This document provides an overview of different philosophies and how they relate to education. It discusses major philosophies like idealism, realism, pragmatism and existentialism. It then explains how these philosophies influence different educational approaches. For example, essentialism focuses on a core curriculum, while progressivism emphasizes experience-based learning. The document also defines key terms used in philosophy and educational philosophy to clarify different perspectives on issues like knowledge, values, and social reform.

1. PHILOSOPHIES OF SCHOOLING (From Revised SCHOOLING 2nd
Edition
(2017), William Allan Kritsonis, PhD, San Diego, CA
KEY POINTS - Philosophy
1. Philosophy is not a science; it is an attempt to understand the world.
2. Educational philosophy is the application of formal philosophy to the field of
education.
3. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that deals with ultimate reality;
epistemology focuses on knowledge, and axiology deals with the study of values.
4. Idealism, the philosophy of Plato, focuses on the search for truth.
5. Realism, the philosophy of Aristotle, supports the notion that knowledge can be
gained through the senses and from deductive reasoning.
6. Pragmatism is an American philosophy that is associated with human experience;
John Dewey was a prominent pragmatist.
7. Existentialism, an individualized philosophy, represents a radical departure from
other schools of philosophy and focuses on the individual.
8. Perennialism is an educational philosophy developed from realism, while the
educational philosophy of essentialism is the basis for the back-to-the-basics
movement in education.
9. Progressivism is associated with problem-solving techniques, while
reconstructionism focuses on social reform.
10. Basic philosophy and educational philosophy are directly related to what occurs in
school classrooms.
11. Philosophy directly impacts on curriculum and teaching practices.
12. Some philosophies encourage a highly structured curriculum with close student
monitoring, while others focus on limited structure and wide freedoms for students.
A. OVERVIEW
This chapter provides basic information regarding philosophy and educational philosophy.
It begins by discussing the basic philosophies, such as idealism and realism, and then
moves into a discussion of specific educational philosophies.
B. KEY TERMS–DEFINITIONS
ANALYTICAL - allows the use of language to analyze words; currently the dominating
activity of American and British philosophers; given to studying a problem by breaking it
down into its various parts.

2. ANALYTICAL PHILOSOPHY - philosophy based on analytical activity.
AXIOLOGY - area of philosophy that focuses on values.
BEHAVIORAL ENGINEERING - a philosophy of education that focuses on controlling
the learner’s environment.
BEHAVIORISM - educational philosophy and practice that emphasized reinforcing
appropriate behavior or learning: includes the concepts of stimulus and response.
ECLECTIC - selecting what appears to be the best doctrines, methods, styles, or
philosophies.
EPISTEMOLOGY - deals with knowledge; therefore, directly related to the instructional
methods employed by teachers.
ESSENTIALISM - area of philosophy that believes a common core of knowledge and
ideals should be the focus of the curriculum.
EXISTENTIALISM - philosophy that emphasizes individuals and individual decision-
making.
IDEALISM - a philosophy that emphasizes global ideas related to moral teachings.
METAPHYSICS - the branch of philosophy that deals with ultimate reality.
ONTOLOGY - the study of what is real; the primary focus of metaphysics dealing with
what is real about material objects, the universe, persons, being, mind, existence, and so
forth. Hard core reality.
PERENNIALISM - educational philosophy that believes in the existence of unchanging
universal truths.
PRAGMATISM - philosophy that focuses on practical application of knowledge.
PRESCRIPTIVE - attempts to establish standards for assessing values, judging conduct
and appraising art: ordered with the force of authority.
PROGRESSIVISM - educational philosophy emphasizing experience.
RECONSTRUCTIONISM - educational philosophy calling for schools to get involved
and support social reform.
SPECULATIVE - considerate of possibilities and probabilities; philosophy is a search
for orderliness applied to all knowledge; it applies systematic thinking to everything that
exists.
SYNOPTIC - providing a general summary of data collectedat many points to present an
overview.
SYNTHESIS - assembling various parts into a whole; reasoning from self-evident
propositions, laws or principles to arrive by a series of deductions at what one seeks to
establish; enables educators to see the relationship of ideas to practice.