“THE EDUCATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF DANIEL DEFOE’S ROBINSON CRUSOE: ENLIGHTENMENT IDEALS REFLECTED IN LITERATURE”
Keywords:
Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe, Enlightenment, Rousseau, Locke, educational novel, self-reliance, experiential learning.Abstract
This article explores Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe as a literary work deeply embedded in the intellectual currents of the Enlightenment. It analyzes how the novel, beyond its popular appeal as an adventure story, serves as a powerful educational text. The protagonist's journey, characterized by experiential learning, self-reliance, and moral development, reflects key pedagogical principles advocated by Enlightenment philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke. Through a close literary analysis, the study argues that Robinson Crusoe functions as an educational model that continues to be relevant in the context of modern teaching and human development.
References
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2. Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. –Cambridge University Press, 1988.
3. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Émile, or On Education. Trans. Allan Bloom. –New York: Basic Books, 1979.
4. Starr, G. A. Daniel Defoe: His Life and Works. –London: Jonathan Cape, 1972.
5. Watt, Ian. The Rise of the Novel. –Berkeley: University of California Press, 1957.
6. Rogers, Pat. Defoe: The Critical Heritage. –London: Routledge, 1972.
