Philosophy and Education

•Philosophy and education have a firm relation.

Fichte affirms this relation in the essays he
wrote to the German. He said, “Without the
benefit of philosophy, education cannot attain a
state of perfect clarity.
•There is an interrelation between the two any of
which will be imperfect and ineffectual without
the other.” John Dewey exceeds this point. He
says, “The classical philosophy would not have
been existent without the pressure of the
educational questions on the intellectualities.
•Hobart Spencer says, “The accurate education
can be practical through the accurate
philosophy only.”
The Islamic Philosophy of Education
•Three important elements that are necessary ingredients in the
formulation of a philosophy of Islamic education - namely, learner,
knowledge, and means of instruction.
•The learner, being human, is made up of a dual nature of spirit
and body. The spiritual faculty is known as: the ruh (soul), ‘aql
(mind or intellect), qalb (emotion), or nafs (self) according to the
function that is ascribed to it.
•‘Aql (the faculty of reason), unique to human beings, elevates
them above the rest of creation.
•The soul could be elevated to the noblest of positions but it could
also be debased to the lowest of the low. The body consists of
several faculties corresponding to the physical senses. The nature
of the learner with regards to learning has been the subject of
study in psychology.
•It is common knowledge that the learner is inquisitive and flexible
and can be molded especially at a tender age. The learner has
physical needs for food, activity, and sex; social needs for
affection, belonging, and status within a social group; and spiritual
needs relating to something larger and beyond one’s self, that is,
the need to reach for God.
•Islam believes in the possibility of obtaining knowledge of Truth
and Reality. In Islam there has not been much debate on this
matter. Unlike in the Western philosophical tradition where there
has been constant debate since Greek philosophy, as
demonstrated by Plato’s Theatetus. We know that man is
equipped with a soul and physical senses and prepared by Allah
to acquire knowledge.
•According to Al-Attas, ‘ilm (knowledge) is the arrival of the ma‘na
(meaning) of an object in the soul or the arrival of the soul at the
meaning of an object of knowledge. Thus the soul is not merely
passive but active too.
•Wahy (revelation) and intuition are received by the soul. The five physical
senses are the windows of the mind, particularly for obtaining empirical
and the rational knowledge.
•In the Islamic worldview, there exists a hierarchical structure to
knowledge, and, just as there exists a dual nature in mankind, there exists
two categories of knowledge, the ‘ilm alnaqliyah (revealed)—some of
which is fard ‘ayn, individual duty—and the ‘ilm alnaqliyah—which is fard
kifayah, which is a communal duty. These correspond to the different
degrees of certainty of knowledge and the means of procuring it.
•Fard ‘ayn knowledge is finite, certain, and obligatory for every individual
Muslim to acquire. It includes the knowledge about the pillars of the
religion, the articles of faith, and the Shari’ah.
•On the other hand, fard kifayah knowledge is obligatory upon the
community. Each community should ensure that there are some people
who are knowledgeable in the acquired or intellectual knowledges
essential for the survival of the society, such as medicine, mathematics,
natural and applied sciences, and social sciences. In this manner, Islam
ensures that every individual is anchored to his faith while exploring new
horizon
•The analogy of flying a kite can be used to describe the
relationship between faith and reason, where faith is the string
and reason is the kite itself. There is always tension between
faith and reason just as there is between the kite and the
string; if for some reason the string is broken, the kite will fly off
in any direction. Similarly, if reason is not grounded in faith,
then it will wander in all directions without knowing its limit.
•Knowledge is integral or holistic as suggested by the
"tawhidic" worldview. There is no compartmentalization of
knowledge into religious and secular spheres. Both fard ‘ayn
and fard kifayah knowledge have the purpose of strengthening
faith, the former through careful study of the words of Allah in
the Holy Qur’an and the latter through a meticulous,
systematic study of the world of man and nature.
•Knowledge is integral to action, spirituality, and ethics. The
nature of the knowledge that provides the content of education
is the major concern of the curriculum, and these views of man
and knowledge have a great bearing upon Islamic education.
•
•Education (ta’dib, disciplining; some still prefer tarbiyah, upbringing) is
adab (proper way or virtue), progressively instilled in man. Adab refers to
the discipline of body, mind, and spirit. It endows the possessor with the
knowledge of the proper places of things or objects (hikmah) in the
scheme of Creation and subsequently to act in a just manner (`adl).
•Al Attas defines “education” as the progressive instilling of “the
recognition and acknowledgment of the proper place of things in the order
of creation, such that it leads to the recognition and acknowledgment of
the proper place of God in the order of being and existence” of mankind.
•Therefore the primary goal of education is to lead man to recognize and
acknowledge his Creator. This acknowledgment is manifested in
obedience and adherence to His commandments.
• In other words, the primary goal of Islamic education is to produce the
good being, who, by developing all his/her potentials accordingly, ensures
him or her to be the servant (`abd) and the vicegerent (khalifah) of Allah
who has undertaken the amanah (trust) of maintaining prosperity on
earth.
•To this effect education is designed to produce the God-
fearing (taqwa) servant of Allah who is aware of his
individual vertical relations with Allah (hablun min Allah) and
his social horizontal relations with his fellow man (hablun
min al-nas). Thus, in effect the primary goals of education
include spiritual, moral, social, intellectual, and physical
development with specific goals. There is no conflict
between societal and individual aims because there is unity
of purpose.
•Just as knowledge is a reflection of man, ideally the
curricular framework of an Islamic educational institution,
particularly at the tertiary level, should reflect knowledge.
The figure below illustrates the relationship between man,
knowledge, and curriculum. Just as man is of a dual nature -
having a body and a spirit - so also the curriculum should
possess a center or a core consisting of revealed knowledge
(‘ilm alnaqliyah), which fulfills the spiritual needs of the
individual, and acquired knowledge (‘ilm alnaqliyah), which
fulfills the physical and intellectual needs necessary for
societal development radiating from it.
•Both knowledges, fard ‘ayn and fard kifayah, are essential for
happiness in this world and the next. The balance between them
must be preserved. Being the core of the curriculum, fard ‘ayn
(revealed knowledge) will be required of all students. To fulfill the
requirement of fard kifayah (acquired knowledge), however,
students will choose to specialize in at least one field of study.
The Educational Goals
The Educational Goals
Education enjoys serious goals and big
social responsibilities. The specialists have
exerted great efforts for explicating such goals
and responsibilities. Yet, they have had
different viewpoints regarding the question of
defining those responsibilities. Some worked in
the frame of the spiritual goals while others
worked in the material. A third group looked
upon the social goals, and a fourth sought the
individual growth and the personal composition.
Spiritual Goals:

Some Islamic educationists have affirmed that the basic

purposes of education and learning are self-purity, self-chastity,
and the constructing of relations with God. This is the most
elevated purpose and the noblest intendment. Al-Ghezali says, “O
youngster! Many are the nights that you have passed with seeking
knowledge and scanning books, and you abstained from sleep. I
do not know your intendment. If it has been obtaining the concerns
of this world, collecting its wreckages, holding its positions, and
ostentation before the others, then woe is you! If your intendment
is enlivening the Prophet’s practices, refining your ethics, and
violating the bad-tending soul, then many happy returns will be
yours!”
A number of Islamic educationists specify self-purity as the
provisory of receiving knowledge. On that account, teachers used
to check one’s moralities before being accepted as a student. The
morally wrong ones were dismissed from classes so that they
would not use their knowledge in evildoings.
Froble says that education is supposed to make the
individuals feel their internal souls, realize nature, and confide in
God’s oneness. Likewise, it must lead the individuals to the sacred
pure life that is originated by the cognition of God, nature, and the
human spirit. He also affirms that the purpose of education should
be the presentation of a sacred pure life of sincerity and
goodness.
Master educationists have agreed upon the idea
of dismissing any edification, which does not
lead to perfection and self-discipline, out of the
circle of education. Willula says, “The purpose of
education is improving what our fathers
corrupted. We can achieve so by adopting the
accurate cognition of the Lord, cherishing Him,
and committing ourselves to His path through
virtues.”
As he asserts the moral aspect of education,
John Luke says, “Virtues are the leading
purposes of education.” The previous opinions
have focused lights on the moral and spiritual
aspects of education, ignoring the other aspects.
Material Goals:
A group of educationists believes that the
organization of the youth for obtaining their earnings
should be the main goal of education. Some English
educationists have named this goal as “bread and
butter goal.” This opinion, however, owns a value.
Human beings, as they tend to live persistently, are
required to gain the earnings and seek its means that
are actually the most imperative for awarding the
survival of the individuals and the dependants. It has
been said, “The learning of a profession is a security
against poverty.”
The wealthy should not rely upon their fortunes
and neglect professions and career. God has made the
lands usable, and instructed us to seek the various
ways and have from His sustenance; so, we should
show our sons how to seek their earnings..
This opinion is interested in the material aspects
exclusively.
Social Goals:
Some educationists have looked upon the matter from a
social aspect. Jean Beige says, “The most significant goal of
education is the attainment of the perfect boons of personalities,
and supporting the respect of others’ rights as well as the basic
rights. Education is responsible for substantiating the spirit of
conformity and familiarity among people, including the racial and
religious groups. It is also given the mission of developing the
activities that are practiced by the UN Organization for keeping
peace.”
Kondrsie says, “First of all, education should act for
enabling every individual to master the personal skills, and fulfill
the required social tasks completely, and develop the makings as
much as possible. In addition, it should share out the spirits of
equality among people. Otherwise, it will not achieve the political
equality that the law declares. The social goal of education is the
management of learning in a way that produces the industrial
development for achieving people’s contentment and enabling
them to act the necessary social duties.”
Islam has declared most of these goals as the basic principals of
the educational domains.
Individual Development:
Some educationists believe that the main goal of the
educational processes is the achievement of the individuals’
perfect growth according to their predispositions and capabilities.
The cultural heritage is regarded as one of the educational means.
Such a heritage should be organized psychologically for fitting the
various stages of development.
Other educationists added the estimation of the ethics, the
good behavior, and the activities in labor to the educational
processes. They also added self-will, self-reliance, and the
rectification of desires, respecting people’s rights, good relation
with the society, forbidding evil, presenting the environmental
factors, and working for developing the human societies, to the
goals of the educational processes.
Plato supposes that one of the educational goals should
be releasing the ignorant individuals from the bonds of
unawareness, and taking them from the world of gloom to that of
illumination and freedom. The highest mental natures should be
elevated to the ranks of practicing good deeds in this world.
More Goals
Philosophers of education state more goals that
achieve the individual development and self-assertion.
They are the well being, the emotional and social
duties, and the recognition of the natural world.
Other philosophers expose ten goals as the
most important in the education.
1. The development of the accurate ways of thinking.
2. The founding of useful habits that are related to labor
and lessons.
3. The development of the social trends.
4. The providing of a set of suitable tendencies.
5. The development of the artistic and aesthetic
aspects.
6. The development of social senses.
7. The development of individual-social concurrence.
8. The presentation of the principal information.
9. The development of physical conditions.
10. The development of a steady philosophy of life.