The idea and practicalities of "Nature" in Janusz Korczak's philosophy

Abstract

This article tackles that question of the place of Nature as an idea and Life in Nature as a reality in the education philosophy of Janusz Korczak. First, we establish the idea that Korczak was a naturalistic philosopher and that nature in its broad cosmic sense serves as the ordering principle of his entire pedagogical legacy. Influenced by Stoic philosophy, Korczak rejects transcendence and sees the human being in the only context possible, nature. Following this paradigm, we establish Korczak's education as a reality guided pedagogy. The nature of the child mandates education and not free unrealistic aspirations. The nature of the child, his family, his biography in its broadest sense also set the limits of what can be achieved through education. At last, we follow Korczak's appreciation of nature and countryside experience as a healing experience for poverty inner city children. There, in nature, in free play, work and sport, they regain their physical and mental health. There Korczak also had his best opportunity to learn the child and to develop his known educational ideas, which he later on implemented in his children houses.