John Locke talks about the gradual opening of the conscious mind which according to him is initially empty (a tabula rasa). This empty mind, a tabula rasa, is shaped by sensations and reflections or experiences in general. In some thoughts regarding education, Locke expresses his belief in the importance of education in the development of man. He says that the extent of their goodness and usefulness comes down to their education (Piel, 2002). The impressions that the mind receives during childhood are long-lasting and form the basis of the self. He expressed this in his “associations of ideas” and his views on this later became known as “associationism”. Associationism as a theory was very influential and cautioned parents against allowing their children to develop negative associations. Rousseau believed that education should teach the student self-mastery to live a virtuous life in a world that is not perfect (Fingerman, & Lang, 2004 ). He believed that a proper environment and guidance from a tutor will guide the student through learning experiences. Experiences of the outcomes of right and wrong rather than physical punishment are learning tools. This view is shared by modern psychologists. He advocated developmentally appropriate education to meet the needs of the child at every stage of his or her development. John Bowlby had a keen interest in child development and focused his research on that. His research on the mental health of homeless children in post-war Europe led to the conclusion that the lack of a warm and ongoing relationship between mother and child negatively affects the child's mental health (Newman, P., & Newman, B., 2007). While the results of his findings have been disputed, recent developments have confirmed that… half of the paper… the entities I have had to date inform my decisions. Education also had a great influence in life, just as John Locke said it could and should in the development of man. Works CitedFingerman, K., & Lang, F. (2004). Growing together: Personal relationships across the lifespan. New York: Cambridge University Press. Lerner, R. (2002). Concepts and theories of human development. New York: Routledge.Newman, P., & Newman, B. (2007). Theories of human development. New York: Routledge.Piel, J. (2002). Theories of human development: a comparative approach. New York: Allyn and Bacon.Reisert, J. (2003). Jean-Jacques Rousseau: a friend of virtue. New York: Cornell University Press. Rider, E., & Sigelman, C. (2008). Human development across the lifespan. New York: Cengage Learning.Shaffer, D. (2009). Social and personality development. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.