EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

Mid-year / Summer 2019

LECTURE NOTES SET 1

CONCEPTS OF PHILOSOPHY

What is Philosophy?
Quite literally, the term "philosophy" means, "love of wisdom." In a broad sense, philosophy is an
activity people undertake when they seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves, the
world in which they live, and their relationships to the world and to each other. As an academic
discipline philosophy is much the same. Those who study philosophy are perpetually engaged in asking,
answering, and arguing for their answers to life’s most basic questions. To make such a pursuit more
systematic academic philosophy is traditionally divided into major areas of study.

Metaphysics
At its core the study of metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, of what exists in the world,
what it is like, and how it is ordered. In metaphysics philosophers wrestle with such questions as:
Is there a God?
What is truth?
What is a person? What makes a person the same through time?
Is the world strictly composed of matter?
Do people have minds? If so, how is the mind related to the body?
Do people have free wills?
What is it for one event to cause another?

Epistemology
Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It is primarily concerned with what we can know about the
world and how we can know it. Typical questions of concern in epistemology are:
What is knowledge?
Do we know anything at all?
How do we know what we know?
Can we be justified in claiming to know certain things?

Ethics
The study of ethics often concerns what we ought to do and what it would be best to do. In
struggling with this issue, larger questions about what is good and right arise. So, the ethicist
attempts to answer such questions as:
What is good? What makes actions or people good?
What is right? What makes actions right?
Is morality objective or subjective?
How should I treat others?

Logic
Another important aspect of the study of philosophy is the arguments or reasons given for
people’s answers to these questions. To this end philosophers employ logic to study the nature
and structure of arguments. Logicians ask such questions as:

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 What constitutes "good" or "bad" reasoning?
How do we determine whether a given piece of reasoning is good or bad?

History of Philosophy
The study of philosophy involves not only forming one’s own answers to such questions, but also
seeking to understand the way in which people have answered such questions in the past. So, a
significant part of philosophy is its history, a history of answers and arguments about these very
questions. In studying the history of philosophy one explores the ideas of such historical figures as:

Plato Locke Marx

Aristotle Hume Mill
Aquinas Kant Wittgenstein
Descartes Nietzsche Sartre

What often motivates the study of philosophy is not merely the answers or arguments themselves but
whether or not the arguments are good and the answers are true. Moreover, many of the questions
and issues in the various areas of philosophy overlap and in some cases even converge. Thus,
philosophical questions arise in almost every discipline. This is why philosophy also encompasses such
areas as:

Philosophy of Law Philosophy of Feminism

Philosophy of Religion Philosophy of Science
Philosophy of Mind Philosophy of Literature
Political Philosophy Philosophy of the Arts
Philosophy of History Philosophy of Language

Source: https://philosophy.fsu.edu/undergraduate-study/why-philosophy/What-is-Philosophy

Republic of the Philippines

CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
ARGAO CAMPUS
Ed Kintanar Street Lamacan Argao, Cebu Philippines
Website: http://www.argao.ctu..edu.ph E-mail:
ctu.argao@yahoo.com
Phone No.: (032) 485-8290/485-1109 loc 1702Fax. No.: (032)
485-8290

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

2|Page
 Lesson Connection
Task # 1

Name: Rhea Mae T. Torres Program: MAED ET Date: 6/27/2019

Explore youtube.com and explore “JIM ROHN – THE ANT PHILOSOPHY (Jim Rohn Personal
Development). After watching, fill in the matrix below:

Major Areas Description Ant Philosophy Classroom Situation

1) METAPHYSICS Metaphysics is the In the life of an ant, Applying this philosophy

study of the nature of there is always the in a classroom situation,
reality, of what exists reality that winter will we can say that there
in the world, what it is come and they need are slow learners and
like, and how it is to store enough food fast learners and not all
ordered. to survive it while also the times your students
maintaining their can easily comprehend
positivism that winter and apply the expected
will not last long. learning outcomes.
Summer will then There are times that a
come. teacher’s life is a breeze
and also difficult.

2) EPISTEMOLOGY Epistemology is the In the ant philosophy, As a teacher’s years in

study of knowledge. It
is primarily concerned
with what we can
know about the world
and how we can know
it.
ants have the the teaching profession
knowledge of the grows, he/she will gain
seasons. They know knowledge about the
that in their lives they classroom and the
will be facing winter learners.
as well as summer.
Time to gather much
food in the summer
and the time to rest in
the winter.

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 3) ETHICS The study of ethics The ants have their The study of ethics
often concerns what own knowledge that clearly tells that it is
we ought to do and in order for them to right for a teacher to
what it would be best survive the winter, have a deep
to do. In struggling they need to work understanding of the
with this issue, larger hard gathering food in learners taking into
questions about what the summer. consideration their
is good and right arise. differing backgrounds.
Serving as a good role
model, teacher should
possess a high moral
compass on acting
accordingly.

4) LOGIC Logic is the arguments The ants have this In a classroom situation,
or reasons given for understanding that in a reflective teacher
people’s answers to life there is summer knows that a
these questions. and there is also misbehaved student is
winter. Thus, they not a bad student. A
need to prepare teacher does not easily
themselves for the judge and condemn a
bad times or the student basing on his
winter of their lives. actions. He/she knows
that there are underlying
reasons behind their
actions.

4|Page
 Republic of the Philippines
CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
ARGAO CAMPUS
Ed Kintanar Street Lamacan Argao, Cebu Philippines
Website: http://www.argao.ctu..edu.ph E-mail:
ctu.argao@yahoo.com
Phone No.: (032) 485-8290/485-1109 loc 1702Fax. No.: (032)
485-8290
EDUC 603 / MPA 603
PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

Lesson Connection
Task # 2

Name: Rhea Mae T. Torres Program: MAED ET Date: ___________

History of Philosophy
1. Describe the following personalities:

Plato - Plato is one of the world's best known and most widely read and studied philosophers.
He was the student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle, and he wrote in the middle of the
fourth century B.C.E. in ancient Greece. Though influenced primarily by Socrates, to the extent
that Socrates is usually the main character in many of Plato's writings, he was also influenced
by Heraclitus, Parmenides, and the Pythagoreans.

Locke -John Locke was among the most famous philosophers and political theorists of the
17th century. He is often regarded as the founder of a school of thought known as British
Empiricism, and he made foundational contributions to modern theories of limited, liberal
government. He was also influential in the areas of theology, religious toleration, and
educational theory. In his most important work, the Essay Concerning Human Understanding,
Locke set out to offer an analysis of the human mind and its acquisition of knowledge. He

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 offered an empiricist theory according to which we acquire ideas through our experience of
the world.

Marx - Karl Marx (1818–1883) is best known not as a philosopher but as a revolutionary,
whose works inspired the foundation of many communist regimes in the twentieth century. It
is hard to think of many who have had as much influence in the creation of the modern world.
Trained as a philosopher, Marx turned away from philosophy in his mid-twenties, towards
economics and politics. However, in addition to his overtly philosophical early work, his later
writings have many points of contact with contemporary philosophical debates, especially in
the philosophy of history and the social sciences, and in moral and political philosophy.
Historical materialism — Marx’s theory of history — is centered around the idea that forms of
society rise and fall as they further and then impede the development of human productive
power. Marx sees the historical process as proceeding through a necessary series of modes of
production, characterized by class struggle, culminating in communism. Marx’s economic
analysis of capitalism is based on his version of the labour theory of value, and includes the
analysis of capitalist profit as the extraction of surplus value from the exploited proletariat. The
analysis of history and economics come together in Marx’s prediction of the inevitable
economic breakdown of capitalism, to be replaced by communism. However Marx refused to
speculate in detail about the nature of communism, arguing that it would arise through
historical processes, and was not the realisation of a pre-determined moral ideal.

Aristotle- Aristotle (384 - 322 B.C.) was an important Greekphilosopher from

the Socratic (or Classical) period, mainly based in Athens. He is one of the most
important founding figures in Western Philosophy, and the first to create a comprehensive
system of philosophy, encompassing Ethics, Aesthetics, Politics, Metaphysics, Logic and science.

Hume - David Hume, (born May 7 [April 26, Old Style], 1711, Edinburgh, Scotland—
died August 25, 1776, Edinburgh), Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist
known especially for his philosophical empiricism and skepticism. Hume conceived
of philosophy as the inductive, experimental science of human nature. Taking the scientific
method of the English physicist Sir Isaac Newton as his model and building on
the epistemology of the English philosopher John Locke, Hume tried to describe how
the mind works in acquiring what is called knowledge. He concluded that no theory of reality is
possible; there can be no knowledge of anything beyond experience. Despite the enduring
impact of his theory of knowledge, Hume seems to have considered himself chiefly as a moralist.

Mill - John Stuart Mill (1806–73) was the most influential English language philosopher of the
nineteenth century. He was a naturalist, a utilitarian, and a liberal, whose work explores the
consequences of a thoroughgoing empiricist outlook. In doing so, he sought to combine the
best of eighteenth-century Enlightenment thinking with newly emerging currents of
nineteenth-century Romantic and historical philosophy. His most important works
include System of Logic (1843), On Liberty (1859), Utilitarianism (1861) and An Examination
of Sir William Hamilton’s Philosophy (1865).

Aquinas - (1224/6—1274) St. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican priest and Scriptural theologian.
He took seriously the medieval maxim that “grace perfects and builds on nature; it does not set

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 it aside or destroy it.” Therefore, insofar as Thomas thought about philosophy as the discipline
that investigates what we can know naturally about God and human beings, he thought that
good Scriptural theology, since it treats those same topics, presupposes good philosophical
analysis and argumentation. Although Thomas authored some works of pure philosophy, most
of his philosophizing is found in the context of his doing Scriptural theology. Indeed, one finds
Thomas engaging in the work of philosophy even in his Biblical commentaries and sermons.

Kant -(1724-1804) is one of the most influential philosophers in the history of Western
philosophy. His contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics have had a
profound impact on almost every philosophical movement that followed him. This article
focuses on his metaphysics and epistemology in one of his most important works, The Critique
of Pure Reason. A large part of Kant’s work addresses the question “What can we know?” The
answer, if it can be stated simply, is that our knowledge is constrained to mathematics and the
science of the natural, empirical world. It is impossible, Kant argues, to extend knowledge to
the supersensible realm of speculative metaphysics. The reason that knowledge has these
constraints, Kant argues, is that the mind plays an active role in constituting the features of
experience and limiting the mind’s access only to the empirical realm of space and time.

Wittgenstein- (1889—1951) Ludwig Wittgenstein is one of the most influential philosophers of

the twentieth century, and regarded by some as the most important since Immanuel Kant. His
early work was influenced by that of Arthur Schopenhauer and, especially, by his
teacher Bertrand Russell and by Gottlob Frege, who became something of a friend. This work
culminated in the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, the only philosophy book that Wittgenstein
published during his lifetime. It claimed to solve all the major problems of philosophy and was
held in especially high esteem by the anti-metaphysical logical positivists. The Tractatus is based
on the idea that philosophical problems arise from misunderstandings of the logic of language,
and it tries to show what this logic is. Wittgenstein's later work, principally his Philosophical
Investigations, shares this concern with logic and language, but takes a different, less technical,
approach to philosophical problems. This book helped to inspire so-called ordinary language
philosophy. This style of doing philosophy has fallen somewhat out of favor, but Wittgenstein's
work on rule-following and private language is still considered important, and his later philosophy
is influential in a growing number of fields outside philosophy.

Descartes- (1596 - 1650) was a French philosopher, mathematician, scientist and writer of
the Age of Reason. He has been called the "Father of Modern Philosophy", and much of
subsequent Western philosophy can be seen as a response to his writings. He is responsible for
one of the best-known quotations in philosophy: "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am").

Nietzsche- (1844—1900) Nietzsche was a German philosopher, essayist, and cultural critic. His
writings on truth, morality, language, aesthetics, cultural theory, history, nihilism, power,
consciousness, and the meaning of existence have exerted an enormous influence on Western
philosophy and intellectual history. __

Sartre - (1905–1980) is arguably the best known philosopher of the twentieth century. His
indefatigable pursuit of philosophical reflection, literary creativity and, in the second half of his

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 life, active political commitment gained him worldwide renown, if not admiration. He is
commonly considered the father of Existentialist philosophy, whose writings set the tone for
intellectual life in the decade immediately following the Second World War. Among the many
ironies that permeate his life, not the least is the immense popularity of his scandalous public
lecture “Existentialism is a Humanism,” delivered to an enthusiastic Parisian crowd October 28,
1945. Though taken as a quasi manifesto for the Existentialist movement, the transcript of this
lecture was the only publication that Sartre openly regretted seeing in print. And yet it
continues to be the major introduction to his philosophy for the general public. One of the
reasons both for its popularity and for his discomfort is the clarity with which it exhibits the
major tenets of existentialist thought while revealing Sartre's attempt to broaden its social
application in response to his Communist and Catholic critics. In other words, it offers us a
glimpse of Sartre's thought “on the wing.”

2. Describe the following areas of philosophy:

Philosophy of Law - is a branch of philosophy that examines the nature

of law and law's relationship to other systems of norms, especially ethics and
political philosophy. ... Normative jurisprudence investigates both the non-legal norms that
shape law and the legal norms that are generated by law and guide human action.

Philosophy of Feminism- Philosophical feminism, a loosely related set of approaches in various

fields of philosophy that (1) emphasizes the role of gender in the formation of traditional
philosophical problems and concepts, (2) analyzes the ways in which traditional philosophy
reflects and perpetuates bias against women, and (3) defends philosophical concepts and
theories that presume women’s equality.

Philosophy of Religion - is the philosophical study of the meaning and nature of religion. It
includes the analyses of religious concepts, beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices
of religious adherents. The scope of much of the work done in philosophy of religion has been
limited to the various theisticreligions.

Philosophy of Science- the study, from a philosophical perspective, of the elements of scientific
inquiry. This article discusses metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical issues related to the
practice and goals of modern science.

Philosophy of Mind - is the branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind (mental
events, mental functions, mental properties and consciousness) and its relationship to the
physical body. It intersects to some extent with the fields of neurobiology, computer science
and psychology.
Philosophy of Literature- is another installment in the Foundations of the Philosophy of the
Arts series, which "is designed to provide a comprehensive but flexible series of concise texts
addressing both fundamental general questions about art as well as questions about the
several arts".

Political Philosophy - is the study of fundamental questions about the state,

government, politics, liberty, justice and the enforcement of a legal code by authority. It is

8|Page
 Ethics applied to a group of people, and discusses how a society should be set up and how
one should act within a society.

Philosophy of the Arts- the study of the nature of art, including concepts such as
interpretation, representation and expression, and form. It is closely related to aesthetics,
thephilosophical study of beauty and taste.

Philosophy of History - the study either of the historical process and its development or
of the methods used by historians to understand their material.

Philosophy of Language- refers to an area of philosophy concerned with the syntactic

properties as well as the meaning and reference of linguistic expressions, the things implied or
indicated by linguistic expressions and the attributes of linguistic expressions as a function of
linguistic and conversational contexts.

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

9|Page
 LECTURE NOTES SET 2

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Abstract and Keywords
This introductory article explains the coverage of this book, which is about the philosophical
aspects of education. It explains that the philosophy of education is the branch of philosophy that
addresses philosophical questions concerning the nature, aims, and problems of education. The book
examines the problems concerning the aims and guiding ideals of education. It also explores the
problems concerning students' and parents' rights, the best way to understand and conduct moral
education, and the character of purported educational ideals.

Keywords: education, philosophy, students' rights, parents' rights, moral education, educational
ideals

1. What Is Philosophy of Education?

Philosophy of education is that branch of philosophy that addresses philosophical questions

concerning the nature, aims, and problems of education. As a branch of practical philosophy, its
practitioners look both inward to the parent discipline of philosophy and outward to educational
practice, as well as to developmental psychology, cognitive science more generally, sociology, and
other relevant disciplines.

The most basic problem of philosophy of education is that concerning aims: what are the proper
aims and guiding ideals of education? A related question concerns evaluation: what are the appropriate
criteria for evaluating educational efforts, institutions, practices, and products? Other important
problems involve the authority of the state and of teachers, and the rights of students and parents;
the character of purported educational ideals such as critical thinking, and of purportedly undesirable
phenomena such as indoctrination; the best way to understand and conduct moral education; a range
of questions concerning teaching, learning, and curriculum; and many others. All these and more are
addressed in the essays that follow.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHILOSPHY OF EDUCATION

2. The Relation of Philosophy of Education to Philosophy

For much of the history of Western philosophy, philosophical questions concerning education
were high on the philosophical agenda. From Socrates, Plato, and (p. 4) Aristotle to twentieth‐ century
figures such as Bertrand Russell, John Dewey, R. S. Peters, and Israel Scheffler, general philosophers
(i.e., contemporary philosophers working in departments of philosophy and publishing in mainstream
philosophy journals, and their historical predecessors) addressed questions in philosophy of education
along with their treatments of issues in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind and language,
and moral and social/political philosophy. The same is true of most of the major figures of the Western
philosophical tradition, including Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel,
Mill, and many others.

On the face of it, this should not be surprising. For one thing, the pursuit of philosophical
questions concerning education is partly dependent upon investigations of the more familiar core areas

10 | P a g e
of philosophy. For example, questions concerning the curriculum routinely depend on epistemology
and the philosophies of the various curriculum subjects (e.g., Should science classes emphasize
mastery of current theory or the “doing” of science? What is it about art that entitles it, if it is so
entitled, to a place in the curriculum? According to what criteria should specific curriculum content be
selected? Should all students be taught the same content?). Questions concerning learning, thinking,
reasoning, belief, and belief change typically depend on epistemology, ethics, and/or philosophy of
mind (e.g., Under what conditions is it desirable and/or permissible to endeavor to change students'
fundamental beliefs? To what end should students be taught—if they should be so taught—to reason?
Can reasoning be fostered independently of the advocacy, inculcation, or indoctrination of particular
beliefs?). Questions concerning the nature of and constraints governing teaching often depend on
ethics, epistemology, and/or the philosophies of mind and language (e.g., Is it desirable and/or
permissible to teach mainstream contemporary science to students whose cultures or communities
reject it? Should all students be taught in the same manner? How are permissible teaching practices
distinguished from impermissible ones?). Similarly, questions concerning schooling frequently depend
on ethics, social/political philosophy, and social epistemology (e.g., Assuming that schools have a role
to play in the development of ethical citizens, should they concentrate on the development of character
or, rather, on the rightness or wrongness of particular actions? Is it permissible for schools to be in the
business of the formation of students' character, given liberalism's reluctance to endorse particular
conceptions of the good? Should schools be constituted as democratic communities? Do all students
have a right to education? If so, to what extent if any is such an education obliged to respect the beliefs
of all groups, and what does such respect involve?). This sort of dependence on the parent discipline
is typical of philosophical questions concerning education.

Another, related reason that the philosophical tradition has taken educational matters as a locus
of inquiry is that many fundamental questions concerning education—for example, those concerning
the aims of education, the character and desirability of liberal education, indoctrination, moral and
intellectual virtues, the imagination, authenticity, and other educational matters—are of independent
philosophical interest but are intertwined with more standard core areas and issues (p. 5) (e.g., Is the
fundamental epistemic aim of education the development of true belief, justified belief, understanding,
some combination of these, or something else? In what sense if any can curriculum content be rightly
regarded as “objective”? Given the cognitive state of the very young child, is it possible to avoid
indoctrination entirely—and if not, how bad a thing is that? Should education aim at the transmission
of existing knowledge or, rather, at fostering the abilities and dispositions conducive to inquiry and the
achievement of autonomy?).

In addition, the pursuit of fundamental questions in more or less all the core areas of philosophy
often leads naturally to and is sometimes enhanced by sustained attention to questions about education
(e.g., epistemologists disagree about the identity of the highest or most fundamental epistemic value,
with some plumping for truth/true belief and others for justified or rational belief; this dispute is clarified
by its consideration in the context of education).

For these reasons, and perhaps others, it is not surprising that the philosophical tradition has
generally regarded education as a worthy and important target of philosophical reflection. It is therefore
unfortunate that the pursuit of philosophy of education as an area of philosophical investigation has
been largely abandoned by general philosophers in the last decades of the twentieth century, especially
in the United States. The 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s saw quite a few general philosophers make
important contributions to philosophy of education, including, among others, such notables as Kurt

11 | P a g e
Baier, Max Black, Brand Blanshard, Richard Brandt, Abraham Edel, Joel Feinberg, William Frankena,
Alan Gewirth, D. W. Hamlyn, R. M. Hare, Alasdaire MacIntyre, A. I. Melden, Frederick Olafson, Ralph
Barton Perry, R. S. Peters, Edmund Pincoffs, Kingsley Price, Gilbert Ryle, Israel Scheffler, and Morton
White.4 But the subject has more recently suffered a loss of visibility and presence, to the extent that
many, and perhaps most, working general philosophers and graduate students do not recognize it as
a part of philosophy's portfolio.

The reasons for this loss are complex and are mainly contingent historical ones that I will not
explore here. It remains, nevertheless, that this state of affairs is unfortunate for the health of
philosophy of education as an area of philosophical endeavor, and for general philosophy as well. The
“benign neglect” of philosophy of education by the general philosophical community—an area central
to philosophy since Socrates and Plato—not only deprives the field of a huge swath of talented potential
contributors; it also leaves working general philosophers and their students without an appreciation of
an important branch of their discipline. One purpose of this volume is to rectify this situation.
3. Bringing Philosophy of Education Back to Philosophy

All of these chapters exhibit both the deep and genuinely philosophical character of philosophical
questions concerning education, and the benefits to be gained by sustained attention, by students and
philosophers alike, to those questions. Most of them are written by distinguished general philosophers;
they reflect both a sophisticated mastery of the core areas of philosophy (to which these authors have
made independent important contributions) and a deep grasp of the significance of philosophical
questions concerning education. All of them exemplify the benefits to be derived from a fruitful
interaction between philosophy of education and the parent discipline.

The time is right for philosophy of education to regain its rightful place in the world of general
philosophy. And it is for this reason that I am especially pleased to have been involved in the present
project. Happily, there have been some positive developments on this score in recent years, as well as
some honorable exceptions to the general neglect of philosophy of education in recent decades by the
community of general philosophers.5 My hope is that the volume will further contribute to the
restoration of philosophy of education to its rightful place in the world of general philosophy, by playing
some role in furthering the recent rekindling of interest among general philosophers in philosophy of
education: in their taking seriously philosophical problems concerning education, and in putting the
latter on their philosophical agendas.

12 | P a g e
 Republic of the Philippines
CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
ARGAO CAMPUS
Ed Kintanar Street Lamacan Argao, Cebu Philippines
Website: http://www.argao.ctu..edu.ph E-mail:
ctu.argao@yahoo.com
Phone No.: (032) 485-8290/485-1109 loc 1702Fax. No.: (032)
485-8290

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

Lesson Connection
Task # 3

ANSWER AS DIRECTED.

1) What is your personal philosophy in life? What is its significance to you as you take the life’s
journey?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Greatness then, is not an act, but a habit”
― Will Durant
Habits are unique to each of us. The misconception is that it only takes 21 days to form a new habit,
but in reality, it’s around 66 days — 2 months. Another discouraging fact is that how long it takes for a
new behaviour to become automatic will depend on the person and their circumstances. In one study,
which examined the habits of 96 people over twelve weeks, it ranged from 18 days to 254 days for
people to develop a new habit. But aside from ensuring that the new habits that we create are
engrained into our daily life, the habits themselves must be examined. The significance of this to me is

13 | P a g e
that our habits must optimize our energy, environment and the way we discern and organize new
information. While we can look to others for inspiration, ultimately our habits must be made based on
our unique traits.

2) As a teacher/employee, what philosophy do you apply? Is it effective?

I believe a good teacher, first, has a powerful faith in the future. Like the forester planting an oak
seedling knowing he or she will never see the tree in all its glory, I know I may never see the fruits of
my labors as teacher. My calling is to plant and nurture seeds that will grow and shape tomorrow.
The good teacher knows and understands students, how they develop and learn. I know that students
actively construct and transform their own knowledge based on past experiences and prior learning. I
know that students do not all learn in the same way or at the same rate. I believe it is my
responsibility as a teacher to be an effective diagnostician of students’ interests, abilities, and prior
knowledge. I must then plan learning experiences that will both challenge and allow every student to
think and grow.
Yes. It is effective for me.

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

LECTURE NOTES SET 3

PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES IN EDUCATION PART 1

Philosophy begins with wonder -Socrates
Overview
Philosophy means "love of wisdom." It is made up of two Greek words, philo, meaning love,
and sophos, meaning wisdom. Philosophy helps teachers to reflect on key issues and concepts in
education, usually through such questions as: What is being educated? What is the good life? What is
knowledge? What is the nature of learning? And What is teaching? Philosophers think about the
meaning of things and interpretation of that meaning. Even simple statements, such as "What should
be learned? Or What is adolescence?" set up raging debates that can have major implications. For
example, what happens if an adolescent commits a serious crime? One interpretation may hide
another. If such a young person is treated as an adult criminal, what does it say about justice,
childhood, and the like? Or if the adolescent is treated as a child, what does it say about society's
views on crime?
Your educational philosophy is your beliefs about why, what and how you teach, whom you
teach, and about the nature of learning. It is a set of principles that guides professional action through
14 | P a g e
the events and issues teachers face daily. Sources for your educational philosophy are your life
experiences, your values, the environment in which you live, interactions with others and awareness
of philosophical approaches. Learning about the branches of philosophy, philosophical world views, and
different educational philosophies and theories will help you to determine and shape your own
educational philosophy, combined with these other aspects.
When you examine a philosophy different from your own, it helps you to "wrestle" with your
own thinking. Sometimes this means you may change your mind. Other times, it may strengthen your
viewpoint; or, you may be eclectic, selecting what seems best from different philosophies. But in
eclecticism, there is a danger of sloppy and inconsistent thinking, especially if you borrow a bit of one
philosophy and stir in some of another. If serious thought has gone into selection of strategies, theories,
or philosophies, this is less problematic. For example, you may determine that you have to vary your
approach depending on the particular learning needs and styles of a given student. At various time
periods, one philosophical framework may become favored over another. For example, the Progressive
movement led to quite different approaches in education in the 1930s. But there is always danger in
one "best or only" philosophy. In a pluralistic society, a variety of views are needed.

Branches of Philosophy
There are three major branches of philosophy. Each branch focuses on a different aspect and is
central to your teaching. The three branches and their sub-branches are:

Branch Metaphysics: What is the
nature of reality?
Educational –Do you think human –How would an anthropologist
Examples beings are basically good or look at this classroom? A political by our actions, or by
evil?
–What are conservative or
liberal beliefs?
Sub- –Ontology
branches What issues are related to
nature, existence, or
being? Is a child inherently
evil or good? How might
your view determine your
classroom management?
–Cosmology
What is the nature and
origin of the cosmos or
universe? Is the world and
universe orderly or is it
marked by chaos? What
would one or the other
mean for a classroom?
15 | P a g e
Epistemology: What is the nature Axiology: What values
of knowledge? How do we come should one live by?
to know?
–Is morality defined
scientist? A biologist? what is in our hearts?
–How do we know what a child –What values should
knows? be taught in character
education?
Knowing based on: –Ethics
–Scientific Inquiry What is good and evil,
–Senses and Feelings right and wrong?
–From authority or divinity Is it ever right to take
–Empiricism (experience) something that does
–Intuition not belong to you?
–Reasoning or Logic –Aesthetics
What reasoning processes What is beautiful?
yield valid conclusions? How do we
–Deductive: reasoning from recognize a great
the general to the particular All piece of music? Art?
children can learn. Bret is a fifth Can there be
grader. He has a learning beauty in destruction?
disability. Can Bret learn?
–Inductive: reasoning from
the specific to the general. After
experimenting with plant growth
 under varied conditions, stu-
dents conclude plants need
water and light

Republic of the Philippines

CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
ARGAO CAMPUS
Ed Kintanar Street Lamacan Argao, Cebu Philippines
Website: http://www.argao.ctu..edu.ph E-mail:
ctu.argao@yahoo.com
Phone No.: (032) 485-8290/485-1109 loc 1702Fax. No.: (032)
485-8290

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

16 | P a g e
 Lesson Connection
Task # 4

ANSWER AS DIRECTED.

1. Why might the study of philosophy be particularly important to educators?

Teachers are mentors and play an active role in inculcating independent thinking in students.
However, to do that as a teacher, you must have a teaching philosophy of your own.
Students always look up to their teacher and therefore, it becomes necessary for you to have
thoughts to inspire them.
Teaching philosophy has been defined as the map, which provides directions to move ahead. One
may feel lost without a map. In the same way, you are going to be missed while teaching if a
specific path is not decided. Hence, a map is always needed to make informed movements.
It is not possible to make students learn something until the teacher knows why and how he/she
wants to teach. Once you know your path, you will be helping your students to plan to reach their
destinations.

2. Which branch or branches of philosophy would you want to emphasize in your classroom?
Why?
The branch of philosophy that I want to emphasize in my classroom is logic. Logic is the branch of
philosophy that seeks to organize reasoning. Logic has two types: deductive and inductive reasoning.
Deductive reasoning involves examining a general case, deducing a general set of rules or principles,
and then applying these rules to specific cases. Inductive reasoning involves taking specific examples
and considering the general principles, rules, or cases that caused them. I want to emphasize this
philosophy in my classroom because students of logic learn how to think in a structurally sound
manner.
3. Do you learn better deductively or inductively? Why do you think?
I learn better using the inductive method
4. Can you think of other school-based examples for each of the branches and sub branches?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

LECTURE NOTES SET 4

Educational Philosophies Part 1

17 | P a g e
Four General or World Philosophies
The term metaphysics literally means "beyond the physical." This area of philosophy focuses on the
nature of reality. Metaphysics attempts to find unity across the domains of experience and thought. At
the metaphysical level, there are four* broad philosophical schools of thought that apply to education
today. They are idealism, realism, pragmatism (sometimes called experientialism), and existentialism.
Each will be explained shortly. These four general frameworks provide the root or base from which the
various educational philosophies are derived.

* A fifth metaphysical school of thought, called Scholasticism, is largely applied in Roman Catholic
schools in the educational philosophy called "Thomism." It combines idealist and realist philosophies in
a framework that harmonized the ideas of Aristotle, the realist, with idealist notions of truth. Thomas
Aquinas, 1255-127, was the theologian who wrote "Summa Theologica," formalizing church doctrine.
The Scholasticism movement encouraged the logical and philosophical study of the beliefs of the
church, legitimizing scientific inquiry within a religious framework.

Two of these general or world philosophies, idealism and realism, are derived from the ancient Greek
philosophers, Plato and Aristotle. Two are more contemporary, pragmatism and existentialism.
However, educators who share one of these distinct sets of beliefs about the nature of reality presently
apply each of these world philosophies in successful classrooms. Let us explore each of these
metaphysical schools of thought.

Idealism
Idealism is a philosophical approach that has as its central tenet that ideas are the only true reality,
the only thing worth knowing. In a search for truth, beauty, and justice that is enduring and everlasting,
the focus is on conscious reasoning in the mind. Plato, father of Idealism, espoused this view about
400 years BC, in his famous book, The Republic. Plato believed that there are two worlds. The first is
the spiritual or mental world, which is eternal, permanent, orderly, regular, and universal. There is also
the world of appearance, the world experienced through sight, touch, smell, taste, and sound, that is
changing, imperfect, and disorderly. This division is often referred to as the duality of mind and body.
Reacting against what he perceived as too much of a focus on the immediacy of the physical and
sensory world, Plato described a utopian society in which "education to body and soul all the beauty
and perfection of which they are capable" as an ideal. In his allegory of the cave, the shadows of the
sensory world must be overcome with the light of reason or universal truth. To understand truth, one
must pursue knowledge and identify with the Absolute Mind. Plato also believed that the soul is fully
formed prior to birth and is perfect and at one with the Universal Being. The birth process checks this
perfection, so education requires bringing latent ideas (fully formed concepts) to consciousness.

In idealism, the aim of education is to discover and develop each individual's abilities and full moral
excellence in order to better serve society. The curricular emphasis is subject matter of mind: literature,
history, philosophy, and religion. Teaching methods focus on handling ideas through lecture,
discussion, and Socratic dialogue (a method of teaching that uses questioning to help students discover
and clarify knowledge). Introspection, intuition, insight, and whole-part logic are used to bring to
consciousness the forms or concepts which are latent in the mind. Character is developed through
imitating examples and heroes.

18 | P a g e
Realism
Realists believe that reality exists independent of the human mind. The ultimate reality is the world of
physical objects. The focus is on the body/objects. Truth is objective-what can be observed. Aristotle,
a student of Plato who broke with his mentor's idealist philosophy, 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." Aristotle believed that to understand an
object, its ultimate form had to be understood, which does not change. For example, a rose exists
whether or not a person is aware of it. A rose can exist in the mind without being physically present,
but ultimately, the rose shares properties with all other roses and flowers (its form), although one rose
may be red and another peach colored. Aristotle also was the first to teach logic as a formal discipline
in order to be able to reason about physical events and aspects. The exercise of rational thought is
viewed as the ultimate purpose for humankind. 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. Teaching
methods focus on mastery of facts and basic skills through demonstration and recitation. Students
must also demonstrate the ability to think critically and scientifically, using observation and
experimentation. Curriculum should be scientifically approached, standardized, and distinct-discipline
based. Character is developed through training in the rules of conduct.

Pragmatism (Experientialism)
For pragmatists, only those things that are experienced or observed are real. In this late 19th century
American philosophy, the focus is on the reality of experience. Unlike the Realists and Rationalists,
Pragmatists believe that reality is constantly changing and that we learn best through applying our
experiences and thoughts to problems, as they arise. The universe is dynamic and evolving, a
"becoming" view of the world. There is no absolute and unchanging truth, but rather, truth is what
works. Pragmatism is derived from the teaching of Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914), who believed
that thought must produce action, rather than linger in the mind and lead to indecisiveness.

John Dewey (1859-1952) applied pragmatist philosophy in his progressive approaches. He believed
that learners must adapt to each other and to their environment. Schools should emphasize the subject
matter of social experience. All learning is dependent on the context of place, time, and circumstance.
Different cultural and ethnic groups learn to work cooperatively and contribute to a democratic society.
The ultimate purpose is the creation of a new social order. Character development is based on making
group decisions in light of consequences.

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. 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.

Existentialism
The nature of reality for Existentialists is subjective, and lies within the individual. The physical world
has no inherent meaning outside of human existence. Individual choice and individual standards rather
than external standards are central. Existence comes before any definition of what we are. We define
ourselves in relationship to that existence by the choices we make. We should not accept anyone else's

19 | P a g e
predetermined philosophical system; rather, we must take responsibility for deciding who we are. The
focus is on freedom, the development of authentic individuals, as we make meaning of our lives.

There are several different orientations within the existentialist philosophy. Soren Kierkegaard (1813-
1855), a Danish minister and philosopher, is considered to be the founder of existentialism. His was a
Christian orientation. Another group of existentialists, largely European, believes that we must
recognize the finiteness of our lives on this small and fragile planet, rather than believing in salvation
through God. Our existence is not guaranteed in an after life, so there is tension about life and the
certainty of death, of hope or despair. Unlike the more austere European approaches where the
universe is seen as meaningless when faced with the certainty of the end of existence, American
existentialists have focused more on human potential and the quest for personal meaning. Values
clarification is an outgrowth of this movement. Following the bleak period of World War II, the French
philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre, suggested that for youth, the existential moment arises when young
persons realize for the first time that choice is theirs, that they are responsible for themselves. Their
question becomes "Who am I and what should I do?

Related to education, the subject matter of existentialist classrooms should be a matter of personal
choice. Teachers view the individual as an entity within a social context in which the learner must
confront others' views to clarify his or her own. Character development emphasizes individual
responsibility for decisions. Real answers come from within the individual, not from outside authority.
Examining life through authentic thinking involves students in genuine learning experiences.
Existentialists are opposed to thinking about students as objects to be measured, tracked, or
standardized. Such educators want the educational experience to focus on creating opportunities for
self-direction and self actualization. They start with the student, rather than on curriculum content.

20 | P a g e
 Republic of the Philippines
CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
ARGAO CAMPUS
Ed Kintanar Street Lamacan Argao, Cebu Philippines
Website: http://www.argao.ctu..edu.ph E-mail:
ctu.argao@yahoo.com
Phone No.: (032) 485-8290/485-1109 loc 1702Fax. No.: (032)
485-8290

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

Lesson Connection
Task # 5
ANSWER AS DIRECTED.
Think about It:

1. Which general or world view philosophy best fits with your own views of reality? Why?

The world view philosophy that best fits with my own views of reality is Existentialism because it states
that the nature of reality is subjective and lies on the individual. My own view of reality is “reality is what you
perceived as real for you”.

2. What have you learned from the history of education that is related to these metaphysical
philosophies?

I have learned the reason for life and how each reaction gives you the opportunity to better your own
journey

3. It is said that an image is worth a thousand words. What might be your image metaphor for
each of these world or metaphysical philosophies?

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

21 | P a g e
 PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

LECTURE NOTES SET 5

Educational Philosophies Part 2

Within the epistemological frame that focuses on the nature of knowledge and how we come to know,
there are four major educational philosophies, each related to one or more of the general or world
philosophies just discussed. These educational philosophical approaches are currently used in
classrooms the world over. They are Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressivism, and Reconstructionism.
These educational philosophies focus heavily on WHAT we should teach, the curriculum aspect.

Perennialism

For Perennialists, the aim of education is to ensure that students acquire understandings about the
great ideas of Western civilization. These ideas have the potential for solving problems in any era. The
focus is to teach ideas that are everlasting, to seek enduring truths which are constant, not changing,
as the natural and human worlds at their most essential level, do not change. Teaching these
unchanging principles is critical. Humans are rational beings, and their minds need to be developed.
Thus, cultivation of the intellect is the highest priority in a worthwhile education. The demanding
curriculum focuses on attaining cultural literacy, stressing students' growth in enduring disciplines. The
loftiest accomplishments of humankind are emphasized– the great works of literature and art, the laws
or principles of science. Advocates of this educational philosophy are Robert Maynard Hutchins who
developed a Great Books program in 1963 and Mortimer Adler, who further developed this curriculum
based on 100 great books of western civilization.

Essentialism

Essentialists believe that there is a common core of knowledge that needs to be transmitted to students
in a systematic, disciplined way. The emphasis in this conservative perspective is on intellectual and
moral standards that schools should teach. The core of the curriculum is essential knowledge and skills
and academic rigor. Although this educational philosophy is similar in some ways to Perennialism,
Essentialists accept the idea that this core curriculum may change. Schooling should be practical,
preparing students to become valuable members of society. It should focus on facts-the objective
reality out there--and "the basics," training students to read, write, speak, and compute clearly and
logically. Schools should not try to set or influence policies. Students should be taught hard work,
respect for authority, and discipline. Teachers are to help students keep their non-productive instincts
in check, such as aggression or mindlessness. This approach was in reaction to progressivist approaches
prevalent in the 1920s and 30s. William Bagley, took progressivist approaches to task in the journal he
formed in 1934. Other proponents of Essentialism are: James D. Koerner (1959), H. G. Rickover (1959),
Paul Copperman (1978), and Theodore Sizer (1985).

Progressivism

Progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole child, rather than on the content or the
teacher. This educational philosophy stresses that students should test ideas by active experimentation.
Learning is rooted in the questions of learners that arise through experiencing the world. It is active,
22 | P a g e
not passive. The learner is a problem solver and thinker who makes meaning through his or her
individual experience in the physical and cultural context. Effective teachers provide experiences so
that students can learn by doing. Curriculum content is derived from student interests and questions.
The scientific method is used by progressivist educators so that students can study matter and events
systematically and first hand. The emphasis is on process-how one comes to know. The Progressive
education philosophy was established in America from the mid 1920s through the mid 1950s. John
Dewey was its foremost proponent. One of his tenets was that the school should improve the way of
life of our citizens through experiencing freedom and democracy in schools. Shared decision making,
planning of teachers with students, student-selected topics are all aspects. Books are tools, rather than
authority.

Reconstructionism/Critical Theory

Social reconstructionism is a philosophy that emphasizes the addressing of social questions and a quest
to create a better society and worldwide democracy. Reconstructionist educators focus on a curriculum
that highlights social reform as the aim of education. Theodore Brameld (1904-1987) was the founder
of social reconstructionism, in reaction against the realities of World War II. He recognized the potential
for either human annihilation through technology and human cruelty or the capacity to create a
beneficent society using technology and human compassion. George Counts (1889-1974) recognized
that education was the means of preparing people for creating this new social order.

Critical theorists, like social reconstructionists, believe that systems must be changed to overcome
oppression and improve human conditions. Paulo Freire (1921-1997) was a Brazilian whose experiences
living in poverty led him to champion education and literacy as the vehicle for social change. In his
view, humans must learn to resist oppression and not become its victims, nor oppress others. To do
so requires dialog and critical consciousness, the development of awareness to overcome domination
and oppression. Rather than "teaching as banking," in which the educator deposits information into
students' heads, Freire saw teaching and learning as a process of inquiry in which the child must invent
and reinvent the world.

For social reconstructionists and critical theorists, curriculum focuses on student experience and taking
social action on real problems, such as violence, hunger, international terrorism, inflation, and
inequality. Strategies for dealing with controversial issues (particularly in social studies and literature),
inquiry, dialogue, and multiple perspectives are the focus. Community-based learning and bringing the
world into the classroom are also strategies.

23 | P a g e
 Republic of the Philippines
CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
ARGAO CAMPUS
Ed Kintanar Street Lamacan Argao, Cebu Philippines
Website: http://www.argao.ctu..edu.ph E-mail:
ctu.argao@yahoo.com
Phone No.: (032) 485-8290/485-1109 loc 1702Fax. No.: (032)
485-8290

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

Lesson Connection
Task # 6

ANSWER AS DIRECTED:

Think about It:

1) Which of these educational philosophies would you describe as authoritarian? Which as non-
authoritarian? Why?

The
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

2) Each of the educational philosophies relates to one or more of the metaphysical world view
philosophies. What connections do you see?

Progressivism relates to Pragmatism, since progressivism stresses that students test ideas by active
experimentation and that learning is rooted in the questions of learners that arise through
experiencing the world. The pragmatism or experimentalism stresses teaching methods focus on
hands-on problem solving, experimenting and projects. The pragmatists believe that learners should
apply their knowledge to real life situations though experimental inquiry.
3) Which educational philosophy is most compatible with your beliefs? Why?

24 | P a g e
 The world view philosophy that best fits with my own views of reality is Existentialism because
it states that the nature of reality is subjective and lies on the individual. My own view of reality is
“reality is what you perceived as real for you.” What I mean is reality depends on the perception of
every individual or on how he/she’s going to define it. It depends on our choice and we must take
responsibility for deciding who we are because we have a “freedom” to choose. God has given us the
freedom and freewill to choose and to decide for ourselves. It depends on every individual on how
he/she is going to exercise his/her freedom/

Republic of the Philippines

CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
ARGAO CAMPUS
Ed Kintanar Street Lamacan Argao, Cebu Philippines
Website: http://www.argao.ctu..edu.ph E-mail:
ctu.argao@yahoo.com
Phone No.: (032) 485-8290/485-1109 loc 1702Fax. No.: (032)
485-8290

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

Lesson Connection
Task # 7

ANSWER AS DIRECTED:

Fill in the matrix below identifying the goal (WHY of teaching) curriculum/content (WHAT to teach) and
teaching strategies (HOW to teach) to be used:
Philosophy WHY (Goal)) WHAT (Curriculum) HOW (Strategies)
1) Idealism Idealism is a
philosophical approach
that has as its central tenet
that ideas are the only
true reality, the only thing
worth knowing. In a
search for truth, beauty,
and justice that is
enduring and everlasting,
the focus is on conscious
reasoning in the mind.
2) Realism Realists believe that The core of the The teacher organizes and
reality exists independent curriculum is the world presents content
of the human mind. The of physical objects. systematically within a
ultimate reality is the discipline, demonstrating
world of physical objects. use of criteria in making
The focus is on the decisions. Teaching
body/objects. methods focus on mastery
of facts and basic skills
25 | P a g e
 through demonstration
and recitation. Students
must also demonstrate the
ability to think critically
and scientifically, using
observation and
experimentation.
3) Perrenialism The philosophy of Perennialists believe that Teachers in the program
perennialism advances the truth does not depend on use three basic methods of
idea that the focus of time or place but rather is teaching: (1) didactic
education should be the the same for all people. teaching in which the
universal truths conveyed They believe the same teacher lectures (10% to
through the classic and curriculum should be 15% of the time), (2)
profound thoughts and required of all students. Socratic seminars in which
works that have lasted Their reasoning is twofold: the teacher uses directed
through the centuries and (1) Because the goal of questioning to help
have recurred in each school is to teach the students arrive at desirable
generation. Like a truth, and the truth is the answers (15% to 20% of the
perennial plant that same for everyone, the time), and (3) coaching in
returns year after year, curriculum must be the which the teacher coaches
these thoughts and works same. (2) Because people students in the academic
are everlasting. They have are born equal and have subjects (60% to 70% of the
withstood the test of time the same opportunities, to time) (Brandt & Voke, 2002;
and are as important and give some students a National Paideia Center,
relevant today as they curriculum that is different 2005).
were when first conceived. from that of others is to
The enduring wisdom of treat them differently and
the past is a guide to the is a form of discrimination
present.
4) Existentialism The nature of reality for
Existentialists is
subjective, and lies
within the individual. The
physical world has no
inherent meaning outside
of human existence.
Individual choice and
individual standards
rather than external
standards are central.
Existence comes before
any definition of what we
are. We define ourselves
in relationship to that
existence by the choices
we make. We should not
accept anyone else's
predetermined
philosophical system;
rather, we must take
26 | P a g e
 responsibility for
deciding who we are. The
focus is on freedom, the
development of authentic
individuals, as we make
meaning of our lives.
5) Essentialism Essentialists believe that
there is a common core of
knowledge that needs to
be transmitted to students
in a systematic,
disciplined way. The
emphasis in this
conservative perspective
is on intellectual and
moral standards that
schools should teach.
6) Behaviorism Behaviorist theorists
believe that behavior is
shaped deliberately by
forces in the environment
and that the type of
person and actions
desired can be the
product of design.
7) Progressivism Progressivists believe Curriculum content is
that education should derived from student
focus on the whole child, interests and questions.
rather than on the content
or the teacher.
8) Pragmatism For pragmatists, only
those things that are
experienced or observed
are real.
27 | P a g e
The core of theSchooling should be
curriculum is essential practical, preparing
knowledge and skills andstudents to become
academic rigor. valuable members of
society. It should focus on
facts-the objective reality
out there--and "the
basics," training students
to read, write, speak, and
compute clearly and
logically. Schools should
not try to set or influence
policies. Students should
be taught hard work,
respect for authority, and
discipline. Teachers are to
help students keep their
non-productive instincts
in check, such as
aggression or
mindlessness.
Learners will acquire Repetition of a
and remember responses meaningful connection
that lead to satisfying results in learning. If the
aftereffects. student is ready for the
connection, learning is
enhanced; if not, learning
is inhibited. Motivation
to learn is the satisfying
aftereffect, or
reinforcement.
The scientific method is
used by progressivist
educators so that students
can study matter and
events systematically and
first hand.
Curriculum content is Students can learn best
derived from student through by applying
experiences and our experiences and
thoughts. thoughts.
 Republic of the Philippines
CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
ARGAO CAMPUS
Ed Kintanar Street Lamacan Argao, Cebu Philippines
Website: http://www.argao.ctu..edu.ph E-mail:
ctu.argao@yahoo.com
Phone No.: (032) 485-8290/485-1109 loc 1702Fax. No.: (032)
485-8290

EDUC 603 / MPA 603

PHILO AND PSYCHO-SOCIO FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Mid-year / Summer 2019

Lesson Connection
Task # 8

28 | P a g e
ANSWER AS DIRECTED:
Fill in the matrix below identifying the SLOGAN, THOUGHTS, and CLASSROOM SITUATIONER of
the different philosophers:
Philosopher Slogan Philosophical Thoughts Classroom Situation
1) Comenius He is considered the father of
modern education because he
advocated universal education in
his book The Great Didactic (Laurie,
36). ... Thirdly, he wrote a series of
textbooks on educational methods
and teaching subject matter.

2) Rousseau His Political Philosophy, Rousseau�s theory

particularly his formulation of social
contract theory (or
Contractarianism), strongly
influenced the French Revolution
and the development of Liberal,
Conservative and Socialist theory.
3) Pestalozzi He believed in a whole-child
approach that focused on the head,
heart, and hands. For Pestalozzi,
education was a vehicle for creating
a more just society.
of education emphasized
the importance of
expression to produce a
well-balanced,
freethinking child. He
believed that if
children are allowed to
develop naturally without
constraints imposed on
them by society they will
develop towards their
fullest potential, both
educationally and morally.

4) Herbart Presentations In philosophy, Herbart anticipated

are not key ideas of Phenomenology, such
passive as Brentano's conception of mental
elements in phenomena, and his ideas of
the human representational force, the limen,
soul, but have and reproduction all find positive
their own endorsement and development in
charge Husserl's Phenomenology.
and activity.
5) Froebel “Come, let The play materials were what he In a classroom
us live with called gifts and the activities were situation, it means
occupations. His system allowed giving students varied
our children to compare, test, and
children!” explore. His philosophy also classroom activities to
consisted of four basic components let them compare, test
which were free self-activity, and explore.

29 | P a g e
 creativity, social participation, and
motor expression.
6) Dewey 'Education is John Dewey was a leading
not proponent of the American school
preparation of thought known as pragmatism, a
for life;
view that rejected the dualistic
education is epistemology and metaphysics of
life itself.' modern philosophy in favor of a
naturalistic approach that viewed
knowledge as arising from an active
adaptation of the human organism
to its environment.
7) Montessori follow the The Montessori Method of This approach in
child education, developed by Dr. teaching focuses
Maria Montessori, is a child-
centered educational approach
based on scientific observations of
children from birth to adulthood. ...
It is an approach that values the
human spirit and the development
of the whole child—physical, social,
emotional, cognitive.

30 | P a g e