This document discusses several philosophical schools of thought and their impact on education, including idealism, realism, and pragmatism. Idealism believes that ideas are the ultimate reality and truth can be found through abstract thinking. Realism asserts that objective reality exists independently of the mind and can be discovered through scientific observation. Pragmatism is a practical philosophy that assesses ideas based on their practical consequences and real-world applications. Each school of thought is associated with different views of curriculum, teaching methods, and the aims of education.

1. Philosophical Schools of
Thought and their Impact on
Education
Philosophy of Education

2. Three Major Areas of Philosophy
 Metaphysics - the nature of reality
 Axiology - the nature of values
 Epistemology - the nature of knowledge

3. Metaphysics
 Related to epistemology and asks
the question “What is real?”
 Are the things that are real only the
things that can be touched and
measured?
 Existentialists

4. Metaphysics
 Concerned with theories of the nature of
reality.
Why does the earth exist?
How did it come into being?
Is mankind free?
Is there a God?
What is real?

5. Metaphysics
 Common terms used in metaphysics
are:
theodicy
creationism
evolution
spirit
free will
atheism
 Metaphysics is the area many people
think of when they hear the term

6. Axiology
 concerned with theories of value
 Two major divisions of axiology
ethics
What is right and wrong?
What is evil and good?
aesthetics
What is beautiful and ugly?
 Some common terms used that relate to
axiology are pessimism, optimism,
hedonism, egoism, and altruism.

7.  From axiology, we arrive at an
understanding of “What is good?”
 We get ethics from the study of axiology

8. Epistemology
 Concerned with theories of
the nature of knowledge
 Epistemological questions:
 How do people learn?
 What knowledge is of utmost value?
 What are the different types of knowledge?

9.  Epistemology—”How do we know what is
true?”
 This is a live question today—Do we listen to
standardized test results to determine how
much students know, or read their portfolios?

10. Philosophical Schools of Thought
 Idealism
 Realism
 Pragmatism/Experientialism
 Reconstructionism
 Existentialism
 Essentialism
 Perennialism
 Behaviorism

11. Idealism

12. Idealism (Idea-ism)
 any of various systems of thought in
which the objects of knowledge are held
to be in some way dependent on the
activity of mind.

13. Idealism (Idea-ism)
 Idealists believe that
ideas are the only true reality.
 The material world is characterized by
change, instability, and uncertainty;
ideas are enduring

14. Idealism
 We should be concerned primarily with
the search for truth. Since truth is
perfect and eternal, it cannot be found in
the world of matter that is both imperfect
and constantly changing.

15. The Idealist and the Chair
 To an idealist, the
concept of “chair”
is important. You
could destroy all
the chairs in the
world but they
would still exist in
the mind. The
idea of a chair is
the ultimate truth.

16. Leaders of Idealism
 Socrates (469-399 BC)
 Plato (427-347 BC)
 St. Augustine (350-4300
 Descartes (1596-1650)
 Berkeley (1685-1753)
 Kant (1724-1804)

17. Socrates
 Regarded as the father of philosophy
 Believed we learn through questioning
(the Socratic method)
 Wrote nothing, what we know of his
views were written by his followers,
most notably Plato

18. Plato
 A student of Socrates
 Known as the father of idealism
 Operated a school named
the “Academy”

19. Plato’s views toward education
 The state must take an active role in
educational matters
 The curriculum must 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.

20. Plato
 Those who demonstrate proficiency in
the dialectic would continue their
education and become philosophers in
positions of power to lead the state
toward the highest good (the
Philosopher-King)
 Believed both boys and girls
should be educated and girls
should be equals.

21. Augustine (354-430)
 Born in North Africa (Roman citizen)
Mother - Christian, Father - Pagan
 Attended Roman Primary School
grammar and literature emphasized
 At 16 went to Carthage and studied:
rhetoric, music, geometry, grammar,
mathematics
 During his younger days “He lied,
he stole, etc”

22. Augustine. . .
 Became a grammaticus in his native
town
 Taught rhetoric in Carthage, Rome,
Milan
 While in his 30’s was converted to
Christianity, took his holy orders and
became a great evangelist and priest.
 Found great favor in the church and
became a great religious leader.

23. Augustine
 People do not create knowledge; God
has
already created it,
but people can discover it
through trying to find God.

24. Augustine’s Beliefs
 Women were held in low regard (this
view was incorporated into the church
and held for a thousand years)
 Only a few people possessed the mental
ability to quest for the truth. Therefore
most people should rely on the
church for knowledge.

25. Augustine’s Beliefs
 Augustine used Greek writings but
began to have doubts how people who
did not know God could write anything
which could be of value to Christians.
 In 401 the Church outlawed pagan
writings such as Plato and Aristotle
(even the church leaders were not
allowed to read the
ancient literature). This continued
for 1000 years.

26. Augustine’s Beliefs
about Teaching
 Encouraged the use of summaries
 Believed teachers should teach through
persuasion and by leading impeccable
lives.
 Teachers should not expect to increase
their worldly stores through teaching.
 The “stick and fist” were needed to
keep students in line since people
were wicked (because of Adam).

27. The Church and Idealism
 Idealism has exerted a great amount of
influence on Christianity.
 For centuries the Christian church was
the creator and protector of schooling.
 Generations educated in these schools
were indoctrinated with the idealist
point of view (including early
American education).

28. Descartes (1596-1650)
 A renowned mathematician
 Wrestled with the question of what was
real. Did he really exist (perhaps he was
a dream). He finally concluded:
“I think, therefore I am”
 Thinking and ideas are the
ultimate truth.

29. George Berkeley (1685-1753)
 Existence is dependent upon some mind
to know it, and if there are no minds,
nothing would exist unless it is
perceived in the mind of God.

30. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
 “…the greatest and most difficult
problem to which a man can devote
himself is the problem of education…”
 Education should teach students how to
think according to principles -
moral laws, moral ideals and
moral imperatives
 Enlightenment is the goal of
education

31. Educational Aims of Idealism
 Develop the mind
 Search for true ideas
 Character development
 Self-realization

32. Educational Aims of Idealism
 True education is concerned with ideas
rather than matter.
 The idealists want to give students a
broad understanding of the world in
which they live.
 The aim of education is to discover and
develop each individual's abilities and
full moral excellence in order to better
serve society.

33. The Curriculum of the Idealist
 The idealist concentrates on the mental
development of the learner. The
curriculum emphasizes the study of the
humanities. The proper study of
mankind, history, and
literature are the center of the idealist
curriculum.

34. The Curriculum of the Idealist
 Literary pieces considered the
masterworks of humanity occupy an
important place in the ideal curriculum.
 Pure mathematics is also included in
the curriculum as it is based upon
universal a priori principles and provide
methods of dealing with abstractions.
 The library is the center of activity in the
idealist school.

35. The Curriculum of the Idealist
 The subject matter for the school is that
which is concerned with the ideal person
and ideal society.
 The curriculum does not deal
adequately with social policy.
 The teacher occupies a crucial position
in the idealist school. The teacher
serves as a living example of what the
student can become intellectually,
socially, and ethically.

36. The Curriculum of the Idealist
 The teacher’s role is to pass on the
knowledge of reality as he or she stands
closer to the Absolute than do the
students.

37. The Teaching Method of the Idealist
 Idealists rely on lectures and
discussions.
 Students also learn by imitating the
teacher or some other person who is
closely attuned with the Absolute.
 Idealists also rely heavily on deductive
logic.
 The idealist has little uses for field trips
and sensory data.

38. Realism

39. Realism
 The philosophy, attitude or practice of
accepting a situation as it is and being
prepared to deal with it accordingly.

40. Realism
 Reality, knowledge and value exist
independent of the human mind. Trees,
sticks and stones exist whether or not
there is a human mind to perceive them.
 The ultimate reality is the world of
physical objects. The focus is on the
body/objects. Truth is objective-what can
be observed

41. Realism
 Ideas must be subject to public
verification
must be proven through scientific
experimentation
 “Science for the sake of science”

42. Leaders of Realism
 Aristotle(384-322 BC)
 Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
 Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
 John Locke (1632-1704)

43. Aristotle (384-322 BC)
 Ideas may be important but a proper
study of matter could lead us to better
and more distinct ideas.
 Aristotle is called the father of both
Realism and the scientific method. In
this metaphysical view, the aim is to
understand objective reality through "the
diligent and unsparing scrutiny of all
observable data."

44. Aristotle (384-322 BC)
 Logic was for Aristotle the necessary
tool of any inquiry, and the syllogism
was the sequence that all logical thought
follows.
 Aristotle also taught that knowledge of a
thing, requires an explanation of
causality , or why it is. He posited four
causes or principles of explanation: the
material cause (the substance of which
the thing is made); the formal cause (its
design); the efficient cause (its maker or

45. Aquinas (1225-1274)
 God created matter; therefore it must be
ok to learn about it
 This view helped lead civilization out of
the dark ages, replaced the influence of
Augustine

46. Aquinas
 Truth was passed from God to Humans
by divine revelation, but God also has
endowed humans with the reasoning
ability to
seek out the truth.

47. Bacon (1561-1626)
 Novum Organum - challenged
Aristotelian logic
 Science must be concerned with inquiry,
pure and simple with no preconceived
notions
 We need to examine all previously
accepted knowledge

48. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
 Need to rid our mind of “idols”
Idol of the Den - we believe things
because of limited experience
Idol of the Tribe - we believe things
because many people believe them
Idol of the Marketplace - we are
mislead by language
Idol of the Theatre - Religion and
philosophy may prevent us from
seeing the world objectively

49. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
 Known as the father of inductive reasoning
 arrive at generalizations from systematic
observations of particulars
 Died as a result of the only experiment he
performed - stuffed a dead chicken with snow to
see if it would preserve the flesh, caught a cold
and died

50. John Locke (1632-1704)
 At birth, the mind is a blank sheet of
paper - a tabula rasa
 All ideas are derived from experience by
way of sensation and reflection

51. The Realist and the Chair
 To a realist, the
actuality of “chair” is
important. A realist
would measure the
chair, weight it,
examine the physical
characteristics, etc.
The fact that the
chair exists is the
ultimate truth.

52. Realism and Education
 The primary aims of education are to
teach children the laws of nature and
those values that will lead to the good
life. Of course, the good life is that which
conforms to the
natural law.

53. Curriculum of the Realist
 The Realist curriculum emphasizes the
subject matter of the physical world,
particularly science and mathematics.
 The teacher organizes and presents
content systematically within a
discipline, demonstrating use of criteria
in making decisions

54.  Curriculum should be scientifically
approached, standardized, and distinct-
discipline based.
 Character is developed through training
in the rules of conduct.

55. The Method of the Realist
 The method of the realist involves
teaching for the mastery of facts in order
to develop an understanding of the
natural law. This is best accomplished
by using drills and exercises.

56.  Teaching methods also focus the
mastery of basic skills through
demonstration and recitation. Students
must also demonstrate the ability to
think critically and scientifically, using
observation and experimentation.

57.  Learning is enhanced through direct or
indirect sensory experiences such as
field trips, the use of films, filmstrips,
records, television, radio, etc.

58. Pragmatism/Experientialism

59. Pragmatism
 It is an approach that assesses the truth
of meaning of theories or beliefs in
terms of the success of their practical
application.

60. Pragmatism
 The root of the word Pragmatism is a
Greek word meaning “work”.
 It is primarily a 20th century philosophy
developed by Americans.
 Truth is what works in the real world. We
must keep the desired end in mind.
 Ideas should be applied to solving
problems; including social problems.

61. American Pragmatists
 Charles Sanders Peirce, 1839-1914
 Widely acknowledged as the father of
pragmatism
 Wrote an article on “How to make our
Ideas Clear” in Popular Science Monthly
that is regarded as the basis for
pragmatism.
 True knowledge of anything depends
upon verification of our ideas in actual
experience.
 Believed that thought must produce

62. American Pragmatists
 William James, 1842-1910
The truth of an idea is its “workability”
Truth is not absolute and immutable;
rather it is made in actual, real-life
James called his philosophy “radical
empericism”
James’s 1907 book “Pragmatism”
did much to promote pragmatism.

63. American Pragmatists
 John Dewey, 1859-1952
 Need to concentrate on real-life problems
 Sought practical solutions for practical problems

64. The Pragmatist and the Chair
 To a pragmatist, the
use of the “chair” is
important. What is
the purpose of the
chair and does it
fulfill that purpose?
The “workability” of a
chair is the ultimate
truth.

65. Pragmatism: Method/Curriculum
 For Pragmatists, teaching methods
focus on hands-on problem solving,
experimenting, and projects, often
having students work in groups.
Curriculum should bring the disciplines
together to focus on solving problems in
an interdisciplinary way.

66. Pragmatism: Method/Curriculum
 Education should be preparation for life
 Solving problems is important; therefore
use real-life situations
 Teaching methods should be varied and
flexible
 Education should be action oriented

67. Pragmatism: Method/Curriculum
 The curriculum should be learner-
centered. Needs and interests of
students should be considered.
 Curriculum changes as the needs of the
learner vary. Because reality is
constantly changing, the curriculum
should be built around natural units
which grow out of the pressing
questions and
experiences of the learner.

68.  Thus, the function of the school should
be to teach students to manage change
and adapt in a healthy manner. The
process of learning is more important
than the content.

69.  Rather than passing down organized
bodies of knowledge to new learners,
Pragmatists believe that learners should
apply their knowledge to real situations
through experimental inquiry. This
prepares students for citizenship, daily
living, and future careers.

70. Reconstructionism

71. Reconstructionism
 is a philosophy that emphasizes the addressing
of social questions and a quest to create a better
society and worldwide democracy.

72. Reconstructionism
 Society is in need of constant reconstruction
 Such social change involves both a
reconstruction of education and the use of
education in reconstructing society
 Problems are viewed holistically
 Futuristic thinking (utopian thinking)

73. Reconstructionism
 Do not believe preparing students for the world as
it exists today will be sufficient (too much
emphasis on the status quo)

74. Reconstuctionists want to:
 link thought with action
 theory with practice
 intellect with activism

75. Reconstructionism
 The goal of education should be to emphasize
the need for change
 Students should be out in the real world
 “World” curriculum
 Technology is valuable
in solving problems

76. Noted Reconstructionists
 Those who focused on a curriculum that
highlights social reform.
 George S. Counts
 Theodore Brameld
 Paole Freire
 Karl Marx
 Ivan Illich
 John Dewey (he is also recognized as a
pragmatist)

77. The Reconstructionist
and the Chair
 To a
reconstructionist, the
redesign of the
“chair” to better
serve the needs of
society is important.
How can the chair be
improved to prepare
society for the
future?

78. What reconstructionists believe
 Reconstruction-ists
point to a time in the
past when they
believe that things
were better
 They would re-create
education to be like
things were back
during that time
 They cite research,
particularly historical,
to show that things
are not going well

79. What reconstructionists would teach
 Reconstructionists would teach the subjects that
were taught during that “golden age.”
 The subjects would be those that were taught
during that time.
 If the 1960s, for instance, they would teach usage
of the slide rule.

80. One example of
Reconstructionism
 1946—right after the
Second World War…
 Ganito kami noon…
 Noong panahon
namin…

81. Reconstructionists and
technology
 Their orientation is
very much to the
past
 They and
perennialists do not
react immediately
and positively to new
technology.

82. Existentialism

83. Existentialism
 is a philosophy concerned with finding self
and the meaning of life through free will,
choice, and personal responsibility.

84. Existentialism
 The belief is that people are searching to find out
who and what they are throughout life as they
make choices based on their experiences,
beliefs, and outlook.
And personal choices become unique
without the necessity of an
objective form of truth.

85. Existentialism
 Received new emphasis in the 60s and 70s
 Civil rights
 Women rights
 Individual rights
 Special needs

86. Existentialism
 In education
 curriculum was revamped to meet the needs (more
accurately - demands) of individuals
 mainstreaming
 Pass or fail grade policies
 extended drop deadlines in college
 elimination of core courses
 decline of corporal punishment

87. Existentialism
 Traditional philosophies - consider questions
about the nature of knowledge, truth and meaning
but:
 Existentialists are concerned with
how these things are educationally
significant within the lived
experiences of individuals.

88. Existentialism and Education
 People come first, then ideas
 People create ideas
 Emphasis on self discovery

89. Existentialism and Schools
 A good education emphasizes individuality
 Students should take a positive role in shaping
their schools

90. Existentialism and Schools
 Students shouldn’t have to:
 attend classes
 take examinations
 receive grades
 There is no set curriculum

91. Noted Existentialists
 Those who believe that a person should be
forced to choose and be responsible without the
help of laws, ethnic rules, or traditions.
 Soren Kierkegaard
 Martin Heidegger
 Martin Buber
 Jean-Paul Sartre

92. The Existentialist and the Chair
 To an existentialist, the
individuals use of “chair”
is important. Whatever
the individual wants to
do with the chair is
important. The
experience of the
individual with the chair
is the ultimate truth.

93. Existentialism
 Existentialists celebrate the human existence
 Very subjective
 Emphasis on meaning within each individual
 May doubt external reality
 Emphasis on present

94. What existentialists believe
 Existentialists
believe in the
consciousness of the
self
 They are very
concerned with
whether students
find school to be a
satisfying experience

95. What existentialists would teach
 Not the same
subjects to
everyone, since not
everyone would
enjoy the same
things
 They would
emphasize self-
esteem and a
feeling of self-worth
 They would include
topics such as
values clarification
and . . . .

96. Essentialism

97. Essentialism
 a belief that things have a set of
characteristics which make them
what they are, and that the task of
science and philosophy is their
discovery and expression.

98.  Emphasis on a traditional
education
 Development of the mind
 Core curriculum
 Reality is based in the physical
world
 Teacher-directed learning

99. Essentialism and Education
 It views that all
children should
be taught on
traditional lines
the ideas and
methods
regarded as
essential to the
prevalent culture.

100. Essentialism and Education
 It is the view that categories of people,
such as women and men, or
heterosexuals and homosexuals, or
members of ethnic groups, have
intrinsically different and characteristic
natures or dispositions.
 “Essence precedes existence”.

101. The Essentialist and the Chair
 To an essentialist, the essence
of the “chair” is important. The
“chair” has its attribute, or set of
attributes, that makes it what it
fundamentally is.
 Thus, for any specific kind
of entity, there is a set
of characteristics or properties or
traits, all of which any entity of
that kind must have. A member
of a specific kind of entity may
possess other characteristics but
these
neither establish nor preclude its
membership.

102.  Reading, spelling,
language arts
Mathematics, U. S. &
World History
No vocational
education!

103. Standardized tests
Criterion referenced
tests
Not as likely to require
portfolios

104.  Using only text books
 Seated row by row
 Teacher lecture, students
listen
 Punishment--attempted
behaviorism but without
expertise

105.  Teach the basic civilized
skills of reading, spelling
and measuring.
 Limit education’s
responsibility--let industry
teach vocational subjects

106. Writing test
 Multiple choices
 True/False
 Binary-Choice
 Matching

107. All students will
remember the basic
information.
All students will learn
how to pass the test.

108. Behaviorism

109. Behaviorism
 Behaviorism believes in a science of behavior
that would shape the world into a better place to
live
 Behaviorists to some degree rightfully claim that
behaviorism naturally occurs in the world whether
people acknowledge it or not

110. What behaviorists believe
 Behaviorists believe
in a science of
behavior
 They rely heavily on
scientific studies of
behavior and how
behavior is
influenced by its
consequences

111. What behaviorists would teach
 Behaviorists are at least as concerned about how
people behave as what they know
 They do not tend to be big innovators in
curriculum
 They will however give a fair trial to any new
curricula that someone else might write

112. Where Behaviorism shines
 Special ed
situations, where
students do not pick
up on subtle cues
about learning or
behavior
 Alternative and
problem schools

113. Where behaviorism will come
short
 Situations where behavior is not so much the
need as the learning of academic content
 Situations where students have internalized
appropriate behavior and behavior does not need
to be emphasized at the expense of scholarship.

114. Perennialism

115. Perennialism
 Perennialism is a teacher-centered
educational philosophy that focuses on
everlasting ideas and universal truths.
 To clarify, Perennialism suggests that
the focus of education should be the
ideas that have lasted for centuries
believing the ideas are as relevant and
meaningful today as when they were
written.

116. Perennialism
 Perennialists like to
teach time-honored
curricula, including
the classics such as
Plato an Aristotle
 They don’t like
change.

117. Perennialism
 They would include subjects
such as:
 Geometry
 English literature
 Geography
 Algebra
 Trigonometry
 History
 Bookkeeping

118. Perennialist Evaluation Methodology
 Teacher-made tests
 Standardized test
 Memory work (“mind is a muscle”)
 Spelling bees

119. Classroom Management
 Assign seats in rows.
 Be strict, but not necessarily expert,
with punishment and reward.
 Set up classroom rules.

120. Orientation Expected
 Self-contained knowledge--teacher
is supposed to know all the
answers
 Teacher is the “fountain of all
knowledge.”
 Students are passive listeners

121. Reality Testing for Perennialists
 Paper-pencil test
 Recitation
 Standardized test

122. Future Orientation for
Perennialists
 Expect future to continue in the same vein as the
present
 Belief that knowing the classics of the past will
equip students for the future

123. Where Perennialism Shines
 Perennialism does help to dampen the uncertain
effects of the fads that come to education
 Not every new idea is a good one, or one that will
even be effective.
 Perennialism plays well to traditional communities

124. A healthy balance
 Each of the
philosophies has
something to offer
 The only hazard
happens when one
philosophy rules for
a long period of time