The PowerPoint, a resource from the textbook publisher, provides a bit more insight into the chapter and provides an outline for reading. In your text you will learn about the “Traditional” philosophies as well as the “Contemporary” philosophies and be introduced to both the Western and Eastern philosophies. Your text will be a valuable tool to help you understand this topic.

1. Chapter 3
The Major Philosophies

3. Overview of Chapter 3
• Defining philosophy
• Three branches of philosophy
• Metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology
• Traditional philosophies
• Idealism, realism, and neo-theism
• Contemporary philosophies
• Pragmatism and existentialism
• Major Eastern Philosophies

4. Defining
Philosophy
• “Study of the fundamental nature of knowledge,
reality, and existence”
New Oxford American Dictionary, 2005
• Helps us better understand who we are, why we
are here, and where we are going.
• Educational philosophy helps define views about
learners, teachers, and schools.
• Major philosophies include idealism, realism, and
theistic realism

5. Branches of Philosophy
• Metaphysics – What is the nature
of reality?
• Epistemology – What is the
nature of knowledge?
• Axiology – What is the nature of
values?

6. Metaphysics
• One of the key concepts in
understanding philosophies
• Concerned with reality and
existence
• Asks: What is the nature of reality?
• Subdivided into two categories
• Ontology: what is the nature
of existence
• Cosmology: origin and
organization of the universe

7. Epistemology
Raises
questions about
the nature of
knowledge • Deductive logic:
• from general to specific
• Inductive logic:
• from specific facts to
generalization
Logic is a key
dimension to
epistemology

8. Axiology
• Explores the nature of values
• Ethics: study of human
conduct and examines
moral values
• Aesthetics: values beauty,
nature, and aesthetic
experience (often
associated with music, art,
literature, dance, theater,
and other fine arts)

9. Major Traditional Philosophy:
Idealism
Considered oldest philosophy of Western
culture
The world of mind, ideas and reason is
primary
• Metaphysics- stresses mind over matter
(nothing is real except for an idea in the
mind)
• Epistemology- rational, orderly body of
truth
• Axiology- values are rooted in reality
Idealists believe that values can be
classified and ordered into a hierarchy

10. Leading proponents of Idealism
• Plato- Greek philosopher
• Considered father of idealism
• “Allegory of the Cave” from The Republic
• Augustine- theologian of 4th & 5th centuries
• Applied Plato’s assumptions to Christian thought
• Descartes, Kant & Hegel
• Descarte: “I think, therefore I am”
• Kant: certain universal moral laws- categorical
imperitives
• Hegel: approached reality as “contest of
opposites”

11. Major Traditional Philosophy:
Realism
The antithesis of Idealism
Universe exists whether mind perceives it or not
• Metaphysics- reality composed of matter
(body) and form (mind)
• Epistemology- sense realism (knowledge
comes through senses)
• Axiology- values derived from nature

12. Leading proponents
of Realism
• Aristotle- father of realism
Student of Plato
Argued that knowledge can be acquired
through senses
• Francis Bacon
Advanced a rigorous form of inductive
reason
• John Locke
Theory of tabula rasa (no such thing as
innate ideas)
• Comenius, Rousseau, and Pestalozzi

13. Major Traditional Philosophy:
Neo-Thomism
Dates to the time of Thomas Aquinas
(1225-1274)
Also known as theistic realism
“God exists and can be known through
faith and reason”
• Metaphysics- God gives meaning to
universe
• Epistemology- hierarchy of knowing
God
• Axiology- unchanging moral laws

14. Leading Proponents of
Neo-Thomism
• Thomas Aquinas
credited with interfacing the secular ideas of
Aristotle and the Christian teachings of
Augustine

15. Contemporary Philosophies:
Pragmatism
• Also known as experimentalism- experience or
things that work
• Philosophy of 20th century developed by John
Dewey
• Metaphysics- regard reality as an event or process.
Meaning is derived from experience in
environment.
• Epistemology- truth is not absolute but
determined by consequences. Arrived at by
inquiry, testing, questioning, retesting, ect.
• Axiology- primarily focused on values.
Determined by own experiences

16. Leading Proponents
of Pragmatism •
•
•

17. Contemporary Philosophies:
Existentialism
• Appeared as a revolt against the
mathematical, scientific philosophies
that preceded it.
• Focused on personal and subjective
existence
• Metaphysics- no purpose or meaning
to universe. No world order or natural
scheme of things
• Epistemology- we come to know truth
by choice. The authority is found in
self
• Axiology- choice to determine value

18. Leading Proponents of
Existentialism
• Soren Kierkegaard
• Danish philosopher/ theologian
• Father of existentialism
• Rejected scientific objectivity for
subjectivity and choice
• Martin Buber
• Jewish philosopher/ theologian
• “I/Thou” relationship- divine and
human are related
• Husserl and Heidegger
• Jean- Paul Sartre
• We construct our own existence

19. Other Proponents of
Existentialism
To make note of
• Siberman & Kozol
 Supporters of open schools,
free schools, and alternative
schools of 1960’s
• A.S.Neill
 Summerhill school
• Nel Noddings
 Educational model that
includes caring

20. Analytic Philosophy
• Sought out to clarify, and define
philosophies
• Began in post WWI era- Vienna Circle
• Studied the alienation between
philosophy and science
• Established the concept of logical
positivism: there are logical and
empirical types of scientific expression
• Shifted to Analytic philosophy in 1950’s
• Analytic philosophy has recently
focused on political philosophy, ethics
and philosophy of human sciences

21. The Major Eastern
Philosophies
Hinduism
Buddhism
Confucianism
Taoism

22. Review Questions for
Chapter 3
• What is philosophy and why is it important for teachers?
• Define the three branches of philosophy.
• What is idealism and name a proponent of it?
• What is realism and someone who supports it?
• What is neo-Thomism and who is it named after?
• What are two contemporary philosophies?
• What are some key differences between the two
contemporary philosophies?
• Explain philosophic analysis.
• What are the major eastern philosophies?