CMP Review 2024-11-21

November 21, 2024

Over the years I’ve collected as much information as I can find about Charlotte Mason’s sixth volume, An Essay Towards a Philosophy of Education. In many respects this book is quite different from the other five volumes:

(1) It was not published during Mason’s lifetime.

(2) It was not (originally) part of the Home Education Series.

(3) It did not (originally) include all the content Mason had planned for it.

But over time I have come to see that these differences are superficial. The striking thing about Mason’s final volume is not that it is different from the other five volumes but rather that it is so similar. The consistency of Mason’s philosophy from the 1886 edition of Home Education to the 1925 edition of An Essay Towards a Philosophy of Education is nothing short of remarkable.

I have enjoyed collecting snippets about how the PNEU welcomed this final volume. It was generally received as a summary of her life work, never as a departure from it. Our team has transcribed two very early notices from the Parents’ Review which first announce this new publication. Perhaps you will find them as interesting as I do. You can check them out here.

@artmiddlekauff