This document provides an overview of the history of philosophy of education. It begins with examples of YouTube clips related to education. It then defines philosophy and discusses the relationship between philosophy, theories, and teacher professionalism. The document provides a general overview of historical views of education from ancient societies. It also discusses the world roots of today's instructional methods and provides more detailed information about education in pre-literate societies, ancient China, and deductive reasoning.

1. Introduction to
History of Philosophy
of Education
WEEK 1
Topic 1a

2. You Tube Clips
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0PRB4YsXn4 Freedom Writers
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NlT-ELVWk0 Billy Gilman: One
Voice
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg4t7V-e9dA&feature=related Waiting
for Superman

3. What is Philosophy?
• The investigation of causes and laws underlying reality
• Inquiry into the nature of things based on logical reasoning rather than
empirical methods
• A system of values by which one lives
3

4. Educational Philosophy
• A philosophy about education requires systematic, critical thinking about
educational practice.
• A teacher’s educational philosophy helps the educator interpret, find
meaning, and direct the daily work of the classroom
4

5. Philosophy and Theory
• Theories:………………………..IDEAS
• a) are based on observation,
• b) used to explain observations.
• Philosophies are based on theories:…. BELIEFS
• Explain:
• The way things are
• Ought to be
• peoples thoughts and emotions
• Concepts over long periods of
• time

6. Philosophy and Teacher Professionalism
• All professions have philosophical underpinnings.
• Educational philosophy is one important aspect of teacher’s professional
knowledge.
6

7. 3–7
Historical Views (A General Overview)
• Ancient China: Intellectuals, ready to take part in government
• Ancient India: People ready to perform the duties of their castes
• Ancient Egypt: Priests, Scribes
• Ancient Greece and Rome: Good citizens, able to contribute to
government, or good soldiers
• Ancient Arabic Nations: Islamic scholars

8. 3–8
Historical Views (A General Overview)
• Medieval Europe: Religious scholars, or individuals prepared for their
place in the social hierarchy
• Renaissance Europe: Courtiers—literate, stylish classical humanists
• Reformation Europe: Able to read key religious texts and ready for
appropriate role in society
• Enlightenment Europe and America: Trained in reason and ready to
enact social reform

9. 3–9
World Roots of Today’s Instructional Methods
• Apprenticeships, Informal Education: Preliterate Societies
• Standardized Tests: Ancient China
• Drill and Memorization: Ancient China, India, Egypt, Reformation Europe
• Scaffolding: Ancient Greek Sophist Protagoras

10. ny
3–10
World Roots of Today’s Instructional Methods
• Questioning: Socrates
• Scientific Observations/Experiments: Aristotle, Enlightenment educators
• Deductive Reasoning:
Medieval Scholastic educators
• Games and Activities:
Renaissance Humanist Erasmus

11. DEDUCTIVE REASONING
• According to Aristotle, a deduction is an argument in which, certain
things being laid down, something other than these necessarily
comes about through them.
• The deductive profiling method relies on the application
of deductive reasoning to the observable evidence. Investigators
collect general information about the crime, and the profiler draws
specific conclusions about the criminal's characteristics, based on
the profiler's experience, knowledge, and critical
thinking. Victimology, the crime scene, forensic evidence, and
behavioral analysis are all components of the deductive process.

12. Pre-Literate Societies
Anthropologists describe the most primitive unit of
society as a band.
Bands comprise around 25 to 100 members: they are
usually hunter-gatherers and tend to be extended
families.
Bands are nomadic, without hierarchy, and none of their
members has a specialized role.

13. Classification
• The hunters/gathers of the pre-literate societies classified plants on
how they were used and if they were deadly.
• For example: food and medicinal herbs

14. Medicinal Aids
• “There remains a widespread belief in the curative powers of
certain plants or animal parts shaped or colored like the diseased
part of the body: hence, red poppies for blood disorder, spotted
plants for skin eruptions, and trefoil plants for heart trouble.”
• http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/F/folkmedi.html

15. Present Day Tribes
• Aboriginals in Australia / in any
part of the world still gather
plants for making baskets, canoes,
fishing nets, and string

16. Education in Preliterate Societies
• Education before the invention of writing and reading
• Transition of cultures from adult to children orally – enculturation
• Learning survival skills and abilities: hunting, fishing and making weapons and
other tools, language and etc.
• Characterized by enculturation, trial and error learning, moral codes, oral tradition,
story telling and literacy

18. Ancient China’s Significance in World Education
• The history of education in China began with the birth of Chinese
civilization. The nobles often set up the educational establishments for their
offspring.
• Establishment of the civil service examinations (advocated in the Warring
States period, originated in Han, founded in Tang) was instrumental in
transition from the aristocratic to meritocratic government.

19. HUNDRED SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT
At that time, numerous different
schools enrolled the students. The most
famous one was the Confucianism and
its leader Confucius was seen as the
founder of education for the masses.
One of his sayings was "Provide
education for all people without
discrimination". Another was "Teach
according to the student's ability".
At that time, numerous different schools
enrolled the students. The most famous one was
the Confucianism and its leader Confucius was seen
as the founder of education for the masses. One of
his sayings was "Provide education for all people
without discrimination". Another was "Teach
according to the student's ability.
The different schools were often organized
into political entities to gain social influence

20. HAN ERA
Emperor Wu of Han favored Confucianism
and made it as the national educational doctrine. In
124 BC, The Origins of Statecraft in China was set
up to turn out civil servant for the state, which
taught the Five Classics of Confucianism.
The traditional Chinese attitude
Mencius's

21. EARLY MODERN PERIOD
Imperial examination began at 605, which required the competitors to
pass their local cutting score before the final examination in the capital. So the
private school prevailed. White Deer Grotto Academy and Donglin Academy
were their models. The invention of Paper and Movable type greatly boosted the
educational industry.

22. CHINESE EXAMINATION SYSTEM
In China, system of competitive examinations for
recruiting officials that linked state and society and dominated
education from the Song dynasty (960–1279) onward, though
its roots date to the imperial university established in the Han
dynasty (206 BC–AD 220).

23. Most people in the pre-modern days China
had a dream, to be an official, that means a
scholar-official one day. Once coming of age if
men wanted to climb the social hierarchy,
regardless of one’s family background, the only
way is to study the Classics to prepare for the
Imperial Civil Service Examinations. For
classics it pertains to the so-called Four Books
and the Five Classics (四書五經 Sì-shū Wǔ-
jīng), which were the mandatory texts for the
exam.

24. • Candidates faced fierce competition in a series of exams dealing primarily
with Confucian texts and conducted on the prefectural, provincial, and
national levels.
• Despite a persistent tendency to emphasize rote learning over original
thinking and form over substance, the exams managed to produce an elite
grounded in a common body of teachings and to lend credibility to claims
of meritocracy.
• Too inflexible to be capable of modernization, the system was finally
abolished in 1905.

25. CULTURAL LEGACY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF
CHINESE LEARNERS
• Since history only ended yesterday, what happened yesterday for sure
has a bearing on today.
• So what has changed and unchanged since yesterday?
• The general attitude toward education that has transcended over time is
that it pertains to pragmatism, equality, national salvation and
ultimately moral perfection.
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26. A) PRAGMATISM
• Although the contentof education has changed considerably before and
after the founding of republic, what has remained intact with Chinese
mentality on education is that they have had a sheer pragmatic view on
education and knowledge.
• During the old days in the country where poverty and hardship had hit
millions of lives, education by means of civil service exams had turned out
to be the means for social upward mobility.

27. • Since the modern days, when the new education has replaced the
traditional classical education, education was still to be considered
instrumental, however in a different manner.
• One of the aims of modern education is to thrive for the wealth and
strength of China as a nation.

28. EQUALITY
• Equality is a very important aspect in traditional education insofar the
examination system is concerned.
• One of the legacies of Imperial Examination System that has a bearing on
today’s view on education is that it makes the people believe that
individuals, even from the most humble backgrounds, could rise to great
highs through education if they could survive the rigors of study and
examinations.
• That’s why exam is still a very important part of and integral to whole
system of education.

29. NATIONAL SALVATION
• One apparent change of view before and after the Republic is that the
connotation of education has changed.
• Rather than seeing education as a means of allowing personal prosperity
and social upward mobility, it has taken up another dimension.
• The dominant view on education since modern days is that many saw
education as the most important, if not the only, means to build a strong
nation-state resting upon military power and capable of existing in the
world of nations.

30. MORAL PERFECTION
• The perennial Confucian ideal on education is to guide people to pursue
moral perfection in realizing the life that performs goodness and
benevolence.
• Such a Confucian ideal still holds valid nowadays.

31. ANCIENT EGYPT
• In literature, the Egyptians used proverbs, similes, aphorisms, etc, to teach
moral conduct, methods that are in extensive use in today’s teaching.
• In mathematics, the Egyptian method of multiplication was until recently
used in Eastern Europe and Asia.
• In medicine, the Egyptians had knowledge of physiology, surgery and
blood circulation, and are the originators of the Hippocratic oath.
• In writing, the Egyptians developed hieroglyphics and invented the earliest
known writing materials. “Paper: is an abbreviation of “papyrus”, which was
a plant cultivated in Egypt and used for writing.

32. A System of Writing
• The Ancient Egyptians had
no separate word for “art”,
their word for “art” was the
word for “writing”.
• This Egyptian “alphabet”
was made up of about 800
picture-symbols called
HIEROGLYPHS.
• The word
HEIROGLYPHICS means
“sacred writing”

33. A System of Writing
• The Egyptians considered
HIEROGLYPHS sacred and believed
that they conveyed the words of the
gods.
• HIEROGLYPHICS also helped to
preserve the memory of deceased
people.
• In order to keep track of government
records, taxes, and the passage of time,
the Egyptians developed a system of
writing called HIEROGLYPHICS.

34. A System of Writing
PAPYRUS:
• The earliest form of
paper
• Made from the
papyrus reed that
grew in the Nile
• The reeds would be
criss-crossed and
pounded down to a
paper-like thickness.

35. A System of Writing
Not all Egyptians could read or write hieroglyphics:
SCRIBES:
∆ Pharaoh’s record keepers
∆ Very Educated in reading, writing & math
∆ Highly respected
∆ Only boys could become SCRIBES
∆ A SCRIBE’S training started at the age of 10
∆ SCRIBES used rolls of PAPYRUS to write on
Only the SCRIBES used HIEROGLYPHICS.

36. A System of Writing
• The Common people of Egypt
used a form of writing called
“hieratic”, a form of script
writing.
• Eventually, the responsibility
of reading & interpreting the
HIEROGLYPHS fell to the
priests. Even SCRIBES lost
the ability to read the ancient
symbols.
• By 400 AD, no one could read
the HIEROGLYPHS anymore.

37. WEEK 1 : REFLECTION
• Reflection
• This reflection carries 5% of your carry marks. Share your thoughts by responding to the
question below:
• How did the use of stories, songs, and symbols construct a group’s identity and values
during the age of preliterate societies?
(150-200 words)

38. THANK YOU