FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

1. Panpacific University
Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
GRADUATE SCHOOL
MEF 101- Foundations Of Education
JOHN NOEL S. NISPEROS
IDEALISM: A Social Philosophy in
Education

2. The (1)history of education provides a basis
for comparing educational systems.
(2)Sociology supplies us with answers relating
curriculum to the culture. And (3)psychology
helps teachers understand & evaluate the
learning process.
Knowledge in these three areas also provides
a footing as teachers study the content of the
school curriculum, for each is closely related
to what we teach. But these foundations do
not necessarily give us answers to our why
questions.
(Bauzon, 1992)

3. If teachers are to better understand the
curriculum, they need to retrace some of the
thinking which has attempted to answer
questions of why.
Why does kindergarten a pre-requisite in
RA 10533?

4. Is Kindergarten a pre-requisite for entering
Grade
1?
- Yes. Republic Act No. 10157, the
Kindergarten Education Act, institutionalizes
Kindergarten as part of the basic education
system and is compulsory for admission to
Grade 1.

5. Why do we need to increase the number of
years for Basic Education?

7. Why do we need to integrate MTB-MLE in the
elementary curriculum?

9. Why do teachers and students mandated to
abide in the Philippine Qualifications
Framework?

11. Why output-based not outcomes-based?
“Book learning is no substitute for
actual experience.”
“Hands-on-minds-on-hearts-on”
John Dewey

13. Why do we need an innovative and
transformative curriculum?

16. As we seek to comprehend why certain
practices are followed, we must turn to another
significant foundation area: the philosophy of
education.

17. IMPLICATIONS OF IDEALISM IN
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
The word idealism is derived from two distinct
sources-the idea and the ideal. Idea means true
and testified knowledge. The word ideal stands
for the perfected form of an idea or ideas. An
idealist does not have considerations for
material values of life. A thinker who idolizes
‘Mind and Self’ is an idealist. Idealism is one of
the oldest schools of philosophy.
https://educational-system.blogspot.com/2011/09/implications-of-idealism-in-educational.html

18. Plato- father of Idealism,
espoused this view about 400 years BC,
in his famous book, The Republic.
Plato believed that there are two worlds.
The first is the spiritual or mental world,
which is eternal, permanent, orderly,
regular, and universal.
There is also the world of appearance,
the world experienced through sight,
touch, smell, taste, and sound, that is
changing, imperfect, and disorderly. This
division is often referred to as the duality
of mind and body. https://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP2.html

19. Idealism is a philosophical approach that has
as its central tenet that ideas are the only true
reality, the only thing worth knowing. In a search
for truth, beauty, and justice that is enduring and
everlasting, the focus is on conscious reasoning
in the mind.
To understand truth, one must pursue
knowledge and identify with the Absolute Mind.
Plato also believed that the soul is fully formed
prior to birth and is perfect and at one with the
Universal Being. The birth process checks this
perfection, so education requires bringing latent
ideas (fully formed concepts) to consciousness.
https://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP2.html

20. In idealism, the aim of education is to discover and
develop each individual's abilities and full moral
excellence in order to better serve society. The
curricular emphasis is subject matter of mind:
literature, history, philosophy, and religion.
Ex.Teaching methods focus on handling ideas
through lecture, discussion, and Socratic dialogue (a
method of teaching that uses questioning to help
students discover and clarify knowledge).
Introspection, intuition, insight, and whole-part logic
are used to bring to consciousness the forms or
concepts which are latent in the mind.
Ex. Character is developed through imitating
examples and heroes. https://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP2.html

21. TYPES OF IDEALISM
(a) ABSOLUTE IDEALISM
It is the one type which has found its way into
educational philosophy. This lays down that the heart
of reality is to be found in thought or reason. Reason
is absolute; in fact it is the absolute.
The absolute is already complete, and self-realized.
Mind of man however, is a part of the absolute whole.
Idealism stresses certain wholeness. Nothing
happens in any part of the system that does not
affect the rest.

23. On religious and moral education, the definition
of the absolute is unmistakably of theistic
characteristics. Since the aim of education is
the increasing realization of the absolute, all
education appears tinged with religious
significance. This includes moral education.
Reason being the absolute, the universe is one
of law and order.

25. (b) MODERN IDEALISM
It has given a different tune to educational
philosophy. In this concept idealism more to do
this idea as mental state. In this idealism might
be called a philosophy of idealism.
Ex.The `I` of idealism being interested for
euphony.
The knowledge one has of his environment
is idea of it.

26. OTHER TYPES OF IDEALISM
a. Subjective Idealism
Perception, in other words, is reality. That
doesn’t mean that you’re stuck in your own
mind, though, since we’re lucky enough to have
other minds that we can communicate with.
Thus, the truth may lie somewhere in between
your mind and mine (but still not in any external
physical world). We can call this intersubjective
idealism.

27. b. Divine Idealism
Alternatively, the world may be seen as
manifestations of some other mind, such as the
mind of one God. (However, remember that all
of physical reality would be contained in the
mind of God on this view — so God would have
to be a consciousness outside of the physical
multiverse!)

28. c. Ontological Idealism
Others don’t take it quite as far: they argue that the
material world exists, but that at its most basic level
it’s made out of ideas.
Ex. Some physicists believe that the universe, at its
most basic level, is made of numbers.
So scientific formulas don’t just describe physical
reality; they are the physical reality.
E=MC2E mass (m) of a body times the speed of
light squared (c2) is equal to the kinetic energy (E) of
that body.
https://www.britannica.com/science/E-mc2-equation
Would be seen as a fundamental aspect of reality
which Einstein discovered, rather than a description
that he invented.

29. d. Epistemological Idealism
We’re just trying to understand the human
mechanisms and tools that make all
understanding possible.
Ex. What are the necessary and sufficient
conditions of knowledge? What are its
sources? What is its structure, and what are
its limits? As the study of justified belief,
epistemology aims to answer questions such
as: How we are to understand the concept of
justification? What makes justified beliefs
justified?
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epistemology/ Matthias Steup(2005) matthias.steup@colorado.edu

30. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF IDEALISM
1) TWO FORMS OF THE WHOLE WORLD
Idealism believes in two forms of the world-
Spiritual world and Material world, Idealists
gives more importance to spiritual world in
comparison to the material world.
(2) IDEAS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN
OBJECT
They have given more importance to ideas over
the objects and material or later. In the words of
Plato “Ideas are of the ultimate cosmic
significance”.

31. (3)IMPORTANCE OF MAN OVER NATURE
To Idealists, man is more important than
material nature. It is because man can think
and experience about material objects and
material phenomena.
Thus, he is not a slave of the environment as
animals are but the moulds and transforms the
environment for his own good and welfare of
the society.

32. (4)FAITH IN SPIRITUAL VALUES
According to Idealists, prime aim of life is to
achieve spiritual values-Truth, beauty and
goodness. These spiritual values are undying
and permanent.
For the achievement of these spiritual values all
the capacities of man are to be harnessed to
the full. These capacities are- knowing, feeling
and willing.

33. (5)IMPORTANCE OF PERSONALITY
DEVELOPMENT
Idealists give much importance to the ‘self’ of
the individual. Hence they insist upon the fullest
development of the personality of an individual.
Plato rightly speaks that each individual has an
ideal self. He tries to develop that ideal ‘self’
more and more.
In short Idealism believes in the welfare of
whole human community.

34. (6)FULL SUPPORT TO THE PRINCIPLE OF
UNITY IN DIVERSITY
Idealists give full support to the principle of
Unity in Diversity. They believe that is of
spiritual nature. This may be called Universal
Consciousness or Divinity.
This underlying divine force maintains the
existence and working of all entities. Idealists
call this power as God, the Supreme Force
which is omnipotent and omnipresent.

35. IDEALISM AND AIMS OF EDUCATION
Idealism prescribes certain fundamental aims
of education which are directly influenced by
the aims and principles of life.
In this context Ross puts forth the view, “The
function of education is to help us in our
exploration of the ultimate universal values so
that truth of the universe may become our truth
and give power to our life.’’

36. IDEALISM AND CURRICULUM
While developing curriculum, idealists give
more importance to thought, feelings, ideals
and values than to the child and his activities.
They firmly hold that curriculum should be
concerned with the whole humanity and its
experiences.

37. IDEALISM AND METHODS OF TEACHING
Idealism has not prescribed specific methods of
teaching. According to idealism, class-room is
a temple of spiritual learning, a meeting place
of human minds- a place for self education. For
this no particular method has been suggested.

38. IDEALISM AND DISCIPLINE
Idealists believe that there can be no spiritual
development of the child without discipline. This
leads to inner discipline. “The discipline is not
to be imposed on pupils. The teacher has only
to help them to develop self discipline and
through that self knowledge”

39. IDEALISM AND TEACHER
Idealism assigns a special role to the teacher. It
considers teacher as a spiritual guide for the
child. The teacher serves as a living model for
the student. He sets the environment in which
education takes place. He carries the child from
darkness to light. He is to guide the student
towards utmost possible perfection.

40. CONTRIBUTIONS OF IDEALISM TO EDUCATION
Idealistic philosophy in education emphasizes ‘the
exaltation of personality’, which is the result of self-
realization, achieved by spiritual knowledge, self-
discipline and dignified teacher.
Idealism assigns a very important place to the teacher
who is respected as a guide, and philosopher. They
emphasize the importance of moral and spiritual
education and points out the values of humanities,
social sciences, art and literature. It emphasizes
man’s perfection in various facets of life-physical,
spiritual, intellectual, moral, esthetic and social.

41. Review Questions:
1. Describe idealism as a philosophical foundation of
the curriculum.
2. What are the values derived in studying idealism?
3.Cite specific or concrete experience(s) related to
the ideologies in education.
4. Describe an ideal teacher, ideal classroom and
ideal community.
5. Compare the fundamental principles of idealism to
The Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers (Art 11,
RA 7836, Philippine Professionalization Act of 1994,
par. 6, PD 223)

42. References:
Bauzon, Prisciliano T. (1989). Fundamentals of Moral & Social Philosophy. University of
Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, Cotabato, Philippines.
Bauzon, Prisciliano T. (1992). Foundations of Curriculum Development and Management.
University of
Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, Cotabato, Philippines.
Bilbao, Purita et al. (2015). The Teaching Profession. Lorimar Publishing Inc., Cubao, Quezon
City, Philippines.
Corpuz, Brenda B. and Salandanan, Gloria G. (2014). Principles of Teaching 2. . Lorimar
Publishing Inc., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines.
________(nd). Idealism: Examples and Definition | Philosophy Terms
philosophyterms.com/idealism . Retrieved from http://philosophyterms.com/idealism/
Sooraj p (2011). Implications Of Idealism In Educational System. Retrieved from 2011
https://educational-system.blogspot.com/2011/09/implications-of-idealism-in-
educational.html
________(nd). Section III - Philosophical Perspectives in Education Part 2
Four General or World Philosophies. Retrieved from
https://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP2.html
Steup, Matthias (2005). Epistemology. Retrieved from
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epistemology/
matthias.steup@colorado.edu
_________(nd). Einstein’s E=MC2 Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/science/E-mc2-equation