Department of Rehabilitation, Takarazuka University of Medical and Health Care
Étienne Bonnot de Condillac, French philosopher of the eighteenth century and founder of sensualism, was appointed as the preceptor of the Infante Don Fernando Parma in 1758. He was in charge of Fernandoʼs education until 1767. After this important mission, in 1775, Condillac published study courses for the instruction of the Prince of Parma, an enormous work spanning 16 printed volumes. In it, he presented his educational thoughts and the content of his teaching.
In this article, we would like to highlight the axis of Condillacʼs educational thought, specifically analysing the method proposed by this philosopher.
First, we would like to present the tradition of the mirrors of princes, a literary genre in Europe, and confirm what position history education occupies in it.
After that, we will focus on Condillacʼs history education. First, we will mention how Condillacʼs history education matched or did not match the traditional mirrors of princes. Next, we would like to clarify what kind of abilities were cultivated in Condillacʼs history education.
As a result of our consideration, we have found that Condillacʼs history education for the prince was not just a matter of teaching bravery and morality but a place where the prince learned a method of thinking to reach the truth by means of conjecture.
Keyword: Condillac, Instruction of the Prince of Parma, history education, conjecture