Idealism in Philosophy and Education

Idealism Philosophy

• To an idealist, the concept or idea of something is more important than its physical existence.
• The idea of a chair is the ultimate truth, even if all physical chairs are destroyed.

Proponents of Idealism

• Socrates (469 – 399 BC) is regarded as the father of philosophy.
• Plato (427 – 347 BC) is associated with the philosophy of idealism and is considered the father of idealism.
• Plato operated a school named the Academy and wrote the famous book, The Republic.

What is Idealism

• Idealism is the oldest philosophy known to man.
• The philosophy suggests that ideas are the only true reality and the only thing worth knowing.
• The objective world is mental and is independent of the human knower.
• Idealism emphasizes the importance of the spiritual and mental aspects of life over material values.

Idealism - Metaphysics

• Ultimate reality cannot be found in the world of sensory experience, but only in the world of ideas.
• Idealism talks about the existence of two worlds: the spiritual or mental world, which is eternal and permanent, and the world of appearance, which is changing and imperfect.
• The world of spirit or idea is static and absolute, and idealism stresses the importance of the human spirit.

Idealism - Epistemology

• Epistemology concerns the theory of knowledge.
• Idealism states that all knowledge is independent of sense experience.
• The process of knowing is abstract, and we use reason to help our mind grasp the ideas that underlie the reality experienced by our senses.
• According to Plato, people should concern themselves primarily with the search for truth, which is perfect and eternal.

Idealism - Axiology

• Idealism emphasizes the importance of order as a basic principle of values.
• There is a hierarchy of values, with universal standards of moral behavior.
• Values are absolute, eternal, and universal, and are rooted in God.
• The idea that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder is considered nonsensical.

Idealism and Education

• The aim of education is to enable each child to realize their soul and recognize their real form.
• Education should aim for self-realization, spiritual development, and the cultivation of moral values.
• Education should also focus on the development of physical health, intelligence, and rationality.
• Idealism views learning as just recollection, meaning that people collect what would prove that their souls had existed somewhere before entering the human shape.

Idealism's General Contribution to Education

• The state must take an active role in educational matters.
• The curriculum should 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 suggests a six-stage education process, with different focuses for each stage, culminating in the ability to become a philosopher or king.

Idealism and Assessment

• Assessment is a means for focusing teachers' collective attention, examining their assumptions, and creating a shared culture dedicated to continuously improving the quality of higher learning.
• Assessment requires making expectations and standards for quality explicit and public, and systematically gathering evidence to document, explain, and improve performance.