Philosophy OF Idealism AND Educational Implications PDF

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PHILOSOPHY OF IDEALISM AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS....

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PHILOSOPHY OF IDEALISM AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

The philosophy of Idealism The philosophy of Idealism is associated with the Greek philosopher, Plato (427-347 BC). It is the oldest philosophy known to man. As already mentioned we will begin by looking at the components of the philosophy, which are metaphysics, epistemology as well as axiology. This will help us to understand the philosophy and its implications to education. Lastly, we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the philosophy.

Metaphysics Since this is our first discussion of a philosophy of education, perhaps we should begin this section of the unit by defining what we mean by metaphysics. This will put us in a better position to understand what Idealism says about the subject. In general we can say that metaphysics refers to the theory about the nature of man and the nature of the world in which we live. It is the theory about existence or our conception of the universe. Now, you may wonder how we conceptualize the nature of man and his universe under the philosophy of Idealism. According to this philosophy, all matter exists as ideas in the mind. Matter is not real but rather a notion or an abstraction of the mind. It is only the mind that is real. All other material things that seem to be real are reducible to mind or spirit. For instance, the desk you are sitting on is not material, except that the mind takes notice or thinks about it. That is, it only seems material. That is how Idealists think about reality.

Epistemology On the other hand, when we talk about epistemology in philosophy, we are concerned with the theory of knowledge. It is that element of philosophy that looks at the deep roots of knowledge. For instance, it deals with what we mean by knowledge itself, and what is it to know something. The two important questions raises in epistemology are the following: 

What are the sources of knowledge?

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How do we establish that we know when we claim that we know something?

This may sound deep to you, doesn’t it? Actually it is not because the search for knowledge and truth is what as teachers we are involved with everyday. These are important questions for you because the search for knowledge and truth is the common task of both education and philosophy.

Let us now, turn our attention to the epistemological assumptions of Idealism as a philosophy. All knowledge according to this philosophy is independent of sense experience. The act of knowing takes place in the mind through perception in other words, the world and everything in it is as the mind interprets it to be. When we look at an object, it is not through the sense of sight that we know the object, but it is the mind that combines the impressions received and forms them into concepts and ideas. It is what you make of what is presented to you that constitutes knowledge according to this philosophy.

One French Idealist philosopher (Rene` Descartes) summed it up in the following statement; ‘I think and therefore I am’ (‘Je pense donc je suis’). There is also an interesting story about Descartes. It is reported that he was once robbed outside his flat in Paris one night, and dumped next to a river. When he woke up his first words are reported to have been; “I think, and therefore I am alive”. That is how important Idealists attach value to the role of the mind in explaining all existence and knowledge of the individual.

Axiology Having defined the other two components of philosophy such as metaphysics and epistemology, what do you think is axiology? In general we may define axiology as the theory of values. The question of values is important in education because the question of aims and objectives in education is essentially a question in the theory of values. Such values may be of benefit to the individual or the public. For instance why do you teach geography? A response to this question will reveal the value of the subject which may either be personal or public.

Now, what are the assumptions of Idealism with regards to the theory of values? According to this philosophy, values either come from knowledge of a personal God or in a personal force of nature. Individual objects held to be of value are valuable only because they have their origin from God who is the source of all true values. It is generally agreed under this philosophy that values are objective and eternal. Let us now pause and attempt the following questions.

Educational implications of Idealism How does philosophy of education within the context of Idealism affect every day school practice? In this section of the unit we will try to answer this question. In doing this we will divide this section of the unit into several sub-topics. Each sub-topic will correspond to the implications of the philosophy with regards to aims of education, the school, curriculum, discipline, role of the teacher and method of teaching. You should also note that the implications to education are informed by the three components 2|Page

of the Idealism philosophy (metaphysics, epistemology and axiology), which we just dealt with. It is important therefore that you understand this aspect of the philosophy of education.

Aim of education We have highlighted already in this unit, that the question of aims and objectives in education is a question in the theory of values. What then is the aim of education in the Idealist philosophy? The purpose of education from the Idealist viewpoint is to contribute to the development of the mind and self of the learner. The student as an individual is helped in order to know what he/she is fit to do. The highest aim of education in this philosophy is to ensure that everything functions according to the idea of justice. This means that everyone should contribute to the welfare of society in the area in which he/she is most competent and qualified. The individual student is also helped in order to obtain personal fulfillment (happiness) and to be of service to society.

The school If we were to ask an Idealist the question, what is a school? How do you think he would respond? A school according to Idealists is a social agency where students seek to discover and pursue truth. It is an intellectual institution where students and teachers deal with basic ideas that provide answers to questions. In essence, the school in the philosophy of Idealism has the following three main objectives: 

To provide the right atmosphere and proper direction for the growth of the personality of students as individuals. This includes enlarging their personality by increasing their knowledge and also cultivating their aesthetic taste and framing their character and equipping them with suitable skills.

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To help them to develop the various capacities of their mind such as intelligence, love of knowledge and aesthetic skills such as appreciating beauty and nature.

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To help students to see their knowledge as only an integral part of a much larger whole.

Curriculum Turning to the curriculum or content of education, this philosophy stresses on theoretical knowledge. It emphasizes on the humanities or arts subjects. This is mainly because they are considered most suitable for the training of the mind including moral development. It is because of this reason therefore, that subjects such as languages, literature, history, theology, politics, law and oratory are prominent in the curriculum. Even the sciences are taught in the same way as the humanities or arts subjects. For

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instance, under this philosophy the sciences are taught for the insight they give into the orderliness in nature. No attempt is made at learning through sensory experience, exploration or research.

The curriculum for both boys and girls is the same under this philosophy. This is because according to Plato truth is universal and therefore it is important that education should be universal. In any case, the allocation of duty in society is not based on sex as a criterion. Since every individual therefore has to contribute to the welfare of society in the area in which they are most competent or qualified, it is important that everyone receives the same education. A typical curriculum in an Idealist school has the following characteristics: 

Children receive education at a state school similar to a boarding school up to the age of ten. At this stage they are instructed in games, exercises and folklore.

 From the age of ten to eighteen they receive secondary education in music, gymnastics and military training. 

From eighteen to twenty years old, the child receives higher education in mathematics, astronomy, music, philosophy and dialectics.

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From twenty and above the elites (philosopher kings or men of gold) are selected for higher education in mathematics, geometry, astronomy, music and science.

Discipline What type of discipline does the Idealist philosophy support? Under Idealism the type of discipline used in the school is rigid or severe type of punishment. Corporal punishment is mostly favoured. Those who defend this type of discipline claim that there is little disturbance in class where this method of discipline is used. As a result of this, less time is wasted in maintaining discipline.

Role of the teacher Let us now look at the role of the teacher under the Idealist philosophy. According to this philosophy, you must be many things to the learner. This is because the mind of the learner is still immature and therefore cannot be thrown on its own resources alone to do the activity of learning. Idealists have very high expectations from us as teachers. Your roles under this philosophy include: 

Being a disciplinarian to ensure that order is maintained at all times.

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Having exemplary behaviour and acting as a role model. That is, demonstrating moral excellence in personal conduct and convictions.

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Excelling in knowledge and in human insight especially into the needs and capacities of the learner.

You will note however, that although you are central to the learning process of the child, the activity of learning still has to be done by the child him or herself through the knowledge and cultural norms presented to him or her.

Teaching methods We shall now discuss the teaching methods used under this philosophy. The teaching methods used under this philosophy of education are those that encourage the acquisition of facts as well as skills. The classroom structure and atmosphere is such that learners are provided with the opportunity to think and apply the criteria of moral evaluation to concrete knowledge within the context of their subjects. For instance, in literature you should provide the students with the opportunity to read about a particular character and then allow them to reflect upon or evaluate the actions of that character in the book. Idealists believe that we have all the answers to questions in our minds; we just have to reflect deeply in order to bring them out. However, the acquisition of facts is important because pupils’ thinking without factual knowledge, would simply compound their ignorance.

In addition, the lecture method is the dominant method of teaching under this philosophy. In this method you are able to develop a point clearly, logically and systematically so that pupils can come to understand the inter-relationships of the parts of the topic being presented. It is a very formal method of teaching and does not encourage questioning. The only questioning used under this method is in the form of leading questions. Leading questions are those questions that do not encourage enquiry into a topic. Instead, they compel the person you are questioning to give the answer which you require in order to suit your purpose.

Furthermore, drilling and memorization is used as one of the teaching learning methods in this philosophy. This is particularly, for younger pupils in lower grades. Lastly, the use of tests and assignments is frequent.

Strengths and weaknesses of Idealism in education What would you consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of the Idealist philosophy of education? To answer this question we will begin by looking at the weaknesses and then the strengths. You will note

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however, that the weaknesses far outnumber the strengths. This may indicate the unsuitability of this philosophy in education. You can also add your own observations to the list below.

Weaknesses 

It is highly centralized. The Ministry or Department of Education is necessarily in full control. It establishes the syllabi, timetable (e.g. opening and closing of schools), textbooks etc.

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It stresses the importance of the school versus the family. Children are separated from their families at a young age to stay in boarding schools or state schools as was the case with Plato in the Republic.

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There is excessive acquisition of facts, theories and dates with few practical experiences. Pupils cannot use the knowledge they obtain because they do not know how.

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There is a tendency for the teacher to adopt an approach synonymous with indoctrination (belief forced upon the learner) and suppression of the individual. For instance, missionary schools used indoctrination to convert children to their religion. This suppresses the idea that a person can have.

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It divides society into social ranks (upper, middle and lower class) with school catering for each rank.

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The use of corporal punishment causes students to be afraid of the teacher, and they could even develop resentment.

Despite its many objections, some aspects of this philosophy are still used in many education systems all over the world. Listed below are some of the strengths of this philosophy of education: 

Its emphasis on arts subjects or humanities has been praised for improving critical thinking among pupils. This is more so because with globalization there has been a huge volume of information in many countries which needs to be processed and interpreted correctly.

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It also encourages moral education

Extent to which Idealism has been applied in education The philosophy of Idealism has been associated with the British education system. This is mainly because of its emphasis on arts subjects such as English Language and Literature as well as boarding schools particularly for boys. However, there is no system of education in the world that follows a single philosophy of education. Most education systems are a mixture of the positive aspects of different philosophies. 6|Page

References Barrow, R. (2007). An introduction to moral philosophy and education. London: Routledge Brown G. (1991). Education in the developing world. (Place: Longman Carr, W. (ed.) (2005). The RoutledgeFalmer reader in the philosophy of education. London: Routledge. Farrant, J. S. (1964). Principles and practice of education. London: Longmans. Gingell, J., & Winch, C. (2004). Philosophy and educational policy. London: Routledge. Liora, (ed.) (2001). Fifty Great thinkers on education. London: Routledge. McCulloch, G. (2005). The RoutledgeFalmer reader in the history of education. London: Routledge. Ozmon S. & Crawer S. (1995). Philosophical foundations of education. London: Prentice-Hall. Reid, L. A. (1962). Philosophy and education: An introduction. London: Heinemann.

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Schofield, H. (1972). The philosophy of education: An introduction. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Woods, R., & Barrow, R. (2006). An introduction to philosophy of education. London: Routledge.

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