Evolutionism and the development of educational thinking in Belgium before World War I

Authors

  • Marc Depaepe Universidade de Leuven Author
  • Frank Simon Ghent University Author
  • Angelo Van Gorp Universidade de Leuven Author

Keywords:

Darwinism, Eugenics, Frans De Hovre, Ovide Decroly, Psycho-Pedagogical Theory Formation

Abstract

The article attempts to sketch a picture of the often ambivalent way in which psycho-pedagogical theory formation in Belgium was constructed before WW II. We consider Darwinism’s impact on it by means of three positions that we will take as marking the path for the development of our thought on the matter: 1) The “influence” of Darwin proceeded indirectly, via the mediation of other, foreign authors; 2) The ideological fault lines between Catholics and non-Catholics were drawn clearly in the Belgian reception of Darwin.; 3) The central figure in the historical process of “associating” with the theory of evolution in theory formation about education was that of “appropriation” in which diverse elements of evolutionism were taken out of their historical context and were “functionalistically” inserted into an alien environment.

 

Author Biographies

  • Marc Depaepe, Universidade de Leuven

    Doutor (1982) e “special doctor” (1989) em estudos educacionais, professor e pesquisador de História da Educação na Universidade de Leuven, Bélgica

  • Frank Simon, Ghent University

    PhD em História (1979) e professor da Ghent University, Bélgica

  • Angelo Van Gorp, Universidade de Leuven

    Historiador e doutor em Ciências da Educação, professor de História da Educação no Departamento de Ciências da Educação da Universidade de Leuven, Bélgica

Published

2012-01-08

Issue

Section

Original research

How to Cite

Evolutionism and the development of educational thinking in Belgium before World War I. (2012). Revista Brasileira De História Da Educação, 10(3 [24]), 11-34. https://www.periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/rbhe/article/view/38515