PHILOSOPHY

What is Philosophy?

Philosophy can be defined as a set of ideas that answer question about the nature of reality and
about the meaning of life.

The word Philosophy came from the Greek word Philo which means love and Sophie which
means wisdom.

• Ontology examines issues related to nature, existence or being.

• Cosmology is related with the nature and origin of the universe
Metaphysics

• Is concerned with the nature of knowledge - how we come to

know about things, or how we acquire knowledge.
Epistemology

• Ethics related to issues in morality and conduct

• Aesthetics is concerned with beauty
Axialogy

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

What is Philosophy of Education?

Philosophy of Education is a set of related beliefs that influence what and how students are
taught. Teacher’s philosophy of educations guides their behavior or performance in the classroom.
Guide questions in making philosophical statement

 What is the purpose of education?

 What content and skills should schools develop?
 How should schools teach the content of the curriculum?
 What are the roles of the students and teachers in the teaching learning process?
 How should learning be assessed?

PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS OF EDUCATION

Philosophies present generalized views of reality.

1. Idealism

Idealism contends that reality lies in our consciousness or our intellect. Idealists believe
that perfect knowledge of the ideal resided outside humans as an Absolute or as God. They
believe that the spiritual essence or soul is the permanent element of human nature that gives
them the power to think and feel.

Idealism envisions schools that are intellectual centers of teaching and learning, where
teachers guide the students to realize their intellectual potential and appreciate the finest and
enduring achievements of culture.

Idealist Teachers:

 Believe that the schools are the repositories of eternal truth which have organized the
hierarchical curriculum in education
 Believe that on top of this hierarchy are the most important subjects that cultivate abstract
thinking – Philosophy, Theology and Mathematics
 Believe that teachers should lead exemplary lives and be models for students to imitate

2. Realism

Realism advocates that reality is outside of our minds. They are not internal to our
minds as idealists claim. Realists believe that the objects we perceive exist independently of the
mind, that whether or not we perceive these objects, they really exist in the world.
 For the realists, the purpose of education is to teach students about the world in which
they live. That the most accurate and efficient way of learning is through the curriculum of
organized and classified subject – matter discipline.

Realist Teachers:

 Believe that teachers should be equipped with a wide repertoire of methods in teaching to
achieve their goals.
 Believe that their primary responsibility is to bring students ideas about the world into reality.
 Believe that he inclusion of non-academic activities interfere with the school’s primary purpose
as a center of disciplined academic inquiry.

3. Pragmatism

Pragmatism evaluates the truth and meaning of ideas according to their physical
consequences and practical value. It emphasizes the need to test the validity of these ideas by acting
on them. The best way to validate ideas empirically is by using the scientific method. For
pragmatists, if something works, it is true.

John Dewey, a pragmatist, related education as preparation for life. He believed that the
function of education was to enhance human potential to be able to adapt to a constantly changing
world. Students should be trained to construct knowledge as they interact in the world. Pragmatists
believe that the students should be encouraged to do research and apply them to the solution of a
problem.