1- IDEALISM There are many misconceptions about the philosophy of education, most of which arise from the name itself, which really ought to be “idea-ism’. The name “Idealism” arose from ‘idea-ism’, the ‘1° being edded for euphony waich yields a more pleasing name, one easier to pronounce. Idealism is the correct usage as the school is distinct for its proclamation that ideas are real. Idealists believe that ideas are the only tue reality. It is not idealists reject matter (the material world}, but rather they hold thas the world is characterised by change, instability. and uncertainty, while some i are enduring. Thus idea-ism might be a more correct descriptive term for this. philosophy than idealism. ‘According to dictionary of philosophy: “Any system or doctrine whose fundamental interpretative principle is ideal is known as idealism.” Horne Writes: “Idealism is the conclusion that the universe is an expression intelligence and will, that the enduring substance of the world is of the nature of mind, that the material is explained by the mental”. It takes many and varied forms but the underlying principle is that the mental or spiritual is more than the material; the physical is not so important as the world of experiences. mind or ideas. 1.1- Key Concepts (A) Metaphysics To the idealists, only the mental or the spiritual is ultimately real. For them the universe is an expression of a highly generalized intelligence and will-—-a universal mind. The individual’s spiritual essence or soul, is durable and permanent. One's mind, of life Force, gives one vitality and dynamism. This world of ming and ideas is eternal, permanent. regular, and orderly. Represent perfect order, the eternal ideas are unalterable. Truth and values are absolute and universal. Idealists, such as the transcendentalists, have used the concepts of the macrocosm and the microcosm to explain their version of reality. Macrocosm refers to the universal mind, the first cause, creator, or God. Regardless of the particular name used, the macrocosmic mind is the whole of existence. It is the one, all-inclusive, and complete-self. of which the lesser-selves are parts. The universal, macrocosmic mind is continually thinking and valuing, the microcosm is a limited part of the whole---an individual and lesser self. But the microcosm is 129(C) Axiology To the idealist, values reflect the good inherent in the universe. They are absolute, eternal, and universal. Ethical conduct grows out of the permanent aspects of cultural heritage. Since the ethical core is contained within and transmitted by this heritage, philosophy, theology, history, literature, and art are rich value sources. Value education requires that the student be exposed to worthy models, especially the classics---the great works of the human race that have endured over time. 1.2- Fundamental Principles of Idealism (i) Idea is Real It is a system of philosophy, which believes that what is real is the idea of the object, which is at the conscious level of our mind and not the object that we see, which is a mere shadow of that idea. It thus, tries to explain physical objects also in terms of mind and consciousness. The idealists believe that material or physical universe is not complete expression of reality. To him, the physical world is the manifestation of some great spirit behind it. While the physical and material world is destructible and changeable, the spirit behind it is indestructible and unchangeable. - (ii) Man is Supreme Creation . According to idealism, ian being spiritual, is supreme creation of God. They believe that man has spirit or mind and through this spirit or mind he controls the environment. He is not simply an animal; it is this spirituality which distinguishes him from other animals. He can, therefore, create values and his aim is to realise the ultimate values of life. (iii) God is the Source of all Knowledge The idealists say that although man is a supreme creation of God and he can create values, yet he cannot find knowledge of ultimate reality from anyone elsewhere except God. The knowledge of the ultimate reality is not possible through the methods of observation, experimentation, reasoning, etc., which are true guides to the knowledge of the physical universe. Idealists advocate the use of intuition for knowing the ultimate. (iv) Values are Absolute Idealism believes in three spiritual values. They are ine Truth, the Beauty and the Goodness. The truth is an intellectual value, the beauty an aesthetic value itneal and the goodness a mora value. Together they constitute the “Good”. For Plato, these three values are identical to each other. As John Keats, the last born and the first to die of the romantic poets, has sung: “Beauty is Truth and Truth is Beauty. That’s all you know on earth and all you need to know’. These values are already there and the purpose of man is to discover them. Man cannot create values. Values are the essences. Essence precedes existence. 1,3- Idealism and Aims of Education According to idealists, following are the major aims of education: (i) Self-Realisation Idealists believe that man being spiritual, is a supreme creation of God. Hence, the human Personality is the noblest one. So, idealists assume that the foremost aim of education is to exalt his personality. This exaltion of human personality means self-realisation. The-aim of development of man is “a self-directed striving after a form to which it has inherent impulse”. Recognising the immense potentialities of a man, the idealists wish that the aim of education should be full realisation of these potentialities, thus developing the personality completely. The aim is to enable each one to become his highest, truest self’. This self-realisation is not to be achieved by becoming selfish and an isolated person, but the self-realisation must be achieved in social context. Truths of life can be established and affirmed only in the context of the society. According to Rusk, “education must enable mankind through its culture to enter more and more fully into the spiritual realm and also to enlarge the boundaries of the spiritual realm”. Man, the idealists believe, has two natures, original nature and spiritual nature. Education must convert original nature into spiritual nature. It must produce a pure, faithful. complete and therefore. holy life. “Man can only become man by education.” In other words “the divine in man is to be unfolded and brought to his consciousness by means of education.” This self-realisation is not the objective.in the case of a few selected personalities only: it should be the goal of educative effort for all. Each individual has to be provided with suitable environments and conditions that will be conducive to his self-realisation. (ii) Preservation of Culture Idealists give much importance to the spiritual and cultural possessions of the individual. At the same time, they contend that man has in him the powers of 132retaining and creating such values Hence. one of the premier tasks of education is to help in the process of transmission of the spiritual and cultural inheritance of man. They believe that through this transmission the preservation of culture can take place. (iii) Development of a Moral Sense The aim of education, according to idealism, is to develop the child's moral sense. so that he can distinguish between the right and the wrong. Education should enable him to develop a will power, so that he foliows the good and rejects evil. The child must develop a proper sense of values and should practice them in his own life. (iv) Development of Creative Powers Man is not like other animals. He has thinking and reasoning powers. It is these powers which lead to a creative genious in him. According to idealism, education should enable the individual to develop these powers and modify the existing environment for a better and fuller living. (v) Development of Complete Man The Idealists believe that physical development leads to intellectual development, which in turn leads to the pursuit of moral values. Thus, they believe in the development of the complete man. It is only a fully developed individual who can engage himself in the pursuit of higher ideals. (vi) Simple Living and High Thinking According to the Idealists this is also one of the aims of education. It is only the persons who practice this ideal who can pursue great ideals of life. It is only such an individual who can realise unity with the Creator. (vii) Universal Education The idealists believe that every man is equally the noblest work of God. Hence, self-realisation should not be confined to the favoured few, but should be universal in nature. They, therefore, advocate universal education. 1.4- Idealism and Process of Education (a) Idealism and Teacher Teacher plays an important role in teaching-learning process. The position of teacher in idealist scheme of education is vital. Idealism assigns a special role to the teacher. 133‘The teacher occupies an important place in the idealistic philosophy. He is a mature individual with an idealistic outlook and takes the child from darkness to light, Froebel has beautifully explained his position. According to his view, the school is like a garden, the teacher is like a gardener and the child is like a tender piant. This plant can only prosper if he receives due care and attention of the gardener. The teacher. through his mature guidance. can help the child to attain the finest possible perfection, i.e., truth. beauty and goodness. The idealists also expect the teacher to have an ideal character, because he is the friend, philosopher and guide of the child. He should be morally high, intellectually developed and culturally advanced. These qualities would enable the teacher to lay down an ideal track for the child to walk upon and realise his ultimate aim. According to Ross, “The educator constitutes the special en- vironmental factor, whose function is to lead the child nearer reality, to guide him towards his utmost possible perfection.” It is the teacher who provides the key to the educative process. He decides the opportunities for learning aad growing for the students and also sets the environment congenial for that. He has to organise the subject matter and is the mouthpiece through which the pupil learns it. He confronts the child as a master of knowledge, which the child is going to learn. In no other school of educational philosophy has the teacher such powers as he is bestowed upon by idealism. But idealism equally expects too much from the teacher in terms of his bearing and behaviour. The teacher is reality personified to the child. He must be a specialist in the knowledge of his subject. He must be able to command the respect of his pupils by virtue of his scholarship, his teaching, his concern for the students and his overall behaviour, rather than demanding it from them. He must awaken in the child the desire to learn. (b) Idealism and Pupil The student has certain attitude, aptitude and tendencies. He is hardworking, obedient, and dutiful. He struggles for traditional knowledge. He likes to involve himself in ideals rather than practical work. He discusses with the teacher but remains obedient. He' thinks that the teacher is the only person who gives him the true knowledge, so he tries to get benefits from the teacher. In teaching-learning process the student remains passive, the teacher gives something, and he receives those things. (©) Idealism and Curriculum The idealists approach the problem of curriculum from the domain of ideas and idealism. 13dPlato believes that the highest ideal of lite is the attainment of the highest good or God, and for this he has suggested that the curriculum should aim at the inculcation of the three spiritual values, i.e. Truth, Beauty and Goodness. These activities are as follows: (i) Physical Activities Aristotle believes that sound mind resides in a sound body. Hence, we find that health and physical education finds a due place in the curriculum. A good physical health leads to various bodily skills and the individual is fit to pursue spiritual values. Bodily skills acquired by the child would also enable him to master various kinds of handicrafts and manual crafts. (ii) Intellectual activities The sound mind of the child wants intelectual food. In order 10 fulfil this need of the child, the curriculum should include languages, literature, history, geography, mathematics and science. These should be studied as separate disciplines and would lead the child towards a broad fiberal education. (iii) Moral Activity ° The child also comes to develop a moral impulse. which leads to moral activity. Moral impulse can be enforced through art and poetry. Moral activities can be further encouraged through the teaching of religion and ethics. So, it may be concluded that the idealists give more importance to the snature of the child. They say that curriculum should emphasise the higher values like truth. Subjects like ethics, religion and arts find an important place in the curriculum. (d) Idealism and Method of Teaching According to idealists, there is no single and particular method of teaching. They may stress on the child and achieving the aims of education. Many idealists emphasise the use of ideal centred method of teaching. That is, while teaching any subject emphasis is placed upon dignity of man, and worth of human life. The classroom is a place where the mature mind of the teacher and immature minds of pupils meet. There is a bond of common purpose between the two. The mature person has the function of making the purpose clear. But the teacher must never feel his own importance. He must not intervene too much. He 135shouid not underestimate the competencies of his pupils. The teachers are only the mediators between knowledge and the pupils. Free response of children’ and initiative on their part must be encouraged. “The truly educative acts are those which go on within the private experiences of the leamer and are comprised of the student's own self activity. never of the artifices of the clever teacher”. The job of the teacher is to give the children an insight into deeper experiences than they already have. He should infuse faith and confidence in them. Children’s potentialities should be brought into play by providing stimulating experiences. Different idealists have emphasised different methods of teachin; 1. The two most important idealist contributors in the methodology of teaching are Pestalozzi and Froebel. Pestalozzi emphasised ethico-religious education of the child. He held that man couldn't live by bread alone. Every child needs religious development. Every child needs to know how to pray to God in all simplicity but with faith and love. Besides this element of spiritualism and idealism, his methods of teaching have psychological learnings and are naturalistic in outlook. i Froebel is also motivated by idealistic philosophy in his Kindergarten system. He believes in a process of development from within. His songs, gifts with their symbolism. and occupations are of a mystical nature. His conception of unity and continuity has an idealistic touch. His conception of the school also is in the same strain. He regards the school as a garden and the teacher as a gardener whose function is to tend carefully the little human plants in his charge and to help them to grow to beauty and perfection. For classroom practice. idealists would encourage the use of the discussion and the Jecture methods. The discussion method of learning. which is popularly known as the Socratic method. involves questioning and discussion. Idealists value the use of well-prepared and presented lectures. Lecture should not be a phonographic recitation of facts but a scholarly exposition. It should also not be delivered in an autocratic way. It shouid be participatory. This seems true that different idealists suggest different methods of teaching. Some idealists suggest that discussion method is more appropriate for teaching students. Some emphasise that lecture method is more helpful to teach different subjects to students while others have laid stress on learning through reading and leaning through imitation. (e) Idealism and Discipline Most of the idealists say that the children should have freedom but in their activities they should seek guidance from teachers and some other knowledgeable persons. 136The idealists believe that the complete development of the child is only possible under perfect discipline. A disciplined life would enable him to have a disciplined mind. It would help him in realising his best self and pursue spiritual goals as well. Freedom does not mean licence or waywardness. It implies responsibility. It should be regulated and guided freedom, restrained freedom. Their emphasis is on “self-discipline’. They believe that human behaviour should have internal controls rather than such external controls as praises and punishments. The place of ‘volition’ in discipline is highly valued. There are some idealists who believe that “every one is born free and brings the right of personal freedom into the world with him.” Froebel, the apostle of ‘freedom of child,’ on the contrary, believes, that “man is born entirely fettered on all sides, and truly for this reason, that he can and must obtain freedom only by his own striving. Freedom cannot be bestowed upon us. God himself cannot bestow freedom upon us, since it must be the product of our moral and intellectual unfettering, which it is possible to attain only by self activity. Every individual has to free himself from the various fetters of his undeveloped conditions of childhood by the help of educative influences.” It is, therefore, “the task of the educator to act on mind and conscience in such a way as to render them capable of thinking and judging of themselves to determine initiative, arouse spontaneity and fashion human beings into freedom”. The course of training is to bring the child to adapt himself to a specially prepared environment; not only submitting himself to its necessities but also controlling it as he increases in strength and skill; at the same time he learns to participate in the government of others of his own age, and in turn to submit voluntarily to their government.” Sometimes freedom becomes a problem for the educator. But if freedom is connected with creation, self-activity and originality, it cannot remain a problem. The whole emphasis is upon self-education rather than upon imposition by external forces. The children must understand the intrinsic values of doing certain things. They must know the ideals, which are conducive to the realisation of spiritual potentialities. While the idealists advocate freedom, they emphasise the importance of guidance by the teacher. In both the personal and impersonal ways of impressing upon the children, the goodness of obedience must be resorted to. With due allowance for freedom, the idealists believe in strict discipline. The students are required to submit to laws and regulations and they have “not to reason why.” It is through hard and rigorous life that they will learn higher values of life like sympathy, co-operation, and devotion to duty. 137