Philosophical Foundations Of Education Part 1

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PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION DR. JUDITH S. RABACAL

Philosophy is: 

A search for meaning and truth

The general beliefs and attitudes of an individual or group The body of principles underlying a branch of learning or major discipline

Original Definition



“Love of Wisdom”



Definition was developed by Socrates

Of What Value is the Study of Philosophy 

Provide clarification for what is or has been done by others



Provides a framework for life and our action



Can be useful in solving educational problems



A good mental activity

Three Major Areas of Philosophy



Metaphysics - the nature of reality



Axiology - the nature of values



Epistemology - the nature of knowledge

Metaphysics



Concerned with theories of the nature of reality.  Why

does the earth exist?

 How

did it come into being?

 Is

mankind free?

 Is

there a God?

 What

is real?

Metaphysics





Common terms used in metaphysics are:  theology  creationism  evolution  spirit  free will  atheism Metaphysics is the area many people think of when they hear the term philosophy.

Axiology concerned with theories of value  Two major divisions of axiology  ethics  What is right and wrong?  What is evil and good?  aesthetics  What is beautiful and ugly?  Some common terms used that relate to axiology are pessimism, optimism, hedonism, egoism, and altruism. 

Epistemology

 

Concerned with theories of the nature of knowledge Epistemological questions:  How

do people learn?  What knowledge is of utmost value?  What are the different types of knowledge?  What are the educational goals of agricultural education and extension?

Philosophical Schools of Thought 

Idealism



Realism



Pragmatism



Existentialism



Reconstructionism

IDEALISM

Idealism (Idea-ism)



Idealist believe that ideas are the only true reality.



The material world is characterized by change, instability, and uncertainty; some ideas are enduring

Idealism



We should be concerned primarily with the search for truth. Since truth is perfect and eternal, it cannot be found in the world of matter that is both imperfect and constantly changing.

Methods of Idealism



Study the classics for universal truths



Mathematics (2+2=4 is an absolute truth)



Dialectic (critical discussion)  The

dialectic looks at both sides of an issue



Lecture is used to transmit known truths and to stimulate thinking.

Leaders of Idealism



Socrates (469-399 BC)



Plato (427-347 BC)



St. Augustine (350-4300



Descartes (1596-1650)



Berkeley (1685-1753)



Kant (1724-1804)

Socrates



Regarded as the father of philosophy



Believed we learned through questioning (the Socratic method)



Wrote nothing, what we know of his views were written by his followers, most notably Plato

Plato



A student of Socrates



Known as the father of idealism



Operated a school named the “Academy”

Plato’s views toward education  



The state must take an active role in educational matters The curriculum must lead bright students from a concern with concrete data toward abstract thinking Students with little ability for abstraction should go into the military, business and industry.

Plato



Those who demonstrate proficiency in the dialectic would continue their education and become philosophers in positions of power to lead the state toward the highest good (the Philosopher-King)



Believed both boys should be educated should be equals.

and and

girls girls

Augustine (354-430)



Born in North Africa (Roman citizen) 



Attended Roman Primary School 



grammar and literature emphasized

At 16 went to Carthage and studied: 



Mother - Christian, Father - Pagan

rhetoric, music, mathematics

geometry,

During his younger he stole, he wenched.”

days

grammar,

“He

lied,

Augustine. . .

  



Became a grammaticus in his native town Taught rhetoric in Carthage, Rome, Milan While in his 30’s was converted to Christianity, took his holy orders and became a great evangelist and priest. Found great favor in the church and became a great religious leader.

Augustine



People do not create knowledge; God has already created it, but people can discover it through trying to find God.

Augustine’s Beliefs



Women were held in low regard (this view was incorporated into the church and held for a thousand years)



Only a few people possessed the mental ability to quest for the truth. Therefore most people should rely on the church for knowledge.

Augustine’s Beliefs





Augustine used Greek writings but began to have doubts how people who did not know God could write anything which could be of value to Christians. In 401 the Church outlawed pagan writings such as Plato and Aristotle (even the church leaders were not allowed to read the ancient literature). This continued for 1000 years.

Augustine’s Beliefs about Teaching  

 

Encouraged the use of summaries Believed teachers should teach through persuasion and by leading impeccable lives. Teachers should not expect to increase their worldly stores through teaching. The “stick and fist” were needed to keep students in line since people were wicked (because of Adam).

The Church and Idealism



Idealism has exerted a great amount of influence on Christianity.



For centuries the Christian church was the creator and protector of schooling.



Generations educated in these schools were indoctrinated with the idealist point of view (including early American education).

Descartes (1596-1650)



A renown mathematician



Wrestled with the question of what was real and did he really exist (perhaps he was a dream). He finally concluded:  “I



think, therefore I am”

Thinking and ideas are the ultimate truth.

George Berkeley (1685-1753)



Existence is dependent upon some mind to know it, and if there are no minds, nothing would exist unless it is perceived in the mind of God.

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)







“…the greatest and most difficult problem to which a man can devote himself is the problem of education…” Education should teach students how to think according to principles moral laws, moral ideals and moral imperatives Enlightenment is the goal of education

Educational Aims of Idealism



Develop the mind



Search for true ideas



Character development



Self-realization

Educational Aims of Idealism



True education is concerned with ideas rather than matter.



The idealists wants to give students a broad understanding of the world in which they live.

The Idealist and the Chair



To an idealist, the concept of “chair” is important. You could destroy all the chairs in the world but they would still exist in the mind. The idea of a chair is the ultimate truth.

Realism

Realism



Reality, knowledge and value exist independent of the human mind. Trees, sticks and stones exist whether or not there is a human mind to perceive them.

Realism



Ideas must be subject to public verification  must

be proven through scientific experimentation



“Science for the sake of science”

Realism



Universal properties of objects remain constant and never change, whereas particular components do change

Realism



Need to study nature systematically



Deductive reasoning - truth is derived from generalizations  Earth

is the center of the universe

Leaders of Realism 

Aristotle (384-322 BC)



Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)



Francis Bacon (1561-1626)



John Locke (1632-1704)

Aristotle (384-322 BC)



Ideas may be important but a proper study of matter could lead us to better and more distinct ideas.

Aristotle (384-322 BC)



Golden Mean - a path between extremes



Balance is key - body and mind operate together in a balanced whole

Aquinas (1225-1274)



God created matter; therefore it must be ok to learn about it



This view helped lead civilization out of the dark ages, replaced the influence of Augustine

Aquinas



Truth was passed from God to Humans by divine revelation, but God also has endowed humans with the reasoning ability to seek out truth.

Bacon (1561-1626)



Novum Organum - challenged Aristotelian logic



Science must be concerned with inquiry, pure and simple with no preconceived notions



We need to examine all previously accepted knowledge

Bacon (1561-1626)



Need to rid our mind of “idols”  Idol

of the Den - we believe things because of limited experience

 Idol

of the Tribe - we believe things because many people believe them  Idol of the Marketplace - we are mislead by language  Idol of the Theatre - Religion and philosophy may prevent us from see the world objectively

Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)



Known as the father of inductive reasoning  arrive

at generalizations from systematic observations of particulars



Died as a result of the only experiment he performed - stuffed a dead chicken with snow to see if it would preserve the flesh, caught a cold and died

John Locke (1632-1704)



At birth, the mind is a blank sheet of paper - a tabula rasa



All ideas are derived from experience by way of sensation and reflection

Realism and Education



Promotes the study of science and the scientific method



There are essential ideas and facts to be learned; therefore lecture and other formal methods of teaching are useful

Realism and Education  





Find specialization to be desirable Like structure  ringing bells, departments, daily lesson plans If something exists, it can be measured  IQ, Effective teaching Approve of competencies, performance-based teaching, accountability

Realism and Education



Teacher should present material in a systematic, organized way and teach that there are clearly defined criteria for making judgments in art, economics, politics, etc.

The Realist and the Chair



To a realist, the actuality of “chair” is important. A realist would measure the chair, weight it, examine the physical characteristics, etc. The fact that the chair exists is the ultimate truth.

Pragmatism

Pragmatism

  



The root of the word Pragmatism is a Greek word meaning “work”. It is primarily a 20th century philosophy developed by Americans. Truth is what works in the real world. We must keep the desired end in mind. Ideas should be applied to solving problems; including social problems.

Leaders in Pragmatism



Auguste Comte, 1798-1857  Not

a pragmatist but emphasized using science to solve social problems

Leaders in Pragmatism



Charles Darwin, 1809-1882  Reality

is not found in Being, but in Becoming

 Reality

is open-ended, in process, with no fixed end.

American Pragmatists

  



Charles Sanders Peirce, 1839-1914 Widely acknowledged as the father of pragmatism Wrote an article on “How to make our Ideas Clear” in Popular Science Monthly that is regarded as the basis for pragmatism. True knowledge of anything depends upon verification of our ideas in actual experience

American Pragmatists



William James, 1842-1910 The truth of an idea is its “workability”  Truth is not absolute and immutable; rather it is made in actual, real-life  James called his philosophy “radical empericism”  James’s 1907 book “Pragmatism” did much to promote pragmatism.  Rufus Stimson, a leader in agricultural education, studied under James. 

American Pragmatists 

John Dewey, 1859-1952 

Need to concentrate on real-life problems



Sought practical solutions for practical problems



How We Think  Felt

Difficulty

 Define

the problem

 Formulate  Examine  Accept

possible solutions

& Evaluate possible solutions

or reject solutions

Pragmatism and Education

    

Education should be preparation for life Solving problems is important; therefore use real-life situations Teaching methods should be varied and flexible Education should be action oriented Needs and interests of students should be considered

Pragmatism and Education



Project approach to teaching is desirable



Curriculum is varied



A broad education is more desirable

The Pragmatist and the Chair



To a pragmatist, the use of the “chair” is important. What is the purpose of the chair and does it fulfil that purpose? The “workability” of a chair is the ultimate truth.

Reconstructionism

Reconstructionism



Society is in need of constant reconstruction



Such social change involves both a reconstruction of education and the use of education in reconstructing society



Problems are viewed holistically



Futuristic thinking (utopian thinking)

Reconstructionism 

Do not believe preparing students for the world as it exists today will be sufficient (too much emphasis on the status quo)

Reconstuctionists want to:



link thought with action



theory with practice



intellect with activism

Reconstructionism



The goal of education should be to emphasize the need for change



Students should be out in the real world



“World” curriculum



Technology is valuable in solving problems

Noted Reconstructionists



George S. Counts



Theodore Brameld



Paole Freire



Karl Marx



Ivan Illich



John Dewey (he is also recognized as a pragmatist)

The Reconstructionist and the Chair 

To a reconstructionist, the redesign of the “chair” to better serve the needs of society is important. How can the chair be improved to prepare society for the future?

Existentialism

Existentialism



Received new emphasis in the 60s and 70s  Civil

rights

 Women

rights

 Individual  Special

rights

needs

Existentialism



In education  curriculum

was revamped to meet the needs (more accurately - demands) of individuals

 mainstreaming  Pass

or fail grade policies

 extended

drop deadlines in college

 elimination  decline

of core courses

of corporal punishment

Existentialism



In extension there was a focus on serving non-traditional clientele



Focus shifted toward the urban environment

Existentialism



Traditional philosophies - consider questions about the nature of knowledge, truth and meaning but:  Existentialists

are concerned with how these things are educationally significant within the lived experiences of individuals.

Existentialism and Education



People come first, then ideas  People



create ideas

Emphasis on self discovery

Existentialism and Schools



A good education emphasizes individuality



Students should take a positive role in shaping their schools

Existentialism and Schools



Students shouldn’t have to:  attend  take

classes

examinations

 receive 

grades

There is no set curriculum

Noted Existentialists



Soren Kierkegaard



Martin Heidigger



Martin Buber



Jean-Paul Sartre

The Existentialist and the Chair



To an existentialist, the individuals use of “chair” is important. Whatever the individual wants to do with the chair is important. The experience of the individual with the chair is the ultimate truth.

Match the philosophy to the image 

Idealism



Realism



Pragmatism



Reconstructionism



Existentialism

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