Age 7 is considered the age of reason because, according to historical perspectives, this is the age when children begin to develop common sense and a degree of maturity.
Historical Significance of Age Seven
For centuries, the age of seven has been recognized as a pivotal point in a child's development. It's often the age where noticeable cognitive shifts occur, leading to a greater capacity for understanding consequences and making more reasoned decisions.
This historical recognition is reflected in various societal practices and legal frameworks throughout history. The idea isn't based on modern scientific data but on long-held observations about child development.
Key Historical Contexts
The provided reference highlights specific examples demonstrating why age seven was historically significant and linked to the onset of reason or increased capability:
- Medieval Apprenticeships: In Medieval times, children often began court apprenticeships around age seven. This suggests that at this age, they were deemed capable enough to start learning skills and taking on structured responsibilities, indicating a baseline level of maturity and understanding.
- English Common Law: Under the historical framework of English Common Law, children under the age of seven were typically not considered responsible for their crimes. This legal standard implies that before age seven, a child was generally presumed to lack the mental capacity or understanding of right and wrong necessary to be held criminally liable, reinforcing the idea that the age of reason began at or around seven.
These historical examples illustrate a long-standing cultural and legal belief that age seven marks the point where a child's cognitive abilities progress to a level where they can exercise basic common sense and are capable of a certain degree of responsible thought.
Summary Points
- Historically seen as the age when common sense and maturity emerge.
- Marked the beginning of formal responsibilities (like apprenticeships) in Medieval times.
- Under English Common Law, was the threshold for criminal responsibility.
