Jan Amos Komensky
Jan Amos Komensky (Comenius), was born in 1592 in what now is the Czech Republic. He himself was a textbook example of the ‘homo universalis’: the founder of modern educational science, but also an excellent historian, cartographer, and linguist. His educational theories are still applied across the world and form the basis of the Comenius Courses.
When Jan Amos Komensky (Comenius) wrote his masterpiece “The Labyrinth of the World” in 1623, he imagined the world as a town where the streets represent society’s various currents. Even though the individual currents apparently behaved in a singular way, there was disorder and alienation in the town, because people at street level could not see the movements of the other currents. Comenius advised his readers to climb a tower and to use that vantage point to oversee the chaos and the madness, but also the connectivity of the various currents.
According to Comenius his observations serve as the basis for his science, wisdom and decision-making competency. The ability to become aware first, to observe and think along inductive lines, to interpret and to understand afterwards, is essential in Comenius’ system of thought. This ability is the only way, he stated, for intelligence to lead to wisdom and insight.
In his works, Comenius always emphasised the need for inspired leadership, especially in times of chaos and disorder. He called on prominent individuals to see separate problems in their mutual connections, and to work together on solutions through understanding and vision. He stated that “there is nothing in the world that a human being, gifted with senses and intelligence, should not be able to grasp”.
