‘The X, in other words, represents “Man the Unknown.” The
child, and therefore the adult that the child could become, is tillan
“unknown.”
This is the reason why Montessori can say, "The education of our
day sich in methods, airs and social ends, but one must till say that
ittakes no accountoflifeitel.” Ifnatural development and education
are to be integrated and harmonized, education will have to be re-
formed ina truly fundamental way. As Montessori says,”...the reform
of education... a necessity of our times, must be built upon the
scientific study of Man the Unknown” (The Formation of Man). Even
knowledge aloneis notencigh; that knowledgehas tobecomethe very
basis underlying education
In The Absorbent Mind, Montessori writes, “The child is endowed
with unknown powers which ean guide us to. radiant future. Ifwhat
wereally want isa new world, then education must takeasits aim the
developmentof these hidden possibilities.”
Monressoni Sources
On the subject of the planes of development, or the “seasons of
developing life” and the provisions made by the system of education
in relation to each of the planes, there isa visible thread connecting,
what Montessori writes in The Formation of Man and in The Absorbent
‘Mind (both published forthe first time in 1949), and what she says in
her lectures in Perugia (1950) and those in Rome (1951). This close
connection can be seen in time: All hese sourcesrelate tothe three-year
‘period 1949-1951, But thisclose connection isalso revealed by the fact
that one of these sources can reinforce or explain or complete the
thinking expressed in another, as we have already had occasion to
note. Aboveall the importance of these particular “Montessorisources”
is given by the fact that they all date to the last three years of Maria
‘Montessori’ life and the:efore represent her latest thinking on the
“Alexis Gavel, Frendh surgeon and phyalologst (1873-1940), aorded the Nobel
prize in physiology and medicine (1912), wan author of Man the Untaoom (1938),
Ebook tha become very wellknown and was translated into various languages
Carel mentions Montene.
58 TheNAMTA Journal + Vol 29, No. * Winter 2004