Freedom and Responsibility
By Phyllis Pottish-Lewis
Dr. Montessori did not believe, as was the case in her day, that education
was for the purpose of filling the child with a prescribed and limited
subject matter where abstract subjects were taught and facts were memorized.
As she stated, Education should no longer be mostly imparting of knowledge,
but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities."
It was her belief that the task of education and the educator was to
stimulate life and then leave it free to develop or unfold. This is a goal
that would aid the total development of the human personality. That goal
bespoke the necessity of trying to train or educate those elements inherent
within the human being which lay only in potential at birth, but which
could be nurtured and developed in a systematic and scientific way
One of those essential human elements in potential is "independence,"
without which an individual can riot function freely or autonomously. Dr
Montessori believed that, "Any pedagogical action, if it is to be efficacious
in the training of little children, must tend to help the children to advance
upon this road of independence.
She had observed and noted that at birth the tiny child, with every
movement of his muscles, with every cry emitted from his lips, was on this
path to independence. In fact, is this not what the small child's
plea to Maria Montessori meant when he sad, "Help me to help myself?"
This child did not stop with just, "Help me", but continued an to add,
"to help myself." It was the addition of the last three words that
gave the entire sentence meaning. The child's petition was to help
him to become independent, to act alone. Since being an independent
functioning human being is the direction that human development takes,
it is only reasonable to assume that to be of real value education must
assist: in this development. It must continue to aid the child in
his attempts to become independent at every level of his development.
Dr. Montessori realized that the modes of education of her time as they
were functioning, would not and could not possibly develop such important
facets of the individual as independence and other characteristics in potential.
In fact, their very approach hindered the cultivation of these qualities.
Children were confined to their desks and seats, which restricted their
movement, and thus the development of control over their movement.
They were allowed only to speak when spoken to, which limited severely
their opportunities to learn to speak, and more importantly, impaired their
abilities to express their ideas and opinions cogently. They were taught
only the limited prescribed subject matter that was considered at the time
important to impart. This made them dependent on their teacher for the
direction their learning would take, and at the same time stunted the nurturing
and development of their natural curiosity, as well as the pursuit of any
topics that sparked genuine interest in the children.
As Montessori reasoned out that which had been revealed to her by the
child, she concluded that in order for children to develop independence
in any realm, or develop any other human potential for that matter, they
must be given the freedom to act. It is through activity that the
child can develop himself. The child must be free to move; he must
be free to talk; he must be free to pursue his own interests and curiosities
as they emerge. She says, "Let us leave the life free to develop
within the limits of the good, and let us observe this inner life developing.
This is the whole of our mission."
This idea of freedom is, however, a hard concept for some people to
understand. Those who love attempted it without firmly grasping all
of the concepts inherent within it have promoted a climate of permissiveness
which is seen in both homes and schools today. Bid it was never Dr.
Montessori's intent to offer children freedom without the limits or checks
that would provide a balance for that freedom. She believed that
all freedoms given, given so the children can make their own
spontaneous natural development, must also be accompanied by responsibilities.
In fact, by asking the child to be responsible to the freedoms given, he
is provided an opportunity to develop his ability to be responsible.
To ask for responsibility for the freedom given is not an unreasonable
thing to do, but in fact, a necessity. The philosopher Jean-Paul
Sartre says, " ... it [responsibility] is simply the logical requirement
of the consequences of our freedom.”
If that requirement is not there then the freedom will become license,
and chaos and confusion will ensue.
But Dr. Montessori was a scientist and a practitioner, and realized
empirically that these two great concepts, freedom and responsibility,
in order to be trained systematically, must be allowed to develop methodically
and carefully in a controlled environment. It is for this reason
that she spoke of liberty within a prepared environment Neither of
these ideas could be introduced within a vacuum. That prepared environment
is both the home and the classroom, and since the adult is a part of that
prepared environment, she must recognize not only the importance of providing
freedom, but also know how to offer that freedom while asking for the balance
of responsibility. Freedom can be given to the child gradually, and
then as he shows an ability to handle the small dose given, more responsibility
can be offered, building up over time the ability to be fully responsible.
This is part of the formula that Dr. Montessori offered for the development
of the human personality.
But it is not enough for the adult merely to recognize that freedom
is given gradually, she also must recognize what factors operate when a
child acts on the freedom that he is given. When a child is left
free he is faced with having to make a choice. He must choose one
way or the other. He can choose for the good, or he can choose for
the bad. If he chooses the bad, then in the final analysis, he is
choosing "evil". This is a compelling reason to make sure that we
help develop in the child a real understanding of responsibility and all
it encompasses and entails. When a child makes a choice, he must
reason out for himself what his
responsibilities are and what the consequences will be, and then he
will be free to act. Therefore, when freedoms are offered the child,
choices need to be made. This results in other elements coming into
play in order to make the final determination or decision. As E.M. Standing
mentions, " ... for true liberty of choice is bound up with the power to
think and reason - every act of choice being necessarily preceded by an
act of the intellect, i.e., a judgment!”
These elements of reason, will and judgment, all can be developed and
refined by having opportunities in which they can be practiced and exercised
within the prepared environment. Dr. Montessori says, "The human
personality must be given a chance to realize every one of its capabilities."
We can see that through the offering of freedom within the prepared
environment, other capabilities have the opportunity to be developed and
realized gradually, by degree, in a systematic way.
Phyllis Pottish-Lewis holds a Bachelor's Degree in Zoology
from UCLA and is licensed as a California Medical Technologist. She
received her AMI primary diploma from the Montessori Institute of Los Angeles
in 1971 and her elementary diploma from the Washington Montessori Institute
in 1977. Her teaching experience includes 17 years at the elementary
level as well as 5 years at the primary level. She also has had two
years of experience administering a Montessori school. Ms. Pottish-Lewis
is an AMI lecturer and consultant, and the past chair of AMI/EAA.
She is presently teaching a class of 9-12 year olds at the Marin Montessori
School in California.
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