Emile: On Education

As a boy enters puberty, his emotions take over: “He becomes deaf to the voice he used to obey; he is a lion in a fever” (92). Since his feelings are in turmoil and he doesn’t know why, this is a difficult time for both student and tutor. In this section, Rousseau offers advice on how to guide the pupil during this challenging stage.

Rousseau addresses love of the self. Self-love is vital to survival; loving others develops over time. At first, a child likes his caregivers simply because they take care of him. As children grow and learn, they begin to understand that caregivers are not only useful but desire to be of use, which in turn awakens reciprocal feelings of love in children.

An independent child can love others, but one who depends on approval becomes selfish, and “selfishness, which is always comparing self with others, is never satisfied and never can be” (93). Once feelings arise for the opposite sex, the young man will want them reciprocated; to do so, he must compete for attention while facing possible rivalries and jealousy. This happens to everyone, despite the best training during childhood. For Rousseau, this repetitive cycle demands change.