N. I. Pirogov and N. A. Dobrolyubov: is it necessary to whip children?

The article analyses the possibility of flogging for solving problems of students’ education and discussion, which took place in articles by N. I. Pirogov and N. A. Dobrolyubov at the turn of 1850- 1860-ies. It shows that the problem of corporal punishment was solved very ambiguous even by progressive teachers-humanists, such as N. I. Pirogov. However, their contemporaries (for example, such as N. A. Dobrolyubov) quite adequately perceived all the negative consequences, which inevitably led to the use of a rod, although very limited. Appeal to Pirogov’s and Dobrolyubov’s reflections promotes not only historical, but also theoretical understanding of the possibility and feasibility of physical punishment, their practical use in education of children and adolescents.