ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the development of two trends that have marked the development of educational theory since the beginning of the 20th century. It explains why and how the first attempts to rationalize scientifically educational temporalities emerged at the end of the 19th century. The chapter introduces a body of educational theories focusing on the concept of rhythm, which approximately at the same period fulfilled a specific critical, social and political function. In Europe, during the first decades of the 20th century, alternative educational approaches started to emerge in reaction to the social and cultural transformations that were unfolding and especially to their temporal features. If the ethical virtues of rhythm in education were praised since antiquity, during the first 30 years of the 20th century, especially in Germany, many people considered rhythmic education as a real hope for cultural and political renewal.
