings, and knew all types of education including intellectual, religious, spiritual and moral as complementary
of one another. He took into consideration various aspects of education and considered each of them to have
conditions and procedures. Regarding moral education, he considered conditions and procedures, too, and
believed that the onset of moral education was early childhood. In Saadi’s opinion, there were some factors
affecting education, two of which were heredity and environment including home, school, companions and
rulers. He thought there were principles and procedures with respect to education and considered some goals for
it, and called education a systematic process (Saadi, 1983:120).
For Rousseau, the concept of true education was based on training and practice, not ordering, because he
assumed education to be the creation of traits which were necessary for life, and human traits had to be acquired
naturally. Rousseau also considered negative training. In his opinion, education, especially training, was an art
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or technique which was implemented by naturally guiding and supporting the trainee who should observe the
rules of natural growth and help him/herself to live (Kardan, 1996:139).
In Saadi’s opinion, the first principle of education was to identify talents and tastes, as discovering and
developing talents might accelerate the completion and perfection of societies and individuals, and reduce waste
of resources. He knew graduality and continuity as the certain principles of nurturing the soul, and believed that
the mirror of soul ought to be dusted and cleaned continuously; otherwise, it would be vain to expect purity of
soul. Saadi also knew expressing love as another principle of education and training, and said:
Be kind, not aggressive and Spiteful
Then you might dominate the world
If something could be done by showing kindness and benignity,
Why using aggressiveness and irascibility? (Saadi, 1996:87)
Rousseau, on the other hand, paid special attention to wisdom, intellection, thinking, and cognition, and
introduced intellection as the basic principle of education. He believed that the best education was the one that
made people “wise” (Rousseau, 1969:215). In Rousseau’s opinion, as a child’s “senses” provide the main
source of his/her knowledge, the ultimate goal of contemplation and studying the nature is to turn to the Lord of
the universe and to seek and discover the ultimate witnesses as well as the cause of perceptible things
(Rousseau, 1966:192).
For Rousseau, education had some principles: the nature that has a divine origin, society which is evil and
corrupt, freedom that comes from the ideal utopia, and graduality which should be stepped up in the biological
pathway. In his works, Saadi has not clearly stated the goals of education but his intended goals can be inferred
from amidst his sayings and poems. Citing verses of the Qur'an and hadith, he has strongly focused on turning
to God, fostering the spirit, strengthening the will, developing a spirit of humility, contentment, charity, justice
and peace (Saadi, 2011:165).
Jean-Jacques Rousseau has stated an ultimate goal of education and a series of intermediate objectives in order
to achieve the ultimate goal so that it can be said that “absolute coordination and conformity with nature” might
be inferred from his opinions (Rousseau, 1964:307).
Saadi has divided the training process into three general, basic periods: childhood, youth and aging. He knew
childhood as the age of pattern-taking and believed that this period had to be paid special attention by teachers,
trainers and parents. In his opinion, youth and love are interwoven and this is the reason why they come
together in the fifth chapter of Gulistan. He described youth as a period of flourishing, vitality, strength, and
knew young people as delicate, sensitive, capricious, demanding, fickle, and playful creatures who seek joining,
love, romance and epic. He gave advice to the youth through stories and parables. Saadi has mentioned aging
and weakness together and described them both to be the periods of aging and the expiry of lust (Saadi,
1972:93). This is while Rousseau has named fife stages for training: early childhood to being 5 years old,
childhood which lasts until the age of 12, the age between childhood and adolescence (12 to 15), adolescence
(15 to 20) and finally, the marriage stage (Goutek, 2001:99-101 & Kardan, 2002, 141-144).
Methods of education from the standpoint of Saadi and Rousseau
Methods of education from the standpoint of Saadi
1. Modeling
Having correct behavior and speech, parents, trainers and teachers should work as models and practically ask
their trainees to follow them. As a moralist, Saadi has used this acceptable method and pictured his desirable
and acceptable models through his stories, prayers and praises and has shown their individualities and he has
practically done the modeling. Ha has talked of following desirable patterns as follows: “The prophet is a
guaranteed pattern and motive.” (Saadi, 1996:35). Under no circumstances, bribes or threats could persuade him
to quit humanitarian and Islamic principles. In this regard, he has said:
If a unitary is given a lot of gold,
Or be threatened by Hindi sword,
He will be neither afraid of nor seek hope from anybody.
Monotheism is based on this and nothing else.
2. Taking Lessons
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Saadi has stated taking lessons from the past lives as well as developmental and social events and said that the
story of Rostam and Esfandiar Roointan had been just for taking lessons. He has compared the fortunate and the
miserable in terms of being lesson-takers (the former) and being used to take lessons from (the latter) and
composed the beautiful prose below:”The fortunate take lessons from the stories of predecessors as the
predecessors gave examples of theirs but the thieves will not quit until they will be quit”.
He has also composed the following poem:
Korah who had had forty houses full of treasures perished
Anoushiravan who left a good name of himself is not dead
3. Preaching and exhortation
In Bustan and Gulistan, Saadi has talked of preaching and exhortation, and has kindly advised different classes
of people and has invited them to goodness and virtue. He believed that advice was like healing medicine and
would bring about absolute cure. Although Saadi knew preaching and exhortation as healing medicine and he
used them a lot to cure patients, he thought giving advice was vain because stubbornness and selfishness were
dominant and preaching and exhortation could not be helpful. In this regard, has said:
Do not advise a person
Whom you know will not listen to
A miserable whose frenum has been released
Should not be said to go slowly
Or:
Salt marsh can not grow hyacinths
Do not waste seeds and work there
Being good to bad people is the same as
Being bad to good people
4. Punishment and rewards
Saadi believed that punishment and rewards should be applied properly, adequately and thoughtfully because
anger and improper punishment were unnecessary and would make elusive the trainees. On the other hand,
improper rewards would make them proud, selfish and demanding, and they would not deign their teachers or
trainers anymore. Saadi thought it would be necessary to punish or give rewards to anybody at all
circumstances. He reminded the rulers and governors to use this method in the best way and use anger and
kindness in proper situations. What is important in terms of punishment and rewards is to apply them properly,
adequately and thoughtfully, as it has been said that: “Do not speak coarsely wherever kindness is needed as
lasso is for rogue cattle. Do not speak kindly wherever wrath is needed as using pleasantness instead of wrath is
useless.
One who seeks a savior for the time of misfortune
Tell him to practice magnanimity
If you do not behave your slaves, they will leave you
Be kind as kindness changes strangers to slaves
5. Endurance
Saadi believed that enduring the sufferings to achieve treasuries and enduring problems and difficulties to reach
perfection are necessary. He has said: Pearls are not found near the sea; those who seek pearls should enter the
whales’ mouths as it has been said that no pain, no gain; you would not win your enemies unless you endanger
your life; without scattering seeds, no harvest would be obtained.
Saadi stated that even though enduring problems was apparently bitter, enduring the sufferings to achieve
pleasantness would make sweet our mouths. Furthermore, without having difficulties and being caught in
disasters, one would not appreciate his/her health, peace and comfort.
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A tree that has just grown up
Can be cut off by a person’s power
But if it remains for a long time,
No power can cut it off.
6. Asking and answering
Saadi believed that asking and answering was one of the most effective methods of training and gaining
humans’ wisdom and growth.
Ask whatever you do not know because
Asking questions makes you wise and honorable
Regarding the ways of asking and answering, Saadi has dealt with three basic points: he believed that asking
questions should not be done with the purpose of pontificate, selfishness, waste of time or getting informed of
others’ personal affairs; instead, it must be done to gain knowledge and perfection. Therefore, it would not be
needed to ask a question if by being patient and quiet, the person could get the answer to his/her question. In
this regard, Saadi has said: If there is something you know will become clear for you, do not ask about it
because it is harmful for your magnanimity.
He also believed that one should always refer to the wise and the profound experts and ask his questions to
educated as well as omniscient and benevolent people; otherwise, he would be the same as a man who had sore
eyes and went to the vet. The vet gave him the medicine he used for animals, and the man turned blind. He
complained about it to the judge but the judge said it was not the vet’s fault because you were stupid to go to
the doctor of animals.
Saadi has also taken into consideration the conditions of the respondent’s effectiveness. He believed that wise
people answer the questions thoughtfully, technically and benevolently as the speech said without thinking
might cause misdirection instead of having a positive effect and increasing the knowledge.
7. Invocation
For Saadi, invocation, repentance and remorse were amongst the important causes of perfection and spiritual
growth, as he has said:
Cry and flow tears from your eyes
And if you are sinful, remove them from yourself
Mirrors get dark by aspiration
But the heart’s mirror gets clear by saying alas!
8. Measurement
In Saadi’s viewpoint, deeds’ assessment and measurement are done in order that the person compensate his past
days and lost life and amend himself. He has said:
Alas! The lovely life passed
And the remaining days will also pass
The life passed by doing ungracious things
No forgiveness you would find
Now it is time to scatter seeds
If you hope to gather a harvest
Now that you have eyes, cry
Now that you have tongue, make an excuse
Spirit will not stay in the body forever
And you cannot always talk
Do not waste your life by valueless things
Since time is valuable and it passes as a cloud
Methods of education from the standpoint of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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1. Method of improving the intellect
One of the most important methods suggested by Rousseau for the realization of intellection principle is “the
method of observation, studying nature, and thinking”. In general, Rousseau believed that whatever had
surrounded children and the events happened to him/her had to be used for his/her training. Observing the
nature forces children to think, and their observations would strengthen a spirit of induction and discovering
rules in children.
Rousseau believed that problems should be available to children but they had to be let to solve the problems.
Children had not to accept anything as their trainers had told them; instead, they ought to find it themselves.
They should not learn sciences; rather, they must discover them. They should refer to others only when they had
found their deficiencies. However, they should be guided a little in such a way that they would not understand,
and they should be given time to understand their mistakes and correct them. A trainee should first observe
phenomena and practices and do the experiments him/herself so that he/she would become able to personally
discover the rules governing them.
2. Keeping children away from the community and making them accustomed with nature
In Rousseau’s opinion, keeping children away from the community and upbringing them in the nature would
result in training perfect and pure people because the people and community prevent children to be trained well
and naturally. This comes from the belief that human’s intervention in what God has created would cause it to
spoil. Rousseau thought that the current societies were unable to renew themselves and as a result of their
corruption, the true and pure development of humans’ nature would be prevented.
Rousseau stated that “education had to be implemented based on the nature and not the communities’ spoilt
traditions and customs”. This is why he said:” Watch the nature and follow the way it has determined. The
nature is always disciplining children…. The nature with that meaning shows pains and sufferings at the early
years of their lives… this is the nature’s way… why do you oppose it? Don’t you see how you really destroy it
and ruin its schemes by trying to improve it?” Here, Rousseau talks of “natural training” and introduce it the
training that considers the trainee’s nature with all its aspects and dimensions. Therefore, Rousseau called his
trainees the nature’s trainees and believed that they had been trained from the beginning so that they would be
as independent as possible since the nature always recommended children to be active.
3. The method of natural punishment and rewards
By this method, Rousseau meant that children should never be punished as penalty. Rather, they had to know
the punishment or rewards they received as the direct and natural result of their good or bad deeds.
Rousseau believed that if a child was asked to exclusively obey the nature, we would have trained him as a
common way of the nature. We should just expose him to natural obstacles or the punishment resulted from his
deed so that he would remember them in other circumstances.
4. Negative training method
This method means that if the human being is naturally good, he will remain good until something from outside
spoils him. Therefore, based on his belief, Rousseau stated that the paths leading to deficiencies had to be
closed so that humans’ heart would stay pure and clear forever. Hence, teaching concepts and thoughts to
children should be avoided until the end of their childhood and children had to be kept away from inappropriate
patterns so that the way would not be paved for them to be spoiled. According to what was said above,
Rousseau obviously supported negative education and stated that: “I say with all my strengths that a good
education has to be negative. If the appearance of corruption is prevented, manifestation of pietism will be
adequately helped.
5. Lack of habits
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In this regard, Rousseau believed that the first and only habit a child had to get was to be accustomed to
nothing. It is necessary from the early stages to provide the facilities and equipment for making children feel
free and empower their strengths. To this end, children’s bodies should be left to have their natural habits. It is
essential that children be trained in such a way that they always control themselves.
Conclusion: regarding self-improvement methods of education, Saadi believed in training methods of the
trainees and, following that, he recommended modeling, taking lessons, preaching, advising, perseverance,
punishment and rewards, asking and answering, invocation and measurement. On the other hand, Rousseau’s
training methods came from his naturalistic view to children and focusing on negative training method. His
main methods were observation, experiment, conversation, practical method, professional education,
developing the senses, thinking and habits. Saadi thought that using punishment and rewards was necessary in
all stages and for all people and reminded the rulers and governors to use this method properly and use kindness
and anger in appropriate situations like a kind father. In contrast, Rousseau talked of natural punishment and
rewards and believed that no punishment had to be done in order to teach something to the child. He meant that
children should never be punished as a penalty; rather, they had to know the punishment or rewards they
received as the direct and natural result of their good or bad deeds. It can finally be concluded that Saadi mainly
believed in direct education, clear training, preaching and advising but Rousseau’s concentration was on
observation, experiment, and indirect, guiding method.
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