"The Three Stages of Wisdom – The Problem of the Relationship Between Theory and Practice in Jan Amos Comenius' Didactic Reflections"

Abstract

The article discusses Jan Amos Comenius' three stages of wisdom (theory, practice, and application) and the problem of the relationship between theory and practice.

In his work "From the Scholastic Labyrinth to the Light", Comenius extensively talks about teaching theory and practice and explains their role in the process of shaping an individual. He emphasizes that schools must teach: 1. theory, 2. practice, and 3. the use of all good and useful subjects. Comenius argues that the teaching of theory is necessary so that the knowledge of things is not obstructed by any barriers, while practice is needed so that, following the recognition of things, "we can again create similar objects." The use of subjects is necessary "so that the appropriate application of every subject can be considered."

Comenius describes the three stages of wisdom (autopsia, autopraxia, and autochresia), which are defined by theory, practice, and application. He provides special explanations for these terms and introduces several Greek words that he himself created as compounds. These words are autopsia, autopraxia, synkrisis, autochresia, and autophthesis.Comenius believes that the study of the three stages of wisdom (theory, practice, and chresis) must be gradual, but with careful adherence to the methods characteristic of each stage. Specifically: 1. Theory is addressed through the representation of objects, analysis, and autopsia; 2. Practice requires examples, synthesis, and autopraxia; 3. Chresis encompasses rules, synkrisis, and autochresia.

In Comenius' didactic reflections, it is clear that, as an educator, he aimed to develop in students the ability to think independently, speak independently, act practically on their own, and use the knowledge they had acquired, as well as apply it independently.

Jan Amos Comenius' three stages of wisdom are important in that he expanded the significance of teaching/learning from theory (knowledge) to practice (creation of something) and to the application of the subject (chresis) through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. These three stages of wisdom were successfully used in different countries, in the processes of lesson planning and question formulation. Comenius' three stages of wisdom assist the learner in gradual development, considering age-specific characteristics, while also giving teachers the opportunity to assess how the student is gradually developing and how they use theoretical knowledge in practice.

In our view, the three stages of wisdom represent a systematic path, a method, a tool for how the learner's knowledge develops from the greatest to the smallest (analysis), from the smallest to the greatest, from the part to the whole (synthesis), and how the student can apply acquired knowledge in practice. All three stages represent the unity of theory and practice, and they are interconnected.