Idealism Vs.

Realism

Idealism and Realism relate to teaching and student learning because teachers tend to
teach through an idealist’s perspective verses a realist’s perspective. Idealism is an old
philosophy that begins with Plato (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, 2011, p. 170); “Plato taught
his philosophy in the ancient Greek city-state of Athens” (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, 2011,
p. 170). It is a philosophy in which reality is said to be spiritual or nonmaterial in
essence (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, 2011, p. 538). Idealists believe through
epistemology that knowing is of latent ideas—these ideas have already existed in the
Mind of God. For idealists, values are universal, absolute, and eternal—axiology
(Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, 2011, p. 168).

Idealists respond to questions through universal spiritual truths. Education, to idealists,

“is the intellectual process of bringing these ideas into the learner’s consciousness”
(Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, 2011, p. 171). Everything exists on an intellectual
level. Idealism says everything is known before we know or teach it. Idealists teachers
would bring about latent ideas through the Socratic Method—“the teacher stimulates the
learner’s awareness of ideas by asking leading questions” (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek,
2011, p. 172). Idealism seeks to create intellectual beings and places. Teachers who
follow idealism guide the students to realize their intellectual potential (Ornstein, Levine,
Gutek, 2011, p. 172).

On the other hand, realism is outside of our minds. Aristotle said is it not latent or
based on internal minds; “Realism is a philosophy that considers reality to be objective
and dualistic in nature. Reality has both a material and a formal or structural
component” (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, 2011, p. 541). Reality is outside our minds—the
world is of real existence not made by human beings, but that human mind can know
about the real world. This knowledge is the most reliable guide to individual behavior
(Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, 2011, p. 173).

Realists believe, “knowledge of these subjects [history, languages, sciences, and

mathematics] informs us about the world in which we lives; this knowledge is our best
guide in conducting our daily affairs” (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, 2011, p. 175). In their
classrooms, teachers who are realists teach students about the world through
reality. They teach skills such as reading, writing, and computation and other subjects
that include history, mathematics, and science (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, 2011, p. 175).
Realism fits best with my own views of reality. I believe knowledge of subjects informs
students about the world we live in. I also believe knowing skills such a reading and
writing influences each child’s knowledge for our world around us. Realism makes more
sense to me even with the knowledge I have about God and cultural values. I feel like
in today’s society, subject matter should be based on humanistic and scientific
disciplines. There are so many different beliefs and cultures in public schools in today’s
society.

References:

Ornstein, A. C., Levine, D. U., & Gutek, G. L. (2011). Foundations of Education (11th ed.
p.57-126 ) Belmont, California: Wadsworth.