The Principles of Education in the Light of Zygmunt Mysłakowski’s Pedagogical Thoughts

It is quite rare that the term “principles of education” is used in contemporary pedagogy. At the same time, concrete educational activities or processes require the right actions, i.e., actions that will foster participant development within the educational reality. This article constitutes an attempt to decode the principles of education in the light of Zygmunt Mysłakowski’s works, and to pinpoint the determining factors which could have led to their formulation. These conditions influenced the practice of pedagogy in Poland, and were not insignificant for the way in which the principles of education were understood and constructed by pedagogues. The author points to some areas in which Mysłakowski searched for these principles. They are pedeutology, general pedagogy, and the pedagogue’s own theory of education. In the concluding part of the article, values are cited as one of the key categories for Mysłakowski in formulating his principles of education.

It is quite rare that the term “principles of education” is used in contemporary pedagogy. At the same time, concrete educational activities or processes require the right actions, i.e., actions that will foster participant development within the educational reality. This article constitutes an attempt to decode the principles of education in the light of Zygmunt Mysłakowski’s works, and to pinpoint the determining factors which could have led to their formulation. These conditions influenced the practice of pedagogy in Poland, and were not insignificant for the way in which the principles of education were understood and constructed by pedagogues. The author points to some areas in which Mysłakowski searched for these principles. They are pedeutology, general pedagogy, and the pedagogue’s own theory of education. In the concluding part of the article, values are cited as one of the key categories for Mysłakowski in formulating his principles of education.