Philosophies of Education Chapter 3 PDF

**Philosophies of Education** A philosophy is often defined as the foundation upon which knowledge is based. However, when you break apart the actual word, a much different meaning emerges. Derived from the Greek "philos," which means *love*, and "sophos," which means *wisdom*, the actual meaning o...

**Philosophies of Education** A philosophy is often defined as the foundation upon which knowledge is based. However, when you break apart the actual word, a much different meaning emerges. Derived from the Greek "philos," which means *love*, and "sophos," which means *wisdom*, the actual meaning of the word philosophy is *love of wisdom* (Johnson et. al., 2011).  In this chapter, we will explore how traditional philosophies have evolved over time by briefly looking at three key branches of philosophy. Then, the schools of philosophy and their influence on education will be presented. Finally, you will hear from educators in the field and see how they put their "philosophies" of education into practice. There are four broad schools of thought that reflect the key philosophies of education that we know today. These schools of thought are: Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism, and Existentialism. It is important to note that idealism and realism, otherwise known as general or world philosophies, have their roots in the work of the ancient Greek philosophers: Plato and Aristotle. Whereas pragmatism and existentialism are much more contemporary schools of thought. It is important to study each school of thought because they shape the way we approach education today. Specifically, each school of thought directly impacts how curriculum is developed, implemented, and assessed. **IDEALISM** Idealism is a school of philosophy that emphasizes that "ideas or concepts are the essence of all that is worth knowing" (Johnson et. al., 2011, p. 87). In other words, the only true reality is that of ideas. Based on the writings of Plato, this school of philosophy encourages conscious reasoning in the mind. Furthermore, idealists look for, and value, universal or absolute truths and ideas. Consequently, idealists believe that ideas should remain constant throughout the centuries. ### Key Philosophers Plato believed that truth was the central reality. However, Plato did not believe that people created knowledge, instead they "discovered it" (Johnson et. al., 2011). In his book, The Republic, Plato talked about two worlds: the spiritual or mental world and the world of appearance. Reacting against what he perceived as too much of a focus on the physical and sensory world, Plato called for education to "develop in the body and the soul of the pupil all the beauty and all the perfection he is capable of." (Cohen, 1999, p. 1). In addition, to understand truth, Plato believed you must first understand knowledge. ***Socrates (ca. 470 -- ca. 399 BCE):*** Socrates' work is only known through the works of Plato. Plato observed Socrates questioning a slave boy to help him understand what he knew about a specific concept. This questioning technique became known as the Socratic Method and was presented in chapter one. When applied in classrooms, the Socratic method actively engages students in the learning process, improves understanding, and promotes higher-order thinking. Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who believed in "freedom, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of God" (Johnson et. al., 2011, p. 88). He added valuable information about the important role of reason and its' contributions to knowledge. According to his research, it is only through reason that we gain knowledge of and understand the world in which we live. ### Educational Implications of Idealism When translated to the classroom, teachers with an Idealist school of thought would emphasize being role models of these absolute truths, ideas, and values. Curriculum would focus on broad ideas, particularly those contained in great works of literature and/or scriptures. Teaching methods used within idealism include: lecture, discussion, and Socratic dialogue. Essential to these teaching methods is posing questions that generate thoughts and spark connections. Paul (n/d) suggests the following six types of Socratic questions: - - - - - - - - - - - - REALISM ------- Realism is a school of 
 philosophy with origins in the work of Aristotle. This philosophy emphasizes that "reality, knowledge, and value exist independent of the human mind" (Johnson, 2011, p. 89). Realists argue for the use of the senses and scientific investigation in order to discover truth. The application of the scientific method also allows individuals to classify things into different groups based on their essential differences. ### **Key Philosophers** ***Aristotle (384 --322 BCE):*** Aristotle is known as the father of realism and the Scientific Method. His pragmatic approach to understanding an object, by understanding is form, is an example of how he investigated matter. To understand this concept, consider the following example: A plant can exist without being physically present, but it still shares properties with all other plants (form). Aristotle also believed that everything had a purpose or function. For example, a fishes purpose is to swim. A birds purpose is to fly. A humans purpose is to think. If we are not thinking, or thinking unintelligently, we are going against our purpose. Finally, Aristotle was the "first to teach logic as a discipline in order to be able to reason about physical events and aspects" (Cohen, 1999, p. 1). ***Locke (1632 -- 1704):*** John Locke believed in the tabula rasa, or blank tablet, view of the mind. According to this view, a child's mind is a blank slate when they are born. All the sensory experiences they have after birth fill up the slate through the impressions that are made upon the mind. ### Educational Implications of Realism Within a realist educational philosophy, the curricular focus is on scientific research and development as Realists' consider education a matter of reality rather than speculation. The teacher role is to teach students about the world they live in. Realists view the subject expert as the source and authority for determining the curriculum. Outcomes of this thinking in classrooms today include the appearance of standardized tests, serialized textbooks, and specialized curriculum (Johnson et. al., 2011). Teaching methods used in realism include: - - - - - PRAGMATISM ---------- Pragmatism is "a process 
philosophy 
that stresses evolving and 
change rather than being" (Johnson et. al., 2011, p. 91). In other words, pragmatists believe that reality is constantly changing so we learn best through experience. According to pragmatists, the learner is constantly conversing and being changed by the environment with whom he or she is interacting. There is "no absolute and unchanging truth, but rather, truth is what works" (Cohen, 1999, p.1). Based on what is learned at any point and time, the learner or the world in which he or she is interacting can be changed. ### Key Philosophers ***Peirce (1839 -- 1914):*** Charles Sanders Peirce is one of the first pragmatic thinkers. He introduced the pragmatic method in which students are supplied a procedure for constructing and clarifying meanings. In addition, this system helps to facilitate communication among students.  ***Dewey (1859 -- 1952):*** John Dewey linked pragmatism to evolution by explaining that "human beings are creatures who have to adapt to one another and to their environment" (Johnson et. al., 2011, p. 93). Therefore, learners within the classroom need to adapt to one another and their learning community. Dewey also believed that the application of the "scientific method" could solve an array of problems. He saw ideas as the instruments to solving problems and advocated for the application of the following steps to meet this goal: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. ### Educational Implications of Pragmatism According to a Pragmatic school of thought, curriculum should be so planned in such a way that it teaches the learner how to think critically rather than what to think. Teaching should, therefore, be more exploratory in nature than explanatory. To promote this approach to teaching, students should be actively engaged in the learning process and be challenged to solve problems. The teachers job is to help  support students learning by promoting questioning and problem-solving during the natural course of lesson delivery. The curriculum is also interdisciplinary. Teaching methods used in pragmatism include: - - - - EXISTENTIALISM -------------- Existentialism is a school of philosophy that "focuses on the importance of the individual rather than on external standards" (Johnson et. al., 2011, p. 93). Existentialists believe that our reality is made up of nothing more than our lived experiences, therefore our final realities reside within each of us as individuals. As such, the physical world has no real meaning outside our human experience and there is no objective, authoritative truth about metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. ### Key Philosophers ***Kierkegaard (1813-1855):*** Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish minister and philosopher. He is considered to be the founder of existentialism. ***Nietzsche (1844-1900):*** Friedrich Nietzsche stressed the importance of the individuality of each person. According to Johnson et. al. (2011), his work provided a "strategy to liberate people from the oppression of feeling inferior within themselves, and a teaching of how not to judge what one is in relation to what one should be" (p. 95). ### Educational Implications of Existentialism Within an existentialist classroom, subject matter takes second place to helping the students understand and appreciate themselves for who they are as individuals.  The teacher's role is to help students accept individual responsibility for their personal thoughts, feelings, and actions. To do this, the teacher is responsible for creating an environment in which student may freely choose their own preferred way of learning by giving students latitude in their choice of subject matter. Furthermore, answers come from within the individual in an existential classroom, not from the teacher. For this reason, Existentialists strongly oppose standardized assessments which measure or track student learning.  Instead, they want the educational experience of the student to focus on creating opportunities for self-direction and self-actualization of the whole person, not just the mind (Cohen, 1999). In an Existentialist classroom, curriculum is structured to provide students with experiences that will help unleash their own creativity and self-expression through an emphasis on teaching humanities. For example, rather than emphasizing historical events, existentialists focus upon the actions of historical individuals, each of whom provides possible models for the students' own behavior. Math and science may be de-emphasized because their subject matter would be considered "cold," "dry," "objective," and therefore less fruitful to self-awareness.  In teaching art, existentialism encourages individual creativity and imagination more than copying and imitating established models. As described above, Existentialist methods focus on the individual. Learning is self-paced, self directed, and includes a great deal of individual contact with the teacher, who relates to each student openly and honestly. Although elements of existentialism occasionally appear in public schools, this philosophy has found wider acceptance in private schools and in alternative public schools founded in the late 1960s and early 1970s.