Practical Education.

Edgeworth, Maria, and Richard Lowell Edgeworth.

Published by London: Printed for J. Johnson. 1798.

About this Item

ÒIn the preface to Practical Education the authors stated that they chose the title in order to emphasize their entire reliance upon practice and experience. They considered that, to make progress in the art of education, it should be reduced to an experimental science.The chapters on science are specimens of the manner in which they thought young children should be taughtÉ" During Maria EdgeworthÕs (1768-1849) and Richard Lovell EdgeworthÕs (1744-1817) lifetimes, ÒÉeducationÉwas limited in scope, with long lessons and parrot-fashion learning without well-arranged associations of subjectÉIt is not possible to apportion credit between the ÔpartnerÕ authors, father and daughter, but the lively chapters ÔToysÕ and ÔTasksÕ well display the attraction of their joint work. Broadly, Richard Edgeworth gave very clear instructions on the teaching of the more down-to-earth subjects (such as reading and arithmetic), while Maria dealt with the less technical (including ÔTaste and imaginationÕ and ÔMemory and inventionÕ)ÉThe most spirited section demonstrates Edgeworth's experimental system, with selections from the children's questions and answers, derived from the family ÔregistersÕ. These Ôconversation lessonsÕ show Maria Edgeworth's skill as a teacher, for example when the children are led to reinvent a component of a steam engine by asking them suitable questionsÓ (Oxford DNB). Two volumes in one, thick quarto. pp. [iii]-x, [2], 385, [1]; , [2], 387-775, [1, blank], [16, index], [2, corrections] pp. Wanting the half-titles. Illustrated with one diagram and two folding plates. Slightly later half calf over marbled boards, gilt spine, tooled in compartments, olive morocco label, edges stained red, brown paper endpages. Binding extremities lightly rubbed with slight wear to boards. Both joints starting to crack, but sound. Itermittent very light foxing, slight offsetting to plates. Early armorial bookplate, ink signature dated 1872 on a preliminary blank. A very good copy. Possibly a large paper copy, with wide margins. First edition of Maria EdgeworthÕs first publication, produced with her Lunar Society father. Muirhead calls this Òthe most important work on general pedagogy to appear in this country betweenÉLockeÕs Thoughts Éand Herbert SpencerÕs Essay in 1861Ó (The English School, 57). The Edgeworths were the pre minent disciples of the educational theories of Rousseau in England. Slade 3A. Seller Inventory # 16608

Bibliographic Details

Title: Practical Education.

Publisher: London: Printed for J. Johnson. 1798.

Binding: Hardcover

Edition: 1st Edition