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The actual subjects to be learned are divided by not only the discipline of study, but also the development of physical ability, moral fiber and interpersonal skills. The development of mind, body and spirit together leads to the transformation of a child to a well-rounded man. Montaigne believes in the training of the body as well as the mind, a typically Greek concept. The tutor, therefore, is responsible for physical training as "it is not enough to toughen his soul; we must also toughen his muscles" (113). The training of body serves a duel purpose, to ease the burdened mind by giving it something else to think about and by building up the pupil's body in order to fight off injury and disease. It is only after his body has been trained that the intellectual education can begin.
Intellectually, Montaigne believes in beginning the students formal education with the sciences, in order to foster the understanding of the world's natural laws. The tutor should "explain to him the meaning of logic, physics, geometry, rhetoric and the science he chooses" as a way to give him "the marrow and the subject predigested" (118). This explanation of basic scientific principles gives the student the ability to understand and interpret the passages written by famous scientists given to him by the tutor. This assertion, that children should be allowed to recognize important information for themselves, is the cornerstone of Montaigne's theory of education. The other subjects to be studied should be literature and philosophy, and should be taught in the same manner as the sciences. Montaigne argues against the study of grammar and classical languages, such as Greek or Latin, as he believes these to be grounded in memorization as opposed to logical thought and reasoning. Montaigne asserts that the purpose of education is to produce "not a grammarian or a logician, but a gentleman" (125).
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