PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

PHILOSOPHY
Derived from the Greek words "Philo" meaning love, .sophos meaning wise and ".sophia" which
means wisdom.
It is the quest for truth based on logical reasoning aside from factual observation of the nature's
multifarious phenomena.
EDUCATION
Derived from the Latin word educare which means to rear or nourish and educere, which mean to
lead forth or draw out.
It is the process of acquiring knowledge (cognitive), habits, attitudes, interests (affective) and skills
and abilities (psychomotor) and other intangible human qualities through training, instruction and
self-activity and transmitting these vital elements of human civilization to posterity.
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Involves the union of two distinct yet interwoven and equally important disciplines, which supplement
and complement each other
The theoretical framework of ones educational ideas which considerably influences ones educational
practices.
Specifically, it studies or reflects on the educational problems on aims, methods, curriculum, effects,
forms, costs values and relations.
The practical application of formal philosophy in the problems and concerns of education.
Three basic applications of formal philosophy to education.
Analysis. It classifies speculates any prescriptive statement. It examines the rationality of our
educational aims, their consistency with other ideas. It tests the logic of concepts and the adequacy
of facts they seek to explain.
Prescriptive. It specifies the ends that education ought to follow and it prescribes means that
education ought to use to obtain knowledge.
Speculative. It seeks to establish theories on the nature of man, society, and the world which order
and interpret the conflicting data of educational research and behavioral sciences.
Major Areas of Philosophy
1. Epistemology-deals with nature of knowledge and knowing and is directly related to methods of
teaching and learning.
2. Metaphysics- deals with the nature of reality and existence. It relates reality to the content,
experiences, and skills in the curriculum.
3. Axiology- deals with values. Axiology is divided into ethics and aesthetics. Ethics examines moral
values and the rules of right conduct. Aesthetics deals with values in beauty and art.
HUMANISM
It was characterized by the revival of classical letters, an individualistic and critical spirit and a shift of
emphasis from religious to secular concerns especially giving man ultimate freedom to determine his
destiny.
It rejected supernatural sin, regarded man as a natural object and asserted the essential dignity and
worth of man and his capacity to achieve self-realization through the use of reason and scientific
method.
DISCIPLINISM
This theory also known as formal discipline was based upon Aristotle's "Faculty" psychology which
asserted that the mind is made up of certain faculties such as memory, reason, will, judgment, etc
and -:act; of which needs special activities for its training and development
This theory maintained that the power developed in any faculty by the study of a school subject can
be used equally well in other subjects or to meet any other experience in life.
John Locke (1632- 1704)
Believed that the mind of the child at birth is like a "tabula rasa", or blank tablet and experiences will
be the ones to write on that tablet
Advocated that mastery of mathematics and linguistic; ensures mastery of other subjects.
RATIONALISM
Rationalism was the educational philosophy prevalent in Europe in the latter part of the seventeenth
century. It took its roots during the period known as the age of reason or age of enlightenment.
This philosophy claimed that human reason was the sole source of knowledge and the sole
determiner whether things or actions were acceptable or not.
Anything that did not conform to human reasoning should be blatantly rejected.
The rationalists upheld the right of a person to expose his own ideas and opinions, liberty of
conscience and freedom of thought and expression.
This philosophy aimed at the development of the individual by means of restraints based upon his
reasons.
By these, man can develop his lot and can contribute to the common good and welfare of his
institutions and society.
NATURALISM
Naturalism is the educational philosophy, which adamantly opposed formalism
This advocated that education should be in accordance with the nature of the child.
All educational practices should be focused towards the natural development of all the innate talents
and abilities of the child
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712- 1778)
He believed that man, by nature is basically good and the influences of the society are the things
that drive man to do evil acts
He also believed that the stronger the body, the more it obeys: the weaker the body, the more it
commands.
He wrote EMILE, a novel, which is now considered as the gospel of the childs educational freedom.
IDEALISM
Lays stress on the mental idea, intrinsic and spiritual value rather than physical fact or material
value.
Truth or reality exists in ideas or in the spirit or in the mind. The philosophy starts with the idea and
ends up with the thing, for thought is prior to being.
The school of thought governing idealism holds that knowledge is independent of sense perception
or experience.
The development of idealism is traced from the philosophical ideas of Plato, Descartes, Spinoza,
Leibniz, Kant and Hegel.
Idealism also claims that man's knowledge is based on his mental state and the mental stimulus
perceived by man's soul comes from an infinite spirit, which is God. And God is the "summum
bonum" or the highest good from which all absolute good, beauty, and values are found.
The ultimate aim of education is the happiness of the individual and welfare of the state.
The idealists claim that education must provide for the development of the mind of every pupil, and
in order to realize this, the school must concentrate on intellectual, moral, judgment, and aesthetic
development of the students.
This they contend should only be made possible through a subject matter-centered curriculum
designed in order to provide students with the best ideas of human culture and civilization
The idealists expect the teachers to be role models of intellectual, moral, aesthetic and vocational
excellence to their students. They should teach by example.
REALISM
Realism is a school of philosophy which is as old as that of naturalism and idealism. It is a revolt
against the theory of knowledge and metaphysics of the idealist. It holds that the world around us is
a real world and does not depend on any mind, finite or infinite for its existence. It starts with a thing
for it believes that being is prior to thought.
This philosophy of realism is traced from the ideas of Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Hernart,
Spinoza, James, Kant and Comenius.
Realism is defined as the type of education in which natural phenomena and social institutions rather
than languages and literature are made the chief subjects of study
It arose as a reaction opposing narrow humanism and religious formalism that held education
captive for nearly three centuries 1300's to 1600's)
It is also considered as an educational philosophy, which advocates that education should be
concerned with the actualities of life and prepare for its concrete duties.
PRAGMATISM
Is the doctrine that claims that the meaning of a proposition or idea lies in its practical
consequences.
It is derived from the Greek word pragma, meaning a thing done, a fact that is practiced
This can be attributed to the teachings of ancient intellectual like Heraclitus of ancient Ephesus and
the Sophists.
Pragmatism in education and in modern perspective is credited to Professor John Dewey, Charles
Pierce and William James, the three famous American educators and philosophers.
This philosophy stresses that education has been in vain if it does not perform the social functions
assigned to it, and unless it is considered as a social institution in itself.
The aim of education is the total development of the child through experience, self-activity or
learning by doing.
The pragmatists suggest that the curriculum must offer subjects that will provide opportunities for
various projects and activities that are relevant to the needs, abilities, interests, as well as the socio-
economic conditions of the learners.
The child must be the center of all educative processes- based on Deweys tenet that education is
life, education is growth, education is a social process, and education is the construction of human
experience.
Schools' main functions according to Pragmatism
Being a specialized institution designed to represent society to the child in simplified form;
Being selective in a qualitative. if not ethical manner as it represent society to the young, the school
is in a position to exercise value judgments in representing society;
Being responsible in giving the child a balance and genuinely representative acquaintance with
society.
Teaching for the adolescent may be wide-ranging because he'll be able to consider many
possibilities from several perspectives
The aim of education as far as the pragmatists are concerned is the total development of the child
through experiencing or- through self-activity or the "learning by doing" dictum postulated by John
Dewey.
The curriculum must offer subjects that provide opportunities for various projects and activities that
are relevant to the needs, abilities, and interests as well as the socio-economic conditions of the
learners.
The learner must be made the center of `all educative processes - a concept based on Dewey's
tenet that education is life, education is growth, education is a social process, and education is the
construction of human experience
ESSENTIALISM
Essentialism refers to the "traditional" or "Back to the Basics" approach to education; a response to
progressivism.
It is so named because it strives to instill students with the "essentials" of academic knowledge and
character development; a conservative educational theory deeply rooted in idealism and realism.
The term essentialism as an educational philosophy was originally popularized in the 1930s by the
American educator William Bagley
In education, it is a philosophy which holds that certain basic ideas and skills or disciplines essential
to one's culture are formulable and should be taught to all alike by certain time-tested methods.
The schools should inculcate into the minds and hearts of the students the values that are hailed
and are considered important by society.
The educational institutions as far as essentialism is concerned are the agencies for the propagation
and perpetuation of these long-cherished cultural traits and not an entity to oppose such values.
Essentialists urge that the most basic academic skills and knowledge be taught to all students;
prescribe a fixed curriculum and minimum essentials.
Traditional disciplines such as math, natural science, history, foreign language (i.e., Latin and
Greek), and literature form the foundation of the essentialist curriculum.
Elementary students study things like writing, reading, measurement, and computers.
Even while learning art and music, subjects most often associated with tile development of creativity,
the students are required to master a body of information and basic techniques, gradually moving
from less to more complex skills and detailed knowledge.
Essentialist programs are academically rigorous for both slow and fast learners.
PERENNIALISM
Perennial means "everlasting," like a perennial flower that comes up year after year
The roots of perennialism lie in realism, the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle, as well as that of St.
Thomas Aquinas, the thirteenth-century Italian whose ideas continue to shape the nature of Catholic
schools throughout the world.
This philosophy of education argues that despite differing environments, human nature remains the
same everywhere; hence education should be the same for everyone.
According to perennialists, when students are immersed in the study of those profound and enduring
ideas, they will appreciate learning for its own sake and become true intellectuals.
The great books of ancient and medieval as well as modern times are a repository of knowledge and
wisdom, a tradition of culture, which must initiate each generation. ---- Mortimer Adler. Other
proponents of perennialism are Robert Hutchins and Richard Livingstone.
As Plato might claim, by neglecting the students-reasoning skills, we deprive them of the ability to
use their "higher" faculties to control their "'lower" ones (passions and appetites).
Perennialists suggest that a greater emphasis be placed on teacher-guided seminars, where
students and teachers engage in Socratic dialogues, or mutual inquiry sessions, to develop an
enhanced understanding of historys most timeless concepts.
Similarities to Essentialism
Both aim to rigorously develop all students' intellectual powers, first, and moral qualities, second.
Moreover, both advocate classrooms centered around teachers In order to accomplish these goals.
The teachers do not allow the students' interests or experiences lo substantially dictate what they
teach.
They apply whatever creative techniques and other tried and true methods are believed to be most
conducive to disciplining the students mind
Differences from Essentialisrn
The emphasis is on the value of scientific experiment to acquire knowledge is reflected in
essentialism, but not in perennialism.
Perennialism urges schools to spend more time teaching about concepts and explaining how these
concepts are meaningful to students.
Particularly at the high school and University levels, perennialism as opposed to essentialism decry
undue reliance on textbooks and lectures to communicate ideas.
EXISTENTIALISM
Existentialism is a philosophical doctrine which emphasizes the freedom of human beings to make
choices, in a world where there are no absolutes outside of man himself.
A doctrine primarily attributed to Soren Kierkegaard, a 19th century Danish philosopher; emphasizes
the freedom of human beings to make choices in a world where there are no absolute values outside
the individual; other existentialists include Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Karl Jasper, Martin
Heidegeer, and Gabriel Marcel.
The existentialists have no concrete concept to support the existence of God or any absolute value.
They believe that man is the molder of his own destiny.
For them truth is never absolute, but it is always relative to each individual who is the sole
determiner of the truth for himself, and every value is always dependent upon the free choice of
every man.
Education to the existentialists should enable a person to make choices for his /her life.
Existentialism as an Educational Philosophy
Existentialism sprang from a strong rejection of the traditional, essentialist approach to education.
Existentialism rejects the existence of any source of objective, authoritative truth about metaphysics,
epistemology, and ethics. Instead, individuals are responsible for determining for themselves what is
true or false, right or wrong beautiful or ugly.
For the existentialist, there exists no universal form of human nature. each of us has the free will to
develop as we see fit.
In an existentialist curriculum, students are given a wide variety of options from which to choose.
Existentialists believe that the classroom should be a market of free ideas that would guarantee
complete individual freedom.
The student must be allowed to decide for himself and undertake activities which he believes are
significant and beneficial in his life.
The staff, rather than the students, influence the curriculum; the humanities are commonly given
tremendous emphasis.
They are explored as a means of providing students with vicarious experiences that will help unleash
their own creativity and self-expression. For instance, rather than emphasizing historical events,
existentialists focus upon the actions of historical individuals, each of whom provides possible
models for the students' own behavior.
In contrast to the humanities, math and the natural sciences may be deemphasized, presumably
because their subject matter would be considered cold, dry, objective, and therefore less fruitful to
self- awareness.
Vocational education is regarded more as a means of teaching students about themselves and their
potential than of earning a livelihood.
In teaching art, existentialism encourages individual creativity and imagination more than copying
and imitating established models.
The teacher should only act as a guide, a resource person or facilitator of' learning and must not
interfere in the decisions of the student
The teacher has "the right to teach his students how think but not what to think"
The proponents of this philosophy believe that Childhood is not adulthood; childhood is playing and
no child ever gets enough play. When a child has played enough he will start to work and face
difficulties. This theory has been shown in the pupils ability to do a good job when it involves a lot of
unpleasant work.
Existentialist methods focus on the individual. Learning is self-paced, self directed, and includes a
great deal of individual contact with the teacher, who relates to each student openly and honestly.
The student is the center of the educative process
RECONSTRUCTIONISM
More concerned with social change; believes that the school should make policies and changes
which would bring about reforms of the social order.
We live in a world of great crisis; humans have the capability of destroying civilization overnight
(Brameld).
Similarly, mankind has the intellectual, technological, and moral potential to create a world of
abundance, health, and human capacity (Brameld).
The curriculum should enable the individual to address global educational issues, societal needs and
problems
PROGRESSIVISM
It is an equally new approach to the philosophy of' education; a contrast to the traditional views of
essentialism and perennialism.
The philosophy of progressivism is the educational theory of pragmatism.
This philosophy holds that change and not permanence is the essence of reality and therefore
education is always in the process of development. As such, educators must be ready to modify
methods and policies in the light of new knowledge and changes in the environment.
This philosophy emphasizes that educational concern must be on the child's interests, desires and
the learner's freedom as an individual rather than the subject matter. No structured curriculum.
Adheres to the idea that people learn best what they consider most relevant to their lives, thus, the
curriculum around the experiences_ interests, and abilities of students
Education should be life itself not a preparation for life.
The curriculum is child-centered and flexible. It needs not be so structured. The child, with purposes
and interest, is made the starting principle of teaching and learning.
The school curriculum is based on activities and projects that are in line with pupils interests and
abilities. The school program is integrated with life and activities of the communities.
It asserts that learning is a dynamic or active process and a learner learns best if he is an active
participant in the learning process.
The child must learn what he lives and must accept and respond to his experience.,, based on the
degree of his understanding of a particular situation.
Progressivism adheres to the idea that thinking and reasoning should be emphasized, and that good
and successful teaching utilizes the principle of self-activity, and stimulates thinking and reasoning.
It also recognizes the principle of individual differences. The activities and experiences provided by
the school should meet the needs of and in accordance with the abilities of every child.
Methods of teaching include problem solving, learning by doing, discussion, laboratory method,
project, group planning, self-expression
It stresses group discussion and group activities as effective means of self expression and
development.
Teachers plan lessons that arouse curiosity and push the students to a higher level of knowledge.
Teacher serves the role of guidance counselor, facilitator of teaching-learning process and stimulator
of thinking and reasoning.
The teachers role is not to direct but to advice. The teacher is a stage setter, guide, and coordinator,
but he is not the sole source of authority and knowledge.
The person most responsible for the success of progressivism was John Dewey (1859-1952). In
1896, while a professor at the University of Chicago, Dewey founded the famous Laboratory School
as a testing ground for his educational ideas.
Dewey not only believed in the existence of change but also welcomed it. He regarded the principles
of democracy and freedom espoused in America, representing tremendous progress over the
political ideas of earlier times.
The outstanding leaders of the philosophy aside from John Dewey are Horace Mann, Francis
Parker, Stanley Hall and Sidney Hook.
DEVELOPMENTALISM
Developmentalism traces its roots from the term development which has been used to denote
developmentally informed educational practice.
A similar term philosophic-developmentalist was used by Lawrence Kohlberg and Rochelle Mayer in
reference to the views of John Dewey and Jean Piaget.
It discourages teachers and parents from asserting, themselves with children. It served as a basis
for rejecting harsh and inhumane teaching methods.
"It takes a village to raise a child," - African Proverb
Developmentalist's guidance has encouraged parents and teachers to be less assertive and to afford
children greater freedom.
It has encouraged lessened parent insistence on study and effort in school and on mature and
responsible behavior generally; frustration and delayed gratification are to be minimized while
immediate success and satisfaction are' to be maximized.
PHILOSOPHY OF PHILIPPINE EDUCATION: 1987 CONSTITUTION Article XIV Section 3 (2)
All educational institutions shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect
for human rights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical development of the
country, teach the rights and duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values, develop
moral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and creative thinking, broaden scientific
and technological knowledge, and promote vocational efficiency.