“Take heed that ye offend not—despise not—hinder not—one of these little ones”: Charlotte Mason and her educational proposal

Abstract

Charlotte Mason (1842–1923) was a well-known English educator whose work and legacy is certainly worthy of consideration today. One of the most interesting aspects of her philosophy of education is the fact that she adopts an anthropological approach: the consideration of the child as a person whose natural desire to know can only be satisfied with an education centered in the great books, the narrative method and the importance of relations. Her wide experience as a teacher, parental advisor, and teacher trainer, as well as the application of her method with surprisingly good results, constitute an endorsement of her proposal.