‘The X, in other words, represents “Man the Unknown.” The child, and therefore the adult that the child could become, is tillan “unknown.” This is the reason why Montessori can say, "The education of our day sich in methods, airs and social ends, but one must till say that ittakes no accountoflifeitel.” Ifnatural development and education are to be integrated and harmonized, education will have to be re- formed ina truly fundamental way. As Montessori says,”...the reform of education... a necessity of our times, must be built upon the scientific study of Man the Unknown” (The Formation of Man). Even knowledge aloneis notencigh; that knowledgehas tobecomethe very basis underlying education In The Absorbent Mind, Montessori writes, “The child is endowed with unknown powers which ean guide us to. radiant future. Ifwhat wereally want isa new world, then education must takeasits aim the developmentof these hidden possibilities.” Monressoni Sources On the subject of the planes of development, or the “seasons of developing life” and the provisions made by the system of education in relation to each of the planes, there isa visible thread connecting, what Montessori writes in The Formation of Man and in The Absorbent ‘Mind (both published forthe first time in 1949), and what she says in her lectures in Perugia (1950) and those in Rome (1951). This close connection can be seen in time: All hese sourcesrelate tothe three-year ‘period 1949-1951, But thisclose connection isalso revealed by the fact that one of these sources can reinforce or explain or complete the thinking expressed in another, as we have already had occasion to note. Aboveall the importance of these particular “Montessorisources” is given by the fact that they all date to the last three years of Maria ‘Montessori’ life and the:efore represent her latest thinking on the “Alexis Gavel, Frendh surgeon and phyalologst (1873-1940), aorded the Nobel prize in physiology and medicine (1912), wan author of Man the Untaoom (1938), Ebook tha become very wellknown and was translated into various languages Carel mentions Montene. 58 TheNAMTA Journal + Vol 29, No. * Winter 2004