The Realist Philosophy of Education

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

 REALISM
Realists focused themselves on the principle of independence.

Reality, knowledge, and value exist

independently from the human mind.

What is real is what is in this world, contrary to the belief of

Idealism that the truth lies in the world of ideas.
The Realist Philosophers

Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor

The purpose of humanity is to The person who follows a
use the ability to think. true purpose leads a
rational life of moderation
(metoses
metoses),), avoiding
extremes.

Aristotle
Education necessitates the
development of our The chief good is happiness. But
reasoning capacity so that happiness is dependent upon a
we can make right choices. virtuous and well-
well-ordered soul.
 All truths were We come to know the
eternally in God. universals by studying the
particulars.
Truth was passed
from God to man by
divine revelation. The major goal of education
is the perfection of the
God endowed man with human being and the
the reasoning ability to ultimate reunion of the
seek out the truth. soul with God.
To become perfect, we St. Thomas
must develop the Teaching is a way to serve
capacity to reason
Aquinas humankind and it is part
because the path to the of God’s work in the
soul lies through the world. Hence, education
The primary emphasis is one of the greatest
physical senses. Hence,
should be the education services one person can
education must use this
of the soul. give to another.
path to obtain learning.
We should attempt to rid People should re-
re-examine
our minds of the various all previously accepted
“idols” before, which clod knowledge.
our thinking.

IDOL OF THE DEN—DEN—we IDOL OF THE TRIBE—

TRIBE—
believe things because of we tend to believe
our own limited things which most
experience. people believed.
IDOL OF THE
THEATER—
THEATER —religion IDOL OF THE
and philosophies may MARKETPLACE—
MARKETPLACE —we
prevent us from seeing Francis Bacon believed in the words used
the world objectively. in ways that prevent
understanding.

We should have a housekeeping of the mind

where we break away from dead ideas and
begin again by using the method of
induction.
Process is central to his Reality is a process.
philosophy.

The most important to

be learned are ideas. He warned against
Alfred learning inert ideas
simply because it has
Northwhitehead been done in the past.

Education should enable us to get into the flow of

existence, the process—
process—patterns of reality.
 The universe is These patterns can be
characterized by pattern. verified with precision
and analyzed
mathematically.

Bertrand Russell

If we would use existing knowledge and apply tested

methods, then through education, we should eradicate
such problems as poverty and thus, transform the world.
 For the religious realist, education should aim at transcending
nature in order to use it to venture into the realms of ideas.
For the secular realists, the aim of education was to help individual
understand and know the world in order to use it to ensure our own
survival.

Aim of Education
The primary and fundamental aim of education is SELF-
SELF -PRESERVATION.
The things that children need to know are those things that maintain their
existence as an individual, as a member of a family, and as a citizen.

Emphasis should be placed on the practical side of education and their

concept of practical includes education for moral and character development.

They believed less in the personality of the teacher than in the

effectiveness of the teacher to impart knowledge about the world.

Self-realization best occur when students are

Self-
knowledgeable about the external world. Schools should
prepare students for concrete duties of practical living.
Verbal Realism
Social Realism
Sense or Scientific Realism
 The realism that did not break
away from Humanism.
Both the humanists and the
Verbal Realism verbal realists believed that the
only material worth reading
was Classical Literature.
While the humanists believed that
literature had to be studied for its own
sake and for its aesthetic value, the
realists believed that classical literature
should be studied not for its beauty but
for the information and knowledge of
the past so that such knowledge could be The study of Classical
used for the preparation of practical Literature is actually for the
living. preparation for life.
Verbal Realism
Social Realism
Sense or Scientific Realism
 Education should equip the
students for a happy and
successful life as a man of the
world.
Social Realism
It aimed to prepare the
aristocratic youth for
the life of a gentleman
in the world of affairs.
They protested against the
uselessness of preparing
individuals to fit in the society
where he belongs by the study of
classical literature.
Education should be achieved
by direct contact with people
and social activities and not
through books.
Michel de Montaigne
advocated a highly
individualistic
education that would
enable the individual
to get along efficiently
with his fellows and
enjoy his leisure hours.
Verbal Realism
Social Realism
Sense or Scientific Realism
 True reality lies in concepts,
forces, and laws of nature. This was the outgrowth of the
scientific discoveries of the 16th
and 17th centuries.

They advocated a type of education in which

scientific content would be introduced and
the scientific method used.

They aimed to develop a

harmonious society, Sense or Scientific Realism
working in accordance
with natural and
universal laws. According to Francis Bacon, the
aim of education was to give
man dominance over things, to
utilize knowledge for a practical
and useful life.
 Realists used
LECTURE METHOD.
Locke believed that whatever method is
used, it should be characterized by the
integrity that comes from systematic,
organized and dependable knowledge.
Whitehead spoke about the
RHYTHMIC FLOW OF
EDUCATION involving three
stages: (stage of romance, stage of
precision, and stage of
generalization).

Methods and Curriculum

Jonathan Herbart suggested five formal steps of learning: preparation,
presentation, association, systematization-
systematization-generalization, and application.

Herman Horne suggested the Seven Major Studies: physics, biology,

psychology, mathematics, grammar, literature, and history.
Many realists support competency, accountability, and
performance--based teaching.
performance
Teachers should be persons who present material in systematic and
organized way and should promote the idea that are clearly defined
criteria one can use in making judgments about art, economics,
politics and education.

Methods and Curriculum

Studies should be
practical and useful.

According to Maria Montessori,

education should consist of a
prepared environment with
materials children can use that
teach them how to learn.
 Realists propose an education that tends to be both mental and
physical.

They placed emphasis on the subject matter.

Realist education is highly organized and systematic in its

approach.

STRENGTHS OF REALISM

Their approach advocates sense perception and object lessons.

Their task is to train and prepare professionals and technicians in a

society where professionalism and technical skills are highly prized.

They prepare individuals to survive in the world where he is living in.

Scientific realists generally maintain a materialistic conception of
human nature, which is biased towards social control.

Realism has advocated the idea of fixed and intelligible

universe.

WEAKNESSES OF REALISM

It has ignored passion, emotion, feeling and

irrationality.

The religious realists render support for the doctrine of the

original sin, a belief that human being is by nature corrupt, lazy,
and prone to wrongdoings.
 Assignment:
What is the significance of the philosophy of realism in the Philippine
educational system?

Make a comparative assessment between realism and idealism.

• Discuss the epistemological value of the two philosophies of education.
• Which do you think is more coherent to our present situation? Explain
your answer.