This book, one of John Locke's (1632-1704) major works, is primarily about moral education—its role in creating a responsible adult and the importance of virtue as a transmitter of culture. However, Locke's most detailed and comprehensive guide also ranges over such practical topics as the effectiveness of physical punishment, how best to teach foreign languages, table manners, and varieties of crying.\

This critical edition is based on the third edition (1695), with variants from the first five editions, from the Harvard University Library and the British Library drafts, and from Locke's correspondence to Edward Clarke and his wife.