THREE PHILOSOPHIES

NAME: FUSHEINI IDDRISU STUDENT ID#: 2220100362

1. IDEALISM
2. REALISM
3. NEO-SCHOLASTICISM
Idealism
• This is considered to be one of the oldest philosophical
systems, whose main proponent was the Greek philosopher
Plato (who was a student of Socrates)
• To Plato people should concern themselves primarily with the
search for truth – because truth is perfect and eternal and
cannot be found in matter which is imperfect and constantly
changing
Example: In mathematics we can see the demonstration of
such universal truths. Concepts such as 2+2=4 or that all points
of a perfect circle are equidistant from the centre always have
to be true. Mathematics demonstrate that universal truth can
be found
• To Plato we must search for other universal truths in politics, society and
education. The philosopher should search for absolute truth.
• Truth can be pursued through the use dialectic or critical discussion
• Idealism advocates that ideas constitute what is real and permanent, i.e.
ideas are the only true reality. Idealism also emphasizes the spiritual
component of man, i.e. man is a spiritual being.
• Education is the process of development of a person, his/her conscious and
spiritual self. The ultimate responsibility for learning rests with learners. The
school exists to develop his character, increase his knowledge and cultivate his
aesthetic taste. The teacher is expected to be a model, friend and guide to the
learners.
• Other idealists beside Plato were Rene Decartes, Immanuel Kant. Georg
Hegel, Augustine.
Goal of Education
• Educators are interested in the search for truth through ideas
rather than through the examination of the false shadowy world of
matter.
• Educators encourage students to search for truth as individuals.
• Education is transformation: ideas can change lives.
Role of Teacher
• Deals with abstract notions through dialectic method & connecting
analysis with action
• Active, poses questions, selecting materials and establishing an
environment to ensure the desired outcomes.
• A role model to be imitated by students
Methods of Instruction
• Teacher is active in students’ learning
• Lecturing but particularly using dialectic approach
• Through questioning, student encouraged to discuss, analyze,
synthesize, and apply what whey have read
• Students are encouraged to work in groups/ individually on research
projects, both oral and written
Curriculum
• Examining the roots of the contemporary problems in the past
(great literature/classics, etc.)
• Education at any level should teach students to think
• Subject-matter curriculum
• Back-to-basics approach in education
Realism
• Traced back to Aristotle, another Greek philosopher.
According to this school, matter or objects that we see exist
by themselves – stones, trees, etc.
• They exist absolutely whether or not there is a human mind
to perceive their existence. In other words, matter is not a
construct of human mind.
• Although ideas might be important in themselves, a proper
study of matter could lead to better and more distinct ideas
• To Aristotle ideas (forms) such as the idea of God or the
idea of a tree can exist without matter, but no matter can
exist without form
• Forms (universals, ideas) are the nonmaterial aspects of each particular
material object that relate to all other particular objects of that class.
• To Aristotle, the forms of things, the universal properties of objects remain
constant and never change but particular components do change
Example: People differ in their particular properties – shapes, size, colour, etc.
Yet all people share in something universal called “humanness”
• Forms remain constant although particular matter changes
• Both Aristotle and Plato agreed that form is constant and matter is always
changing, but Aristotle believed that form is within particular matter and is
the motivating force of that matter.
• Studying the material aspects of something (an acorn, human beings, etc.)
should to a deeper contemplation of what that thing is – its essence or form.
• Secular realism led to the scientific method
• Other realists include Thomas Aquinas, Francis Bacon, Bertrand Russell, etc.
Goal of Education
• To develop intellectual abilities in students
• To equip students with information to unable them understand current
events (Tabula Rasa)

Role of the Teacher

• Should have a solid grounding in science, mathematics, and the humanities.
• Teacher’s responsibility is to teach skills and disciplined knowledge
• Teacher should be competent in a specific subject matter
• Teacher presents ideas in a clear & consistent manner & demonstrates that
there are definite ways to judge works of art, music, poetry and literature
• Enables students to learn objective methods of evaluating works of art,
music, poetry and literature
Methods of Instruction
• Lecture, question & answer (formal ways of teaching)
• Inductive & scientific reasoning
• Competency-based assessments as a way ensuring that students
learned what they are being taught
• Emphasis on critical reason aided by observation (our experiences)
& experimentation
• Emphasizing realistic novels such as Oliver Twist, Great
Expectations, For Whom the Bell Tolls etc. to give life’s laws and
principles and such novels are the keys for students to reach the
ideal world through material world
• Stressing precision and accuracy in math, science, social studies
and writing
Curriculum
• Curriculum consists of the basics – mathematics, science, reading
etc.
• Attention is given to didactic & object studies in education (use of
pictures, TV, videos in educational process)
• Use of objects in education (Montessori)
• Emphasis is on subject matter (highly organized & systematic in
approach)
Educational Implications of Realism
• The ultimate educational aim is achievement of knowledge
of nature and inner workings of the universe.
• Education is essentially transmission of inherited culture
from one generation to another.
• Disciplines of curriculum should contain certain elements
of culture.
• Students should learn disciplines to develop intellectual
skills to discover important principles and theoretical
insights.
NEO-SCHOLASTICISM
•Neo-Scholasticism began as simply scholasticism and was
simultaneously a movement and a philosophy that sprang up during
the medieval time period in Europe somewhere between 1050 and
1350 originating in the early universities.

•This was primarily a movement within the Catholic church as they

controlled higher education at this time in Europe.

• The scholars of this movement were not as concern about discovery

new truth as it was with proving and establishing the validity of
existing truth.
•In other words, Neo-Scholasticism was primarily reactionary in nature .
 CONT……

The reason for the reactionary nature of Neo-Scholasticism was the

rediscovery of the writings of Aristotle.

• These writings had been lost for centuries but had been preserved in
the Islamic nations. Through interactions with the Muslim world
through trade and war Aristotle’s writings were translated from
Arabic into Latin.

• Aristotle’s realistic views were a challenge to the Platonic/idealistic

views of the Christian church.
 CONT……..

• Scholars, for whatever reason, were convinced that church teachings

had to be harmonized with the writings of Aristotle. Why religious
teachings and beliefs had to bow to the influence of one Greek
philosopher is subject of debate but perhaps the status of Aristotle
compelled the church to merge his ideas with their own in order to
maintain intellectual leadership of Europe.
 CONT….

• The leader of this merger of faith and reason was Thomas Aquinas. He

proposed that people should learn as much as they can through human

reason and have faith in matters that cannot be reasoned about.

• Therefore, at the heart of scholasticism was human reason which in

many ways had displaced faith.

Neo-Scholasticism is the modern equivalent of
Scholasticism. 
• The primary difference is that Neo-Scholasticism has
religious and secular branch whereas Scholasticism had
only one main branch or school of thought
• CURRICULUM
Scholasticism focus was on accommodating the philosophy of Aristotle with
Christian thought. Therefore, many of Aristotle’s beliefs are reinterpreted as
much as possible to be consistent with Christianity. For example, Aristotle spoke
of the Unmoved Mover, which he stated was the first cause of all other causes in
the universe. Aquinas equated the Unmoved Mover with God.

Reality had a dualistic nature to it for the scholastic. The natural world was
understood through reasoning while the supernatural world was available
through revelation and intuition. Truth could be self-evident such as “2+2 = 4” or
it can depend on observed experience such as “The average life expectancy is 72
years.” The greatest truth are the unchanging self-evident such as those found in
mathematics rather than observed experiential truth.

Morality is governed by reason. There is an assumption that people are rational

at their core. The more rational the higher moral quality a person should have.
• EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATION ON NEO-SCHOLASTICISM
• The teacher’s role from a Neo-Scholastic perspective is to help rational students
develop their reasoning, will power, and memory. The teacher is the center of
the education process and works with students to transfer information. The
subject matter takes precedent over the students’ interest.

With  its religious roots, Neo-Scholasticism see the teacher as a spiritual leader.
This involves discipleship and even discipline at times. Only through this
process can the student acquiring understanding of the unalterable truths of
the world.

The curriculum of Neo-Scholasticism would include the humanities, math, and

foreign languages (primarily Greek and Latin). The humanities allow students to
understand the logic and thinking of great minds, math demonstrates
unchanging truths, and foreign languages provides rigors training for the mind.
The mind is a muscle that must be strengthened through examining the works
of other men.