Is Scheurl's Argument Of Nature Or Nurture?
Disputes on how children should be raised have always existed. There is the common argument of nature versus nurture, and the many others that have risen. Europe contained some of the first modernized civilizations. This was where techniques on raising children began to develop. In early modern Europe the opinion of children dictated how they were raised. Actually, some Europeans believe that children are gentle, innocent gifts. As a diplomat and a father, Christoph Scheurl understood that “by the grace of god that [his son would] be six years old.” When Scheurl uses “grace of god” in his notes he acknowledges the idea of children as holy beings. In his observations he saw his son “say grace…so that he [was] not looked on as a child.”
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The Domostroi is a Russian manual on household management that was created in Moscow in the 1550’s. In the manual it said “a man who loves his son will whip them so often that when he grows up he may be a joy to him.” This technique was used in the idea that scolding as a child, would make them more obedient in the future. The hope was that the “he who discipline[d] [would] find profit in him.” The idea that a child is born as a good person was not present. Instead there is more of the belief that whipping is needed to create the desired person. The information in this manual is trustworthy information because publishing in the 1550’s was monitored. King Henry IV of France also agreed with the idea of whipping a child as punishment. He told the governess to “whip [his son] every time…he [was] obstinate or misbehave[d].” He claimed to have “profited” when he “was often whipped.” As a child King Henry IV was also whipped, which explains his support for the technique. The punishment was evidently enough to influence him into remembering his wrongdoing. The purpose of him repeating this technique was to turn his son into an obedient child. King Henry IV’s letter to his governess is a valuable resource because he was dictating the way he wanted his child to be raised. William Blundell’s “An Exercise for the Children to Embolden Them in Speaking” is a dialog in which an angry father is telling …show more content…
When the metal crafter and sculptor named Benvenuto Cellini “was in the mood” he would go visit his son. When Cellini said “in the mood” it created a tone with no urgency or excitement. He felt “sad at heart” when the saw his son. However, when he saw his son “[break] into a storm of crying and screaming [,]” he “detached [himself] from [his] little boy and left him crying his eyes out.” Cellini showed a moment of weakness, but as soon as it became an unpleasant or improper he did not want to be involved. His opinions are reliable because they were written himself in his autobiography. An interpretation of children truly being unpleasant is in Pieter Brueghel’s painting “Children’s Games. This painting illustrates children running around, attacking people, and lighting people on fire. He believed these were the children’s games. He clearly thought children were horrid beings, and exaggerated this belief in his painting. Art is influential; therefore this painting most likely changed many people’s opinion of children. Michel de Montaigne of the France shared Brueghel’s opinion of children despite the miles between them. Michel de Montaigne thought the children lacked “bodily shape by which to make themselves lovable.” He thought that babies were ugly, and “never willingly suffered them to [have been] fed in his presence.” If Montainge had seen a child eating, then
The Domostroi is a Russian manual on household management that was created in Moscow in the 1550’s. In the manual it said “a man who loves his son will whip them so often that when he grows up he may be a joy to him.” This technique was used in the idea that scolding as a child, would make them more obedient in the future. The hope was that the “he who discipline[d] [would] find profit in him.” The idea that a child is born as a good person was not present. Instead there is more of the belief that whipping is needed to create the desired person. The information in this manual is trustworthy information because publishing in the 1550’s was monitored. King Henry IV of France also agreed with the idea of whipping a child as punishment. He told the governess to “whip [his son] every time…he [was] obstinate or misbehave[d].” He claimed to have “profited” when he “was often whipped.” As a child King Henry IV was also whipped, which explains his support for the technique. The punishment was evidently enough to influence him into remembering his wrongdoing. The purpose of him repeating this technique was to turn his son into an obedient child. King Henry IV’s letter to his governess is a valuable resource because he was dictating the way he wanted his child to be raised. William Blundell’s “An Exercise for the Children to Embolden Them in Speaking” is a dialog in which an angry father is telling …show more content…
When the metal crafter and sculptor named Benvenuto Cellini “was in the mood” he would go visit his son. When Cellini said “in the mood” it created a tone with no urgency or excitement. He felt “sad at heart” when the saw his son. However, when he saw his son “[break] into a storm of crying and screaming [,]” he “detached [himself] from [his] little boy and left him crying his eyes out.” Cellini showed a moment of weakness, but as soon as it became an unpleasant or improper he did not want to be involved. His opinions are reliable because they were written himself in his autobiography. An interpretation of children truly being unpleasant is in Pieter Brueghel’s painting “Children’s Games. This painting illustrates children running around, attacking people, and lighting people on fire. He believed these were the children’s games. He clearly thought children were horrid beings, and exaggerated this belief in his painting. Art is influential; therefore this painting most likely changed many people’s opinion of children. Michel de Montaigne of the France shared Brueghel’s opinion of children despite the miles between them. Michel de Montaigne thought the children lacked “bodily shape by which to make themselves lovable.” He thought that babies were ugly, and “never willingly suffered them to [have been] fed in his presence.” If Montainge had seen a child eating, then