John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are philosophers whose educational thoughts influenced the change of attitudes towards children and their upbringing. Both philosophers stressed the importance of private upbringing based on the study of the individual characteristics of the child, the upbringing that should create a free person. The divergence among these philosophers occurs in the methods of achieving the goal of education, as well as partially in the goal itself. Locke raises a gentleman who must become an exemplary member of the community. Brought up in such a manner he is free, which means that he submits only to his reason. Rousseau wants to educate the man himself, regardless of the class to which he may belong, and the freedom of such a person also consists in listening to his own reason. With his practical advice Locke influenced the development of Rousseau’s educational thoughts, even though Rousseau’s educational utopian project may seem too far from Locke. Nevertheless, Rousseau mentions Locke in many places in his work Emil and is critical of him. With occasional praise, he often argues against Locke's methods, which he considers unsuccessful. In this thesis, after considering the fundamental educational thoughts of each of the two philosophers individually, we will explore the critique which Rousseau directs at Locke. The aim of this thesis is to investigate what this critique consists of, to see if it is exclusively negative and whether there is a deeper basis for it. We will explore the validity of Rousseau’s critique, and the influence it may have on the whole of Locke’s educational thought.