ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD
Course: Foundations of Education (6500)
Assignment No. 01
`
Name :
Nabila Youns
Registration no:
0000252924
Semester no:
#1
Semester:
Spring, 2022
Level:
MA Tec. Edu.
Course :
foundation of education
Assignment no :
Unit :
#01
1~4
Q. 1 What is Education and how can it develop the Man? What should be
the aims of education in global perspective?
Answer
What is Education:
Education, discipline that is concerned with methods
of teaching and learning in schools or school-like environments as opposed
to various nonformal and informal means of socialization (e.g., rural
development projects and education through parent-child
relationships).Education is purposeful activity.
Education can be thought of as the transfer of the values and accumulative
knowledge of a society. Education is designed to guide children in learning
a culture, molding their behavior in the ways of adulthood, and directing
them toward their eventual role in society.
As society becomes ever more complex and schools become ever more
institutionalized, educational experience becomes less directly related to
daily life, less a matter of showing and learning in the context of the
workaday world, and more abstracted from practice, more a matter of
distilling, telling, and learning things out of context.
Education role in develop the Man
Education is a primary right for every individual. It is the most important
foundation or building block, which paves the future road-map for a person.
Education can truly make or break an individual, because it builds and
develops a person’s belief, ideologies and values.
The benefits of education are numerous, but a few points are highlighted
below, which shows how education helps in human development from
different aspects – personal, social, economic and spiritual.
 Overcome social prejudices:
This is probably the most important benefit of education. Social evils and
belief can really hold back the growth and development of a society, and a
country. So, to overcome this and understand and explain things with logic
and reasoning, educated minds and very essential. One enlightened mind
can lit up a thousand more. Education, used in the proper way also helps to
reduce crime and restore law and order.
 Nurture talent and pursue dreams:
Every human has dreams and aspirations. So, education is a medium to
pursue and fulfill them. It increases the knowledge of a person in different
fields of studies. It helps to determine a path to follow and express your
talent to the world.
 Enhance creativity and imagination:
Education opens up new ways and ideas to ponder. It cultivates a young
mind to think out-of-the-box and explore different things in life. Education
also helps to know about things and stay healthy, fit and follow a
productive lifestyle.
 Contribute to a bigger growth:
Education is a way of academic excellence and paves the path for
economic growth of the country. Research and development in sectors like
technology, medicine, and others, breakthrough innovation and progressive
mindset – all of this are fruits of education, which takes a nation and its
people forward. Educated people contribute towards advancement in every
sector.
 Knowledge, wisdom and exposure:
Education opens up every channel of knowledge and wisdom. It exposes us
to a whole new world of information, invent new things and know how we
can make our surroundings a better place to live and out our lives to a
greater, and better use.
As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon, which
you can use to change the world.” When the world is busy getting equipped
with deadly weapons and machinery, it is very important to understand that
education is the real asset that can develop an individual as well as a
nation. People and leaders across the world should join hands to make
education, not only a fundamental right for all, but also the guiding light,
which can take mankind ahead through any phase of darkness.
Education for Global Development and Citizenship
There is
imminent need to acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote
sustainable development, which can be achieved when everyone has in
depth knowledge of human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture
of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural
diversity and of cultural contribution to sustainable development. The
inclusion of global development topics in education is formally termed
development education. It aims to highlight the inequalities and injustices
present across our globe, and to advocate action for global social justice.
Development education is an educational process that increases
awareness and understanding of a rapidly changing, interdependent and
unequal world. Learners are motivated to assume responsibility for
creating and enjoying a sustainable future. The main purpose of education
is to build learners’ knowledge and awareness of global issues; critical
thinking and analytical skills; and action for positive social and political
change. In recent years there has been a move towards the term global as
it seems to be a more relevant and accessible terminology.
Q.2 Compare the basic philosophies e.g. Ontology, Epistemology and
Axiology? Apply these philosophies to the filed of education.
Answer
Epistemology, Ontology and Axiology are often unspoken assumptions
about knowledge. People in society, and our values that rest beneath our
favorite research. Each of them corresponds to a branch of philosophy,
which can be very abstract.
 Ontology
Again, we’ll go from general to specific.
It is the study of being fundamentally what exists and what the meaning of
existence is. Ontology is also the branch of philosophy that studies
existence and the nature of human beings and our existence. They ask
questions like:
What is the nature of existence and our existence as individuals in society,
in the universe?
Who are we, what are we here for?
These are ontological questions. For example, do we make real free will
choices? Do we make choices that influence the outcomes? Or, are there
forces that are determining. our outcomes, that are beyond our control?
Another ontological question would be this:
Are we best understood as individuals? Or, is our nature best viewed as
being part of a group, part of a social system?
What is our nature, what are we here for? the ontological assumptions
beneath research and theory are pretty easy to spot. So for example, if
they’re studying individuals, like through personality tests, or trying to figure
out people’s traits, then they likely are approaching us as individuals in
society. If they are studying groups, and relationships, then they are likely
assuming that people are best understood in groups and relationships, like
through the communication field or sociology. Another look at this is how
we are situated in society in terms of the larger forces that we face.
For example, does a theorist treat people as if they are at the mercy of a
system that is out of their control, out of their hands? Or, do they focus on
the agency that people have to influence change? Depending upon their
position, they are taking different ontological positions, or assumptions,
about their research. And you can usually see that in the way they write it up.
And third, now let’s talk about axiology.
 Epistemology
When solving some Attitude problem or reading something then there we
require knowledge to understand the world, which is known as
Epistemology.
Also Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that studies knowledge or
knowing.
They ask questions like: How do we know what we claim to know? That’s
the classic epistemological question. That we can see in a lot of theory and
research textbooks. A researcher might assume for example, that
knowledge is already out there, just waiting to be discovered. And so, it’s our
job as researchers to uncover this universal, unchanging and absolute truth.
In contrast, researchers believe that people develop knowledge based upon
how they perceive the world and through their experiences. That’s how we
create knowledge. Still further along this spectrum is the relativistic view,
that believes that knowledge is a social construction. In essence, whatever
we treat as knowledge, is knowledge. There is no universal or absolute truth.
These are epistemological positions that are getting at this notion of
knowledge by researcher. Most researchers don’t spend many paragraphs
in each given journal article spelling all of this out. They normally just get on
with their work. But their research will leave clues, and I see that
epistemology is most evident in the methods that they use to conduct their
research. In other words, if they assume an objective reality, objective
knowledge, exists out there, then they will approach it that way. For instance,
some organizational researchers do climate surveys. These are quantitative
surveys driven by statistical analysis, and the idea here is if you ask the right
questions, you’ll get reliable and valid answers, and the results are meant to
give you a snapshot of how things really are. In other words, there’s an
objective reality out there, and our survey is trying to show it. In contrast,
there are other ways to get at knowledge, other beliefs about the best way
to know something. For example, the ethnographic method believes that to
really understand, to really know, you have to experience something for
yourself. You can’t study culture, from the ethnographic standpoint, for
example, from a distance. Firsthand knowledge gained through experience
is the best way to know. These are epistemological kinds of issues. Also as
we know that we still not know the whole things about world and that’s
where Epistemology comes into play.
For example: In case of Covid-19, when its wave came, we were not aware
of its medication and later we started researching and vaccine came after
gaining a lot of knowledge.
 Axiology
Axiology is about values such as good and bad, moral and immoral.
questions about what the meaning of life is and how we should live.
Axiology is also a branch of philosophy that studies values. They ask
questions about the values that guide our research to begin with. For
example, what do we consider to be good or bad, right or wrong, beautiful or
not, what do we value? Another axiological issue is what values might
result from, or be the outcome of, our research? Axiology often asks
questions about the extent to which our research can be totally neutral, or
does our researcher opinion come into play, and our personal values shape
how we conduct and write up our research? Also, should our research be
seeking merely to understand what we are studying, or should we be
studying something with a goal of changing society for the better? That’s an
axiological question. And if we wanna change society, what do we consider
better? In other words, what do we value? Would it be more economic
equality, better health, deeper relationships? These are all axiological issues.
Sometimes, researchers and writers are pretty obvious about this, but not
always. Martin Buber is a guy who’s a communication philosopher, and he’s
been very obvious about this. He talked about an ethical approach to
communication that contrasted with a more mechanistic approach. So he
talks about I-It, meaning I am a person, but you, it, are an object, but we
really should strive for, as often as we can, I-Thou communication, where I
am important in the communication, but you, you’re a though, you’re also
important, you have inherent dignity, you’re special as a human being, and I
should treat you that way, we should connect through dialogue. See, he has
an explicit value for other people, and it’s going to shape the way he does
his research. So when I first got exposed to epistemology, ontology, and
axiology, and began to take it seriously, I developed a much more
sophisticated reading of the research that I was exposed to. I didn’t see
them all as separate and independent pieces, I saw them all as having
similar or different kinds of assumptions that informed their approach.
and finally we can say that:
“Epistemology provides us knowledge and then Ontology checks if it exists
or not then Axiology checks its moral values if that is wrong or right.”
Q.3 Elaborate the Islamic philosophy of education and its application in
the present education system.
Answer
Islamic philosophy of education
The philosophy of Islamic Education is to provide human with sufficient
knowledge in order to make them know and realize their creation,
responsibility, and the way they should manage the responsibility as the
caliph of Allah
Introduction Education based on Islam has the significant contribution
towards human’s life. This has been proved through the divine revelation to
Holy Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. regarding the command to know Allah
S.W.T, to discover the nature’s phenomena, as well as to recognize selfdevelopment including the aspects of Aqedah, knowledge and practice.
These principles have become the core of Islamic Philosophy of Education
and are entirely focused as it highlights the contribution of knowledge,
belief, and practice within human’s life. In the centuries after the birth of
Islam (632 AD), Muslims scholar had established schools, universities and
libraries. It had become the center of learning, including the realm of
astronomy, physics, art, philosophy, and medicine. Moreover, the various
methods had been pioneered by Muslim scholars and scientists and
became the foundation of modern sciences, and were taught in European
universities up to the 18th Century. The rise of Muslims towards the
civilization in a period of four decades was based on Al-Islam’s emphasis
on learning. This is obvious when one takes a look at the Qur’an and the
traditions of Prophet Muhammad which are filled with references to
learning, education, observation, and the use of reason. The first verse of
the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet of Al Islam and the night of 27th
Ramadan in 611 AD; “In the name of thy Lord who created man from a clot.
And thy Lord is the Most Generous Who taught by the pen, taught man that
which he knew not.” (Quran, 96: 1-5)” As well as ALLAH S.W.T said in
Glories AL-Quran “Are those who have knowledge and those who have no
knowledge alike? Only the men of understanding are mindful.” (Quran, 39:9)
And the Quran urge the Muslims to do scientific research: “And who bring
the truth and believe therein such are the dutiful.” (Quran, 39: 33)
Undoubtedly, there is a diversity of approaches to, and stances taken on,
writing about Islam and education. While the vast majority of this literature
is based on the view that there is a distinct Islamic position with regards to
education (Sardar, 1989; Iqbal, 1996; Wan Daud, 1998; Ali, 2000), some
critical voices question this fundamental assumption (Hoodbhouy, 1992).
The advocates of a distinctively Islamic approach to education also differ
among themselves on various matters; some argue for a common interfaith religious framework on education (The Islamic Academy, 1990) while
others claim, at least implicitly, a superiority of the Islamic approach over
those of other religions (Mukadam, 1997). However, in Islam there is no
such thing as knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Knowledge has no
value and virtue in and by itself, but the actual virtue lies in bringing human
kind closer to Allah. The view that knowledge is the path that leads to Allah
highlights two things about Islam. Firstly, the knowledge in Islam is
important for a Muslim’s spiritual growth and development. Secondly, since
knowledge is acquired through the active process of going beyond what
one already knows, critical thinking is essential for a Muslim to grow
intellectually and spiritually. It further suggests that intellectual growth
without spiritual development is aimless wandering, and spiritual
development without the intellectual component is meaningless. Besides,
an authentic Islamic vision of education has the power to re-animate a truly
holistic conception of education which encompasses not only the higher
intellectual faculties, but also the realization that human excellence is
inseparable from beauty and virtue and should never be limited to an
individualistic concept of personal achievement, mastery and success. This
is a vision of tawhid, in which cognitive, moral and spiritual function are all
intertwined and interdependent, and necessarily actualized in right action.
From the context of philosophy, Islamic Philosophy is based on divine
revelation, which is the Al-Quran and the As-Sunnah. According to Hassan
Langgulung (1979), the basis of Islamic Philosophy are the believe in God
(Allah), the believe in God’s devotees, the believe in divine revelation that
had been gave to the prophets, the believe that human has a potency within
the development of morality and spirituality, the believe that each individual
is responsible for his action, the belief in life and life after death, and also
the belief on universal similarity among the Muslims. Based on these
aspects, a balance and holistic individual is able to be produced through
the appreciation towards Islamic Philosophy of Education. It is parallel with
the implementation of National Philosophy of Education that based on
God’s devotion in producing the individual that physically, emotionally,
intellectually, spiritually and socially balanced (Mok Soon Sang, 2004).
Philosophy of Islamic Education from the Perspectives of Philosophy
Pragmatism Each elements of Islamic Philosophy of Education are entirely
focused, as this philosophy stresses towards the correlation of knowledge,
belief and practice. Based on the definition of philosophy from the
characteristic of philosophy, the realm of philosophy is deeply looking
towards the fact, value, knowledge and God. For instance, the aspect of
cleanliness is very important in Islam. There are many arguments regarding
the factor that cleanliness has been stressed in Islam, as it is closely
related to Muslims’ belief as well as the human’s wellness. This is parallel
with the principle of pragmatism that believes the medium of knowledge
has a quality of truth if it is able to be practiced within the daily life of
human. The member of pragmatism also believes that knowledge
integrated between acquired knowledge and revealed knowledge. Based on
the knowledge regarding the cleanliness, the epistemology about this
aspect is stated in Quran and has been known as the sahih ilmu wahyu,
while the ilmu akal is based on logical thought. Logically, the aspect of
cleanliness should be concerned as carelessness will cause a lot of
problem in our daily life. Thus, Islamic Philosophy of Education naturally
pragmatism because it combines acquired knowledge and revealed
knowledge, which cannot be separated. Metaphysic From the view of
metaphysic, the thought of Islam concentrates on the aspects between
human, human and God, and human with the environment. Obviously,
Islamic Philosophy of Education teaches humans to recognize their Creator,
that is Allah, and the way they should behave for each of the relation. For
instance, based on the principles that support the thoughts of Islam
towards nature, it is stated that the nature is belong to Allah, not human.
Thus, natures need to be protected including the ecological balance.
Humans are forbidden to exploit the sources of nature since nature has
been created by Allah to reinforce human’s life. According to this principle
the Islamic Philosophy of Education stresses on the good relation between
human and nature. Moreover, in order to overcome the social problem
among teenagers for instance, the awareness towards their responsibility
as the Khalifa Allah is able to bring them to the ‘right path’. Axiology is a
theory of ethic that is one of branches of philosophy. From the view of
Islam, axiology can be defined as behavior that includes the entire manners
in human’s life. According to Mohammad Qutab, education is the process
to shape the holistic and balanced human. The main objective of education
is to develop the potency of human’s intellect, physical, emotion and
spiritual towards the level of perfection. Within this process, the
implementation of values has been focused by the Islamic Philosophy of
Education, which the aspect of ethical and moral cannot be separated from
education and the thought of Islam. It is parallel with the branches of
axiology that believe education is the realm that provide with values. Within
the axiology of Islam itself, the knowledgeable person should be the
moralistic and well-behaved person. There are three branches within the
thought of Islam, and one of them is the thought of moral and manner. This
branch includes the matters that should be practiced, which is connected
with the manner and moral of human, such as fair, religiosity, brave,
wisdom, and trustworthiness. The venerable characteristic of human can
be seen from the existence of two inclinations, which is the focus towards
worldly concerns and the sense of selfishness, and also the conflict
between right and wrong. However, both factors can be prevented if
humans believe on Allah, by doing His command and avoid from His
prohibition. If humans practice the aspects that has been highlighted by the
Islamic Philosophy of Education such as make the Prophet Muhammad as
the role model in their life, the universal peacefulness will be able to be
achieved. This value has been implemented in the Islamic Education in
order to be practiced by each individual and endowed from generation to
generation, and producing the strength society in leading this world as
Khalifa. The system of moral and manner in Islam correlates with the
system of belief, religious worship, muamalat, and others. It has the
connection with the purpose of the creation of nature.
1.Islamic Philosophy of Education and Holistic Learning The philosophy of
Islamic Education is to provide human with sufficient knowledge in order to
make them know and realize their creation, responsibility, and the way they
should manage the responsibility as the caliph of Allah. Because of human
was created with several weaknesses, thus, they need a guidance from the
religion. The effort to improve themselves with the better and perfect
characteristics is the process of Islamic education (Abdul Rahman Aroff &
Zakaria Kasa, 1988). In Islam, the pillar of faith within Quran becomes the
reference and guidance for Muslim (Hassan Langgulung, 1979). Among of
them are; to believe in Allah (SWT) (God) in His Existence, His right to be
worshipped, His Oneness, His Attributes, and His right to legislate, to
believe in God's angels, to believe in the Holy Qur'an and the other Holy
Books, to believe in God's Messengers, of whom Adam was the first and
the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the last, to believe in the Resurrection
and the Day of Judgment, to believe in Divine Preordainment. The result
from this belief shows that the objective of Islamic education is to produce
the balanced development of human itself along with the Islamic values.
According to Kurshid Ahmad (1980), education based on Islam is able to
produce an individual that has his own quality and belief towards the
Islamic idealism. By looking at its definition, the philosophy of Islamic
education implements the holistic approach. Holistic is one of the
characteristic of philosophy which means comprehensiveness and
completeness. This term is very important in education as it includes the
aspect of intellect, emotion, spiritual, and physical. Islam not restricts the
followers from learning the other fields of education. The explanation
regarding the holistic philosophy of Islamic education becomes wide.
According to Syed Muhammad al-Naquib al-Attas (1977), the main
objective of knowledge from the Islamic perspective is through the
concepts that shaping the major elements in Islamic education, which are
the concept of al-din, concept of human, concept of knowledge and
ma’rifah, concept of hikmah, concept of equality, concept of ethic, and the
concept of Kulliyah-Jami’ah. Each of the concepts is mutually dependent.
Furthermore, Syed Muhammad al-Naquib al-Attas states that from the
practical use, the concept (1) is based on the objective to gain knowledge
and the involvement within the education process; (2) based on the scope
and its target; (3) based on the content; (4) based on value or criteria
regarding the second and third; (5) based on the dissemination regarding
the fourth; (6) based on the method regarding the first until fifth; and (7)
based on the way of implementation regarding all the aspects. Moreover,
the education in Islam also becomes the effort to develop the proactive
individual, which is individual that realize on his creation, status,
trustworthiness, and his responsibility as the slave of Allah; has the
strength of thinking, vision and able to look something in the right
perspective; aware and sensitive towards every act, as each will be judged,
until every choices are made based on right and implemented through the
right path (Mohd Idris Jauzi, 1991). Therefore, education in Islam is to
reinforce the self-potential of an individual. From the aspect of intellectual,
each human has already been provided with the ability to empower the
knowledge and truth. From the aspect of physical, human has the ability to
develop the strength and resistance. Thus, with education, human will gain
the sense of perfection in their life and also able to strengthen their
civilization. 4. The Implementation of the Aspect of Islamic Philosophy of
Education in Viewing the Social Problem Islamic Philosophy of Education
encourages the entire humans to consider and think of their act, as every
action has its reciprocation from Allah. Thus, by preparing the teenagers
with this aspect, they would appreciate their mind and utilize it towards the
right action. For instance, through the Quran Allah had stated that; “This
verse explains one of the main concepts in the Islamic Philosophy of
Education, which is the concept of human’s obedient towards Allah. By
appreciating this concept, it is able to encourage human to do the right
things and avoid from doing the wrong manner. Moreover, there is hadith
by Prophet Muhammad regarding the significance of knowledge in Islamic
philosophy of Education.
“There will not move Adam’s heir at the Judgment’s Day until they are
questioned about four things: about his age and what he used to, about his
young and what had he strives for, about his property and how it comes
and how it was spent for, and about his knowledge and how he benefits it.”
This Hadees explains that each Muslim will be asked by Allah during the
Judgment’ Day regarding his age, young, property and knowledge, which is
clearly stated in Islamic Philosophy of Education. Furthermore, the concept
of integration between ilmu aqli and ilmu naqli is able to solve the social
problem among the teenagers. Ilmu aqli is the knowledge that constructed
by the thought of mind while the ilmu naqli is based on the abstract thought
that cannot be analyzed by mind, such as heaven and hell which is being
explain in the Quran and hadith. The metaphysic of Islam discusses the
principles of Islam towards the nature. In discussing the social problem
among teenagers, individuals need to discover the objective of human’s
creation by Allah SWT. Thus, they would realize their responsibility as the
caliph of Allah on this earth, and make an effort to gain it. One of the
concepts which can be applied in discussing this problem is the concept of
oneness of Allah that consist of human’s thought, the guidance of hidayah,
as well as aqal and qalbu (the heart) which is not alienated. In order to look
at the power of the creator, which is Allah, human is encouraged to observe
and to think of their surrounding and thing on the function. This will
strengthens the concept of worship in themselves and encourage them to
do the right. Thus, the teenagers should be guided to know Allah even
during their childhood. Moreover, from the aspect of axiology, social
problem that occur among the teenagers nowadays can be concluded as
happen because they are lack of knowledge and toward Islamic teaching.
Most of the teenagers do not follow the rule of Islam that make them lost
the purpose of their life. Thus, through the appreciation towards the
concept of taqwa as the way of life it is able to help them to distinguish
between the pros and cons within their life. This concept stresses on the
notion of fear to Allah that encourage humans towards practice the halal
and prevent themselves from the haram. Besides, the ethics of Islam
should be entire implemented including the belief, spiritual, physical,
intellectual, emotion and others. Among the characteristic of Islamic
manners is; each manner is not opposing the nature of human’s creation,
as it parallel with human’s natural tendency. It concerns regarding the
human’s responsibility in producing the objective person. Furthermore, the
purpose of self-perfection is being focused in Islam too, along with the
flourished society. It was stated that if morally behaviors are practiced by
the unit of community; it can produce the quality and excellence society.
Regarding the social problems among the teenagers, it can be concluded
that the problems are not only affect their life, but also include and
influence the society itself. Thus, the aim towards morality behavior among
human is able to be gained through the spiritual purity and the strength of
belief. Each human should be responsible for their act in gaining the better
result as a Muslim. Holistically, Islam will nurture human towards the
excellent life.
Q.4 Elaborate the philosophy of idealism in the context of Metaphysics.
Determine the relationship of idealism with aims and processes of
education.
Answer
Idealism
People have both minds and bodies. Everyone knows this. Yet over the
centuries, there has been much disagreement about the exact relationship
between the human mind and the human body.
Many people regard the mind as something separate from the body. This
includes many religious believers, who regard personality and self as
attributes of an immortal soul. Some philosophers, relying on logic instead
of faith, also have taken the position that the mind is distinct from the body
and is not explainable in terms of bodily processes alone. The belief that a
person is composed of a mind and a body, with neither one reducible to the
other, has traditionally been called dualism.
Other thinkers, especially those influenced by scientific thought, have held
that the mind is not distinct from the body, but is in some way a product of
the body. Typically, such thinkers hold that the mental functions of a
person are simply functions of that person's brain. The belief that the mind
is reducible to material things and processes is known as materialism.
Still other thinkers, influenced by logical arguments and reflective thought,
have maintained that the mind is not really separate from the body, but that
the physical world is in some sense a product of minds. This viewpoint is
known as idealism.
Idealism, then, is the philosophical view that material things owe their
existence to minds.
Actually, there are other philosophical positions called "idealism" which are
different from the position I just described. The view that material things
owe their existence to minds is sometimes called metaphysical idealism to
distinguish it from other viewpoints called "idealism." I won't go into these
other ideas here, but I will name a few of them: epistemological idealism (a
hypothesis about what we can know); ethical idealism (the belief that moral
ideals are worth striving for); and political idealism (the belief that one
should strive for an ideal form of government). The words "dualism" and
"materialism" also have other meanings, but I won't go into these here,
either.
Idealists typically believe in the existence of the observable world, just like
everyone else. They do not regard the observable world as a figment of
anyone's imagination. What makes idealists different is their understanding
of the nature of the observable world. Most people think of the observable
world as something independent of minds - something that could continue
to exist even if all minds were to disappear from the universe. Idealists go
beyond this view; they think of the observable world as depending, in some
way or other, on minds and the activities of minds. According to the idealist
view of reality, if there had never been any minds of any sort in the universe,
then there would not have been a universe at all. But the observable world
is not merely something that people dream up. Some idealists (especially
Berkeley, whom I discuss below) even have claimed that there is no matter
- but by "matter" these idealists generally mean a non-mental, mindindependent substance. Claiming that the world is dependent on minds
isn't the same as claiming that the world isn't really there!
Another common belief about idealism is that it is contrary to reason - or,
as some people put it, "crazy." This too is a myth that needs to be put to
rest. Most idealistic thought, particularly in the West, is based on logical
arguments of various sorts. In itself, idealism isn't contrary to reason or
logic. The worst that might be said is that it's contrary to common sense.
But this same charge can be leveled at many of our beliefs about the world
- such as the true belief that the Sun is a star, which contradicts the
common-sense observation that the Sun is just too big to be a star!
Still another myth about idealism is that idealism is contrary to science.
Actually, the idealistic concept of the material world is logically compatible
with the scientific view of matter. Idealism does not say that the natural
world is unreal; it does not say that the laws of nature are mere inventions
of the human mind; it does not say we can change the world magically by
thinking differently. Nor does idealism place humanity at the center of the
universe; it merely assigns conscious minds (of any kind, human or
nonhuman) to a rather important role in the universe. Most of the bestknown idealists of the western world have been either scientists or
scientifically oriented philosophers. And as anyone knows who follows the
popular scientific literature, some scientists start sounding like idealists
when they discuss the picture of reality provided by quantum physics.
Also, idealism does not have any direct relation to the idea of "mind over
matter." Although idealism affirms that matter depends on mind, idealism
does NOT require you to believe that your own mental processes (or even
everyone's mental processes together) can affect the actual course of
material events. Some individuals who regard themselves as skeptics have
associated idealism with belief in paranormal phenomena, and have tried
to tar both beliefs with the same brush. Actually this is silly, since idealism
neither supports nor contradicts belief in the paranormal.
Idealism and Aims of Education
The following are the aims of education according to the philosophy of
idealism:
 Self-realization or Exhalation of Personality:
According to the idealism man is the most creation of God. Self- realization
involves full of knowledge of the self and it is the first aim of education
“The aim of education especially associated with idealism is the exhalation
of personality or self-realization it is the making actual or real personalities
of the self.”
 To Ensure Spiritual Development:
Idealistic give greater importance to spiritual values in comparison with
material attainments. The second aim of education is to develop the child
mentally, morally and above all spiritually. “Education must enable mankind
through its culture to enter more and more fully into the spiritual realm”.
 Development of Intelligences and Rationality:
“In all things their regions an external law this all pervading energetic, self
conscious and hence eternal law this all pervading energetic. This unity is
God. Education should lead and guide man to face with nature and to unity
and God”.
 Idealism and Curriculum:
Idealists give more importance to thoughts, feelings ideals and values than
to the child and his activities. They firmly hold that curriculum should be
concerned with the whole humanity and its experience.
 Views of Plato about curriculum:
According to Plato the aim of life is to realize God. Which is possible only
by pursing high ideals namely Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. Three types
of activities namely intellectual, aesthetic and moral cancan attain these
high ideals.
 Views of Herbart Curriculum:
According to Herbart the idealistic aim of education is the promotion of
moral values. He gave prime importance to subjects like Literature, History,
Art, Music, and Poetry together with other humanities and secondary place
to scientific subjects.
Q.5 Discuss the fundamental principles of the four traditional
philosophies of education and highlight the aims of education of each
philosophy.
Answer
They are Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressivism, and
Reconstructionism. These educational philosophies focus heavily on
WHAT we should teach, the curriculum aspect.
 Perennialism
For Perennializes, 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, 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 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. philosophy was established in America from
the mid 1920s through the mid 1950s. John Dewey was its foremost
proponent.
 Existentialism
"Childhood is not adulthood; childhood is playing and no child ever gets
enough play. The Summerhill theory is that when a child has played enough
he will start to work and face difficulties, and I claim that this theory has
been vindicated in our pupils' ability to do a good job even when it involves
a lot of unpleasant work."
Existentialism as an Educational Philosophy
Just as its namesake sprang from a strong rejection of traditional
philosophy, educational 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 the
existentialist classroom, subject matter takes second place to helping the
students understand and appreciate themselves as unique individuals who
accept complete responsibility for their thoughts, feelings, and actions. The
teacher's role is to help students define their own essence by exposing
them to various paths they may take in life and creating an environment in
which they may freely choose their own preferred way. Since feeling is not
divorced from reason in decision making, the existentialist demands the
education of the whole person, not just the mind. Although many
existentialist educators provide some curricular structure, existentialism,
more than other educational philosophies, affords students great latitude in
their choice of subject matter. In an existentialist curriculum, students are
given a wide variety of options from which to choose. To the extent that 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 selfexpression.
For example, 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. Moreover,
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.
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. Although elements of
existentialism occasionally appear in public schools, this philosophy has
found wider acceptance in private schools and ill alternative public schools
founded in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Aims of Education: Every educational system needs to have some goal, aims, or objectives.
 These act as guides for the educator in educating the child.
 In fact, we cannot assume any process of schooling except particular
ambitions and objectives. Bode says, “Unless we have some guiding
 philosophy in the dedication of objectives, we get nowhere at all.”
 These goals of education, in one-of-a-kind countries, are decided with
the aid of the philosophy of the time.
 It is, therefore, that targets and beliefs of training differ from the
extraordinary philosophers. It is the philosophy of the time which
determines whether or not the intention of schooling must be moral,
vocational intellectual, liberal, or spiritual.
 Every gadget of schooling should have a purpose and the goal of
training is relative to the goal of life. Philosophy shape needs to be the
quit of existence whilst training affords suggestions. Now, this gives up
is to be achieved.
 The truth-seeker struggles tough with the mysteries of lifestyles and
arrives at their answer after mature reflection and thinking. He then
suggests approaches and is capable of dealing with them. Thus he lays
down closing values and explains their importance to the community. In
this way, he tries to convert human beings to his very own beliefs and
philosophy.
 These last values, as formulated through the philosopher, turn out to be
the objectives of training for that community. The education of the
youthful generation, in accordance with these objectives and values,
then lies on the shoulders of the educator in the field. He selects the
cloth for training and determines the strategies of technique for the
attainment of these aims. In this way, the whole instructional program
proceeds with its foundations on sound philosophy
Cultural Purpose of Education: Culture is described as complex complete which consists of knowledge,
belief, art, morals, law, custom, tradition, people ways, religion, literature,
and any different competencies and habits received by means of man as
a member of society.
 M.K. Gandhi attaches his significance upon this cultural factor extra
than the literary factor when he said, “culture is the foundation, the
fundamental thing. It has to exhibit itself in the smallest small print of
your habits and private behavior, how you sit, how you walk, how you
dress, etc.
 Inner tradition has to be mirrored in your speech, the way in which you
deal with site visitors and guests, and behave toward are every other and
toward your instructors and elders”.
 Culture includes a tremendous array of inter-related knowledge, skills,
values, and goals.
 A cultured man or woman is he whose persona is refined, whose
aesthetic tastes are developed, who lives a socially Useful life, who is
socially efficient, who appreciates thoughts and values, who knows the
high-quality concept of the neighborhood, and who no longer solely
assimilates the wealthy experiences of the race however additionally
make use of these experiences in a significant way for the improvement
of the society.
 Culture is essential for the refinement of the physical, intellectual, ethical,
and aesthetic components of the persona of an individual.
 Culture additionally expands one’s outlook, sharpens one’s activity, and
fosters a suited behavior of the individual.
 Therefore, the purpose of schooling is to assist the persons to inherit
the wealthy cultural heritage of the past, to keep and enrich it via things
to do and transmit it to the rising technology in a fruitful and significant
way.
 Moreover, education should cater to the improvement of all attributes
vital for the evolution of a cultured personality, for a cultured character is
a precious asset in society.
THE END