What is Philosophy?

The term has been derived from the two Greek words, ‘Philos’ means love and ‘Sophia’
means wisdom. Quite literally, the term "philosophy" means, "love of wisdom."
It is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge,
values, reason, mind and language.
Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. It is sometimes
considered as a group of theories or system of thoughts by which it sought to
understand the world, its meaning and its values.

Philosophy endeavors to understand all that comes within the bound of human
experience. It aims at fundamental understanding of things the problem of human
conduct, the assumptions that underlie religious or scientific beliefs, the tools and
methods of thinking, or any issue that arises in any field of human activity.

Philosophy seeks to provide a complete account of man’s world. It is reflective and

critical in nature. It is concerned with critical examination of the fundamental notions and
assumptions in any field that falls within human experience.
Philosophy wants to understand man in relation to the whole universe nature and God.
Philosophy deals with the nature of human mind and personality, and with the ways in
which man and his institutions can be understood. Philosophy seeks to understand
whether man is free or within bondage, and whether he can change the course of
history.

From the above we may conclude that philosophy is a “search for a comprehensive
view of nature, an attempt at universal explanation of the nature of things.”

The word philosophy means “the love of wisdom.” Wisdom is not only knowledge.

One may have knowledge, but he may not be wise. Wisdom constitutes knowledge plus
its implications in all circumstances. Thus, philosophy gives man that wisdom with the
help of which he understands the whole universe and the implications of the same in
reason to himself and all the people around.

Plato also defined Philosophy as a process of constant questioning, and questioning

necessarily takes the form of dialogue.

We know that it is a human nature to constantly think and ask questions. Our mind is
always filled with lots of questions from the philosophical point of view. A person may
ask, who am I? What is the purpose of my existence? Or you might be asking questions
like, does God exist and if yes, can you prove it? From these questions, we can imply
the importance of philosophy in education and that of providing the student the ability to
synthesize, criticize, assimilate, and evaluate various knowledge brought by human
society, its processes and activity.
Education is defined as any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind,
character or physical ability of an individual (Rangan, 2018). In its technical sense,
education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated
knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another.

Education refers to the process of learning and acquiring information. Education is the
acquisition of knowledge. Education can be divided into two main types: formal learning
through an institution such as a school and self-taught learning or what is often termed
life experience. Generally, education is important for learning basic life skills, as well as
learning advanced skills that can make a person more attractive in the job market.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, education is the action or process of

educating or of being educated. Thus, from these definitions, we might assume that the
purpose of education is to develop the knowledge, skill, or character of students.

When we speak of philosophies, we are referring to sets of beliefs that would inform us
how to live, how to work and how to interact with other people. But in our field because
we would become future teachers, philosophies of education would mean the sets of
beliefs that would inform us how to teach, what to teach and why teach.

Philosophy of Education is the application of the fundamental principles of a philosophy

of life to the work of education. It addresses philosophical questions concerning the
nature, aims, and problems of education. It also offers a definite set of principles and
establishes a definite set of aims and objectives. Guides decisions and actions:
determining how you teach and what kind of teacher/school leader you are.

It gives direction and points of destination to the teachers, administrators, and

supervisors in formulating their educational aims and objectives to be achieved, in
selecting and organizing subject matters to be taught, in selecting methods of teaching
and techniques to be used and evaluate the results of teaching and learning.
It explains the perspective or the philosophy of the teacher conducting the session or
the course from the viewpoint of the student. It talks about the motivations behind the
curriculum and the strategies that work best for the teachers.
All teachers have their own personal philosophy that colors the way they teach.
Their educational philosophy consists of what they believe in about education– The set
of principles that guides them in their professional action.
As a future educator, our beliefs and our own philosophy of education will
influence all the activities in the classroom from how we teach, what we teach, how we
manage our classroom, how we relate to students, parents, and colleagues, and how
we conduct our professional life.

What does a philosophy of education contain or include?

It includes your concept about:

 the human person, the learner in particular and the educated person
 what is true and good and therefore must be taught
 how a learner must be taught in order to come close to the truth

Here are the reasons on why it is important for teachers to study or have
knowledge about Philosophy of Education

1. Helps to Decipher the Path of Learning

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. Affects the Society

Teachers are termed as the future makers of the community. People like you are
the ones who help students choose different professions and identities. A teacher can
leave a profound impact on students and help them make independent decisions in the
near future.

The core values that your students learn from you today are going to be applied
and used in society as they grow up. A solid philosophical background will help ensure
that these values are all positive.

If you believe in breaking stereotypes, there are high chances your students will
follow the same philosophical path. If your philosophy is accepting the already existing
theories, rather than questioning them, your students might follow your path.

Understanding the philosophy of education will teach them the need to know the whys.
Along with the intellectual development of the students, it will also improve the
standards of our society and make us more rational.

3. To Be in Their Shoes

Teachers would also be able to know how students or learners perceive their
actions. As a future educator, we would be able to view and analyze situations from
the perspective of our students. This will also help us adapt better teaching
strategies and guidance, eventually resulting in improved results.
Best of all, a teacher would be able to analyze his/her actions and understand the
positives and negatives of their methods. Just as if it helps students, it helps them as
well. In other words, the educational curriculum consisting of philosophy contributes to
discovering the mind of the learner (student), thus aid him/her in offering experiences
and opportunities for cultivating his/her potential abilities.

2. To Avoid Being Judgmental

Philosophy of education also teaches a teacher the concept of not prejudicing

the personality of each student. Remember that you need to consider all students equal
but, this should not affect the unique potential and capabilities of each student.

As educators, you are required to teach creativity, autonomy, and curiosity to

all students without compromising their intellectual levels. The idea is to avoid giving up
on a pupil, who is a low-level learner. Philosophy teaches you that ideology, where you
train with an unbiased attitude.

3. To Teach the Concept of Unification

Philosophy also teaches about unifying each pupil and the teacher as one
body to ensure harmony. The idea is to work together to create a better citizen, who
diligently serves his community and keeps check on his/her morality.

Through the philosophy of education, teachers can understand how to deal with the
students and unite them as one. Even the students will then be able to confidently
speak to the teacher as if he/she is their friend.

All educational activities, from classroom practice to curriculum decisions to

the setting of policies at the school, district, inevitably rest upon philosophical
assumptions, claims, and positions. Consequently, thoughtful and defensible
educational practice depends upon philosophical awareness and understanding. To that
extent, the philosophy of education is essential to the proper guidance of educational
practice. Knowledge of philosophy of education would benefit not only teachers,
administrators, and policy makers at all levels but also students, parents, and citizens
generally. Societies that value education and desire that it be conducted in a thoughtful
and informed way ignore the philosophy of education at their peril. Its relevance, reach,
and potential impact make it perhaps the most fundamental and wide-ranging area of
applied philosophy.

Now, let’s proceed to the Nature of Philosophy of Education.

Philosophy of education is one of the areas of applied philosophy.
There are three branches of philosophy namely:
1. Metaphysics- what is real to you?
2. Epistemology- how do we know?
3. Axiology- values
Ethics – morality, behavior
 Aesthetics – beauty, comfort
 METAPHYSICS

Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that investigates principles of reality transcending

those of any particular science. It is concerned with explaining the fundamental nature
of being and the world. Metaphysics is the study of the nature of things. Metaphysicians
ask what kinds of things exist, and what they are like. They reason about such things as
whether or not people have free will, in what sense abstract objects can be said to exist,
and how it is that brains are able to generate minds.

 AXIOLOGY

- Axiology is the study of values and how those values come about in a society.
Axiology seeks to understand the nature of values and value judgments. It is
closely related to two other realms of philosophy: ethics and aesthetics. All
three branches deal with worth.

- Ethics is concerned with goodness, trying to understand what good is and

what it means to be good.

- Aesthetics is concerned with beauty and harmony, trying to understand

beauty and what it means or how it is defined. Axiology is a necessary
component of both ethics and aesthetics, because one must use concepts of
 worth to define “goodness” or “beauty,” and therefore one must understand
what is valuable and why. Understanding values helps us to determine
motive.
-
- When children ask questions like “why do we do this?” or “how come?” they
are asking axiological questions. They want to know what it is that motivates
us to take action or refrain from action. The parent says not to take a cookie
from the jar. The child wonders why taking a cookie from the jar is wrong and
argues with the parent. The parent often tires of trying to explain and simply
replies, “Because I said so.” The child will stop arguing if he values the
established authority (or if he fears the punishment of disobeying). On the
other hand, the child may stop arguing simply because he respects his
parent. In this example, the value is either authority or respect, depending on
the values of the child. Axiology asks, “Where did these values come from?
Can either of these values be called good? Is one better than another? Why?”
-
 Aesthetics: the study of basic philosophical questions about art and
beauty.

 Ethics: the study of moral values and conduct.

What values should teachers encourage students to adopt? What values does a truly
educated person hold?

Highlights the fact that the teacher has an interest not only in the quantity of knowledge
that students acquire but also the quality of life that becomes possible because of that
knowledge.

 EPISTEMOLOGY

Epistemology is the philosophical study of the nature, origin, and limits of human
knowledge. The term is derived from the Greek epistēmē (“knowledge”) and logos
(“reason”), and accordingly the field is sometimes referred to as the theory of knowledge
(Stroll & Martinich, 2021). According to Landauer and Rowlands (2001), epistemology
is the study of our method of acquiring knowledge. It answers the question, "How do we
know?" It encompasses the nature of concepts, the constructing of concepts, the validity
of the senses, logical reasoning, as well as thoughts, ideas, memories, emotions, and
all things mental. It is concerned with how our minds are related to reality, and whether
these relationships are valid or invalid.

Epistemology (ways of knowing about the world)

 Knowing based on authority

 Knowing based on divine revelation
 Knowing based on empiricism (experience)
 Knowing based on reason and logical analysis
 Knowing based on intuition

It is the explanation of how we think. It is required in order to be able to determine the

true from the false, by determining a proper method of evaluation. It is needed in order
to use and obtain knowledge of the world around us. Without epistemology, we could
not think. More specifically, we would have no reason to believe our thinking was
productive or correct, as opposed to random images flashing before our mind. With an
incorrect epistemology, we would not be able to distinguish truth from error. The
consequences are obvious. The degree to which our epistemology is correct is the
degree to which we could understand reality, and the degree to which we could use that
knowledge to promote our lives and goals.

Thus, as a future educator, you need to determine what is true about the content you
will teach, then you must decide on the most appropriate means of teaching this content
to students.

The term has been derived from the two Greek words, ‘Philos’ means love and
‘Sophia’ means wisdom. Quite literally, the term "philosophy" means, "love of
wisdom." It is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence,
knowledge, values, reason, mind and language. Such questions are often posed
as problems to be studied or resolved. 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.
Philosophy is sometimes considered as a group of theories or system of thoughts by
which it sought to understand the world, its meaning and its values.
Philosophy endeavors to understand all that comes within the bound of human
experience. It aims at fundamental understanding of things the problem of human
conduct, the assumptions that underlie religious or scientific beliefs, the tools and
methods of thinking, or any issue that arises in any field of human activity.
Philosophy seeks to provide a complete account of man’s world. It is reflective and
critical in nature. It is concerned with critical examination of the fundamental notions and
assumptions in any field that falls within human experience.

Plato also defined Philosophy as a process of constant questioning, and questioning

necessarily takes the form of dialogue. We know that it is a human nature to constantly
think and ask questions. Our mind is always filled with lots of questions from the
philosophical point of view. A person may ask, who am I? What is the purpose of my
existence? Or you might be asking questions like, does God exist and if yes, can you
prove it? From these questions, we can imply the importance of philosophy in education
and that of providing the student the ability to synthesize, criticize, assimilate, and
evaluate various knowledge brought by human society, its processes and activity.

Now let’s proceed to the definition of education. So, what is education?

Education refers to the process of learning and acquiring information. Education
is the acquisition of knowledge. Education can be divided into two main types: formal
learning through an institution such as a school and self-taught learning or what is often
termed life experience. Generally, education is important for learning basic life skills, as
well as learning advanced skills that can make a person more attractive in the job
market.
Also, according to Rangan, 2018 education is any act or experience that has a
formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual.
Education is the action or process of educating or of being educated. Thus, from these
definitions, we might assume that the purpose of education is to develop the knowledge,
skill, or character of students.

 The philosophical study of education and its problems. Its central subject
matter is education, and its methods are those of philosophy. It is the
application of the fundamental principles of a philosophy of life to the work of
education. Considered with what ought to be in educational practice.
Philosophy of Education is the application of the fundamental principles of a
philosophy of life to the work of education. It addresses philosophical
 questions concerning the nature, aims, and problems of education. It also
offers a definite set of principles and establishes a definite set of aims and
objectives. Guides decisions and actions: determining how you teach and
what kind of teacher/school leader you are.
Philosophy of education is a statement that identifies and clarifies the beliefs, values
and understandings of an individual or group with respect to education. It influences
what subjects or topics are taught, how they are taught, and perhaps more importantly,
the supporting beliefs and values that are taught, both implicitly and explicitly, within and
around the core curriculum.
It gives direction and points of destination to the teachers, administrators, and
supervisors in formulating their educational aims and objectives to be achieved,
in selecting and organizing subject matters to be taught, in selecting methods of
teaching and techniques to be used and evaluate the results of teaching and
learning. Philosophy of education provides the educational planners, administrators
and educators with the right vision which guides them to attain the educational goals
efficiently. Philosophy of education performs various functions. Like Determining the
aims of education, Harmonizing old and new traditions in the field of education,
Providing the educational planners, administrators and educators with the progressive
vision to achieve educational development, Preparing the young generation to face the
challenges of the modern time.
A philosophy of education represents answers to questions about the purpose of
schooling, a teacher’s role, and what should be thought and by what methods.
When we speak of philosophies, we are referring to sets of beliefs that would inform us
how to live, how to work and how to interact with other people. But in our field because
we would become future teachers, philosophies of education would mean the sets of
beliefs that would inform us how to teach, what to teach and why teach.
It explains the perspective or the philosophy of the teacher conducting the session or
the course from the viewpoint of the student. It talks about the motivations behind the
curriculum and the strategies that work best for the teachers.

All teachers have their own personal philosophy that colors the way they teach.
Their educational philosophy consists of what they believe in about education– The set
of principles that guides them in their professional action.

As a future educator, our beliefs and our own philosophy of education will
influence all the activities in the classroom from how we teach, what we teach, how we
manage our classroom, how we relate to students, parents, and colleagues, and how
we conduct our professional life.
It is both part of the field of education and a field of applied philosophy, drawing
from fields of: metaphysics, epistemology, axiology and the philosophical
approaches to address issues relating to education.
What does a philosophy of education contain or include?
It includes your concept about:
• the human person, the learner in particular and the educated person
• what is true and good and therefore must be taught
• how a learner must be taught in order to come close to the truth
Here are the reasons on why it is important for teachers to study or have
knowledge about Philosophy of Education

1. Helps to Decipher the Path of Learning

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. Affects the Society

Teachers are termed as the future makers of the community. People like you
are the ones who help students choose different professions and identities. A
teacher can leave a profound impact on students and help them make independent
decisions in the near future.

The core values that your students learn from you today are going to be
applied and used in society as they grow up. A solid philosophical background will
help ensure that these values are all positive.
 If you believe in breaking stereotypes, there are high chances your students
will follow the same philosophical path. If your philosophy is accepting the already
existing theories, rather than questioning them, your students might follow your path.

Understanding the philosophy of education will teach them the need to know the
whys. Along with the intellectual development of the students, it will also improve the
standards of our society and make us more rational.

3. To Be in Their Shoes

Teachers would also be able to know how students or learners perceive their
actions. As a future educator, we would be able to view and analyze situations from
the perspective of our students. This will also help us adapt better teaching
strategies and guidance, eventually resulting in improved results.

Best of all, a teacher would be able to analyze his/her actions and understand the
positives and negatives of their methods. Just as if it helps students, it helps them as
well. In other words, the educational curriculum consisting of philosophy contributes
to discovering the mind of the learner (student), thus aid him/her in offering
experiences and opportunities for cultivating his/her potential abilities.

2. To Avoid Being Judgmental

Philosophy of education also teaches a teacher the concept of not

prejudicing the personality of each student. Remember that you need to consider all
students equal but, this should not affect the unique potential and capabilities of
each student. As educators, you are required to teach creativity, autonomy, and
curiosity to all students without compromising their intellectual levels. The idea is to
avoid giving up on a pupil, who is a low-level learner. Philosophy teaches you that
ideology, where you train with an unbiased attitude.

3. To Teach the Concept of Unification

 Philosophy also teaches about unifying each pupil and the teacher as one
body to ensure harmony. The idea is to work together to create a better citizen, who
diligently serves his community and keeps check on his/her morality.

Through the philosophy of education, teachers can understand how to deal with the
students and unite them as one. Even the students will then be able to confidently
speak to the teacher as if he/she is their friend.

All educational activities, from classroom practice to curriculum

decisions to the setting of policies at the school, district, inevitably rest upon
philosophical assumptions, claims, and positions. Consequently, thoughtful and
defensible educational practice depends upon philosophical awareness and
understanding. To that extent, the philosophy of education is essential to the proper
guidance of educational practice. Knowledge of philosophy of education would
benefit not only teachers, administrators, and policy makers at all levels but also
students, parents, and citizens generally. Societies that value education and desire
that it be conducted in a thoughtful and informed way ignore the philosophy of
education at their peril. Its relevance, reach, and potential impact make it perhaps
the most fundamental and wide-ranging area of applied philosophy.

Philosophy of Education has an important role to play in preparing for a career

in teaching. First, it enables teachers to acquire a grasp of the conceptual field
of education and an ability to find their way around the often contested views
within that field, which in turn impinge upon the normative structure of
particular education systems. Second, it enables them to understand better
the conceptual debates that involve the subjects that they are teaching. Third,
it enables teachers to understand the scope and limits of empirical research in
education and the relationships between that research and conceptual issues
in education.

Now, let’s proceed to the Nature of Philosophy of Education.

Philosophy of education is one of the areas of applied philosophy.

There are three branches of philosophy namely:
1. Metaphysics- what is real to you?
2. Epistemology- how do we know?
3. Axiology- values
 Ethics – morality, behavior
 Aesthetics – beauty, comfort

 METAPHYSICS

Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy that investigates principles of reality transcending

those of any particular science. It is concerned with explaining the fundamental nature
of being and the world. Metaphysics is the study of the nature of things. Metaphysicians
ask what kinds of things exist, and what they are like. They reason about such things as
whether or not people have free will, in what sense abstract objects can be said to exist,
and how it is that brains are able to generate minds.

 AXIOLOGY

- Axiology is the study of values and how those values come about in a society.
Axiology seeks to understand the nature of values and value judgments. It is
closely related to two other realms of philosophy: ethics and aesthetics. All
three branches deal with worth.

- Ethics is concerned with goodness, trying to understand what good is and

what it means to be good.

- Aesthetics is concerned with beauty and harmony, trying to understand

beauty and what it means or how it is defined. Axiology is a necessary
component of both ethics and aesthetics, because one must use concepts of
worth to define “goodness” or “beauty,” and therefore one must understand
what is valuable and why. Understanding values helps us to determine
motive.
-
- When children ask questions like “why do we do this?” or “how come?” they
are asking axiological questions. They want to know what it is that motivates
us to take action or refrain from action. The parent says not to take a cookie
from the jar. The child wonders why taking a cookie from the jar is wrong and
argues with the parent. The parent often tires of trying to explain and simply
replies, “Because I said so.” The child will stop arguing if he values the
 established authority (or if he fears the punishment of disobeying). On the
other hand, the child may stop arguing simply because he respects his
parent. In this example, the value is either authority or respect, depending on
the values of the child. Axiology asks, “Where did these values come from?
Can either of these values be called good? Is one better than another? Why?”
 Aesthetics: the study of basic philosophical questions about art and
beauty.

 Ethics: the study of moral values and conduct.

What values should teachers encourage students to adopt? What values does a truly
educated person hold?

Highlights the fact that the teacher has an interest not only in the quantity of knowledge
that students acquire but also the quality of life that becomes possible because of that
knowledge.

 EPISTEMOLOGY

Epistemology is the philosophical study of the nature, origin, and limits of human
knowledge. The term is derived from the Greek epistēmē (“knowledge”) and logos
(“reason”), and accordingly the field is sometimes referred to as the theory of knowledge
(Stroll & Martinich, 2021). According to Landauer and Rowlands (2001), epistemology
is the study of our method of acquiring knowledge. It answers the question, "How do we
know?" It encompasses the nature of concepts, the constructing of concepts, the validity
of the senses, logical reasoning, as well as thoughts, ideas, memories, emotions, and
all things mental. It is concerned with how our minds are related to reality, and whether
these relationships are valid or invalid.

Epistemology (ways of knowing about the world)

 Knowing based on authority

 Knowing based on divine revelation
 Knowing based on empiricism (experience)
 Knowing based on reason and logical analysis
  Knowing based on intuition

It is the explanation of how we think. It is required in order to be able to determine the

true from the false, by determining a proper method of evaluation. It is needed in order
to use and obtain knowledge of the world around us. Without epistemology, we could
not think. More specifically, we would have no reason to believe our thinking was
productive or correct, as opposed to random images flashing before our mind. With an
incorrect epistemology, we would not be able to distinguish truth from error. The
consequences are obvious. The degree to which our epistemology is correct is the
degree to which we could understand reality, and the degree to which we could use that
knowledge to promote our lives and goals.

Thus, as a future educator, you need to determine what is true about the content you
will teach, then you must decide on the most appropriate means of teaching this content
to students.

In life it is important to understand who you are as a person, what you believe in and what you hold to
be real. These values are important because they dictate what you do in your life as well as how you act
and react to situations that you may face. This concept holds no less importance or value in the
profession of teaching. Who you are as a person and what you believe in controls what you will be like
as a teacher. Your philosophy as a teacher is important because it leads to, among other aspects, exactly
how you present yourself, your material and how you develop you students. Figuring out what precisely
your personal philosophy is helps you to understand what kind of teacher you want to be.