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Development
of Western
Philosophy of Ghulam Ali
Education Bsc Nursing (Post Basic RN)
Jamshoro College of Nursing, jamshoro
 Traditional Western
Philosophy Of Education
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ESSENTIALISM
& PERENNIALISM
 Objectives
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At the end of this topic the learner will be able to:

 Explain Western Tradition

 Essentialism

 Perennialism
  Essentialism is a back to
basics, teacher centered
philosophy.

Essentialism

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  The core of the curriculum is
essential knowledge and
skills and academic rigor.

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  Schooling should be
practical, preparing students
to become valuable members
of society

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  Essentialists believe that
there is a common core of
knowledge that needs to be
transmitted to students in a
systematic, disciplined way.
Essentialism

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  The emphasis in this
conservative perspective is
on intellectual and moral
standards that schools
should teach.

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  It should focus on facts-the
objective reality out there--
and "the basics," training
students to read, write,
speak, and compute clearly
and logically.

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  Essentialism is a traditional
back to basics philosophy
that focuses on a core
curriculum of some set
subjects similar to Reading,
Writing, Literature, Foreign
Languages, History, Math,
Science, Art, and Music.

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  The teacher leads the class
and transfers her knowledge
and skills of a subject
directly to her students.

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  The teacher expects respect
and commands authority in
the classroom

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  Essentialists aim to instill
students with the
"essentials" of academic
knowledge, patriotism, and
character development.

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  This traditional approach is
meant to train the mind,
promote reasoning, and
ensure a common culture.

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  For Perennialists, the aim of
education is to ensure that
students acquire
understandings about the
great ideas of Western
Perennialism civilization.

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  The focus is to teach ideas
that are everlasting, to seek
enduring truths which are
constant, not changing, as
the natural and human
worlds at their most
essential level, do not
change.

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  Therefore, one should teach
principles, not facts.

 Since people are human, one

should teach first about
humans, not machines or
techniques.

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  Since people are people first,
and workers second if at all,
one should teach liberal topics
first, not vocational topics.

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  Humans are rational beings,
and their minds need to be
developed.

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  Thus, cultivation of the
intellect is the highest priority
in a worthwhile education.

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  The demanding curriculum
focuses on attaining cultural
literacy, stressing students'
growth in enduring
disciplines.

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  A particular strategy with
modern perennialists is to
teach scientific reasoning,
not facts.

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 Traditional western
philosophy of education
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Essentialism Perennialism

1. Focuses on essential 1. Focuses on personal

skills. development.
2. Curricula thus tend to 2. Teacher-centered.
be much more
vocational and fact-
based.
3. Less liberal and
principle-based.
4. Teacher-centered.
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Thank
You!

SEE U LATER……………!