Then, Locke described in detail the harm of severe punishment in education. When educating children, people often adopt a lazy and simple punishment method, but in fact, this is the most unsuitable method for education, because it may lead to the following hazards:
First of all, it can not only help people to overcome the natural addiction that is addicted to the body and reality and avoid all the pain, but also encourage this addiction and strengthen its power to us. And this natural tendency to seek pleasure and avoid suffering is precisely the root of all evil deeds and misconduct. Locke believes that if a young child learns by reading books, or abstains from eating unsanitary fruits for fear of being whipped, it can only show that he likes the happiness of a bigger body and wants to avoid the pain of a bigger body. Controlling his behavior with such motives will only keep the principle that we should eradicate in his mind. Therefore, if the shame caused by the child's doing something wrong is not greater than the pain caused by punishment, it will be of no benefit to the child's recovery.
Secondly, it will make children feel disgusted with what we want them to like. Obviously, when they find that things they used to like are flogged and reprimanded, they will gradually hate them. Even if it is a kind of entertainment, if children are not interested, but others force them to play flogging, children will definitely hate this kind of entertainment. Locke made an image metaphor: "disgusting situations often hurt innocent things related to them: if someone drinks disgusting drugs from a cup, we will feel sick as long as we see it, and nothing in it can arouse a good appetite, even if the cup is clean, beautiful in appearance and expensive in materials."
Third, in Locke's view, slave-like discipline can only cultivate slave-like temperament. A young child may pretend to obey out of fear of whipping, but once the threat of whipping is no longer ignored, he is likely to indulge himself. In this way, his natural addiction has not changed, but has increased.
Fourth, when severe punishment reaches a certain level, although the current unruly bad temper can be cured, it is often replaced by a worse disease-depression and depression. Locke believes that children who are too docile and quiet will eventually become useless to people and themselves.
Therefore, Locke said, "If we want to cultivate intelligent, kind and creative talents through education, flogging, slavery, corporal punishment and other forms of punishment are inappropriate; This kind of punishment should not be used except in extremely special occasions and extreme circumstances. " The correct way to teach children all kinds of things is to cultivate their love and interest in what they have learned, while severe punishment will only backfire.
On the other hand, Locke thinks that parents should also avoid using what children like as a reward to please them, because this is only to strengthen their hedonism and teach them to base their happiness on rewards. Of course, this does not mean that children are not allowed to enjoy comfort and happiness that are harmless to their health or virtue in life. It should be noted that these pleasures can only be the result of respecting and accepting them as parents and mentors, and are by no means a reward for doing things they hate or don't want to do without this temptation.
Since Locke advocates giving up corporal punishment on the one hand and does not give material encouragement to children on the other, how should he discipline children? In this regard, Locke admitted that if we want to control young children, we must give them rewards and punishments. The elimination of hope and fear means the end of all discipline. So the fault lies not in rewards and punishments, but in the improper methods of rewards and punishments that people usually adopt. Locke once again stressed that taking physical pain and happiness as punishment and reward for children will not have any good results.
The rewards and punishments we use to make children in good condition should be respect and shame. Once children realize their true meaning, they will have the most powerful stimulation to the mind. Once parents let their young children cherish their reputation from the heart and fear shame and humiliation, it means that real principles have been injected into their hearts, and these principles will continue to play a role in helping them get on the right track.
At first glance, this seems difficult to do. How to achieve it?
First of all, children are very sensitive to praise and praise from others. Therefore, if parents treat them well, praise them if they do well, and give them cold color if they don't do well. People around other children will also cooperate and treat them with similar attitudes. Before long, they will be sensitive to the difference between the two. This method will be more effective than intimidation and flogging, because if children do not form a sense of shame, intimidation and flogging will lose their strength and function when they grow up.
Secondly, in order to let respect or shame take root in children's hearts, other things they like or hate will naturally come with these two situations. Treat them in this way, children will understand that as long as he does well and is praised and respected by people, he can get everyone's love and care, and as a result, he can have all other beautiful things at the same time; On the other hand, if a person is looked down upon because of his bad behavior, in that case, he won't get what he wants. In this way, their wishes and goals can contribute to the acquisition of virtue.
The above is the basic content of Locke's reward and punishment education thought.
Generally speaking, Locke basically advocates trying not to be punished, especially corporal punishment. Nevertheless, Locke also acknowledged the necessity and rationality of punishment. "Good is rewarded with good and evil with evil, which is the only behavioral motive of a rational animal". In addition, he also admitted that punishment, even corporal punishment, must be used in some cases. He said: "I think there is a kind of negligent child who should be whipped, and that is stubbornness or resistance." ..... Stubbornness and stubbornness should be overcome by strength and flogging. "
I totally agree with Locke's view on punishment education. Corporal punishment can only temporarily correct children's behavior, but it can't help them form the habit of self-discipline and self-supervision. In the process of education, we really should avoid using corporal punishment. But there is no denying that punishment does have its meaning. As long as the punishment is correct, children can really find their own mistakes, reflect on their own behavior, and enhance their sense of right and wrong and responsibility.
Although Locke's views seem inconsistent, they are not. Locke emphasized different aspects of punishment in the process of education. After all, education itself is a complex practical activity, and children should be educated according to their materials, time and place. In different educational situations, educators should carefully consider whether to impose punishment and how much punishment to impose according to the actual situation. Locke's comprehensive exposition of punishment is the embodiment of his rich experience accumulation as an educator and his profound theoretical thinking as an educator.
Regarding rewards, Locke opposes material rewards for young children, which I don't quite agree with. There are two reasons: first, I think appropriate material rewards can motivate children. Take myself as an example. When I was a child, my parents would urge me to do housework by earning pocket money. When I make progress in my studies, I will also be rewarded with books or money. These material rewards really helped me form good habits at an age when my self-control is not high. When children lack self-control and rationality, I think there is nothing wrong with tempting them to do what they should do with material things instead of what they don't want to do. Secondly, some material rewards are inseparable from spiritual rewards. For example, kindergarten children will actively strive to wear "little red flowers", as well as trophies and certificates of various competitions. These material rewards are actually an honor. So I think Locke's view of opposing all material rewards is somewhat arbitrary and one-sided.