Philosophy is your view of the world-- a backdrop
for all thought and a context for all knowledge.
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
Philosophy is made up of two words, “love”
(philo) and “wisdom” (sophos), or the love of
wisdom. Thus, it is easy to understand why
philosophers often apply their studies and
writings to education, and how that applies to
society. Philosophy is a system of beliefs or an
understanding of the nature of existence, man
and his role in the world. It provides the
framework by which we can discover truth and
comprehend the world.
Two of the oldest philosophical viewpoints
are realism and idealism. They are at opposite
ends of the spectrum with idealism being based
on “ideas” and realism being based on “reality.”
How would you answer this question?
If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around,
does it make a sound?
REALISM
A realist’s view is that reality exists whether man believes in
it or not. In other words, natural scientific law is what is real,
and that is unchanging. Truth is found in the logic and science
of the physical world—the world that man can perceive with his
five senses. SO, a realist would believe that the tree would
make a sound because, naturally, there would be sound waves
that would emit from the impact. It would not be logical to
assume that the scientific principles that support sound waves
would cease to exist just because no one was around to hear
them. A realist would believe that destiny is predetermined by
natural scientific law.
Characteristics of a Realist:
 Relies on scientific principles and laws for answers
 Believes that the nature of man would be based on
his evolutionary instincts
 A detail oriented person who doesn’t want to miss
any important information.
 A person who relies more on logic than emotion
 Usually a person who would be more interested in
solving someone’s problem than sympathizing with
them about it
 A person who would be more likely to read the
directions rather than figure it out on their own
 Skeptical, doubting
 Cares more about the rights of a community at large
rather than the individual
 Not a risk taker
 Does not believe in a spiritual or intangible world
(unless it could be scientifically proved)
 A rule follower
 Has a “every man for himself” attitude—survival of
the fittest
 Is competitive—wants to win
 Doesn’t question the rules of concrete, natural
scientific law, and tends to be less likely to rebel
against traditions
**Famous Realists : Wild, Aristotle
IDEALISM
Idealism is the view that all physical objects are
dependent upon our perception of them, or that consciousness
plays the primary role in constructing our world. Physical
objects would not exist without our perception of them. Reality
is unchanging, and all interconnected—all is one. Idealists
believe that ideas are more important than the physical world
around us. Truth is found in what we believe rather than what
we perceive with our five senses. SO, an idealist would believe
that the tree would not make a sound if no one was around to
hear it since reality is based on perception. In fact, the extreme
idealist would believe that if no one was around, the tree
wouldn’t even exist. Idealists believe that man in in control of
his own destiny, and that his destiny is based on choices he
makes.
Characteristics of an Idealist:
 Believes that man has free will
 A visionary
 Concerned more with the “big picture” rather than the
details
 Has a “we’re all in this together” attitude—treat others
how you would want to be treated
 More concerned with the rights of the individual rather
than the community at large
 Goes with gut feelings, or intuition
 Optimistic
 Doesn’t like to follow directions or rules
 A risk taker
 Is cooperative rather than competitive—doesn’t care as
much about winning
 Believes in a spiritual, or intangible world
 Can be a rebel—likes to question authority and uproot
traditions
**Famous Idealists – Thoreau, Emerson, Plato, Hegel, Froebel
With which of these philosophies do you most identify? Do you
have beliefs that you agree with on both sides? Most people
are somewhere in between these two philosophies, but will
lean toward one or the other.