PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

PHILOSOPHY

Derived from the Greek words "Philo" meaning love,

“sophos” meaning wise and "sophia" which means wisdom.

It is the quest for truth based on logical reasoning aside

from factual observation of the nature's multifarious
phenomena.

EDUCATION

Derived from the Latin word “educare” which means to

rear or nourish and “educere”, which mean to lead forth or draw
out.

It is the process of acquiring knowledge (cognitive),

habits, attitudes, interests (affective) and skills and abilities
(psychomotor) and other intangible human qualities through
training, instruction and self-activity and transmitting these
vital elements of human civilization to posterity.

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Involves the union of two distinct yet interwoven and

equally important disciplines, which supplement and
complement each other.

The theoretical framework of ones educational ideas

which considerably influences ones educational practices.
Specifically, it studies or reflects on the educational
problems on aims, methods, curriculum, effects, forms, costs
values and relations.

The practical application of formal philosophy in the

problems and concerns of education.

Three basic applications of formal philosophy to

education.

Analysis. It classifies speculates any prescriptive

statement. It examines the rationality of our educational aims,
their consistency with other ideas. It tests the logic of concepts
and the adequacy of facts they seek to explain.
 Prescriptive. It specifies the ends that education ought
to follow and it prescribes means that education ought to use to
obtain knowledge.

Speculative. It seeks to establish theories on the nature

of man, society, and the world which order and interpret the
conflicting data of educational research and behavioral sciences.

Major Areas of Philosophy

1. Epistemology-deals with nature of knowledge and knowing

and is directly related to methods of teaching and learning.
2. Metaphysics- deals with the nature of reality and existence.
It relates reality to the content, experiences, and skills in the
curriculum.

3. Axiology- deals with values. Axiology is divided into ethics

and aesthetics. Ethics examines moral values and the rules of
right conduct. Aesthetics deals with values in beauty and art.

HUMANISM

It was characterized by the revival of classical letters, an

individualistic and critical spirit and a shift of emphasis from
religious to secular concerns especially giving man ultimate
freedom to determine his destiny.

It rejected supernatural sin, regarded man as a natural

object and asserted the essential dignity and worth of man and
his capacity to achieve self-realization through the use of reason
and scientific method.

DISCIPLINISM

This theory also known as formal discipline was based

upon Aristotle's "Faculty" psychology which asserted that the
mind is made up of certain faculties such as memory, reason,
will, judgment, etc and -:act; of which needs special activities for
its training and development.

This theory maintained that the power developed in any

faculty by the study of a school subject can be used equally well
in other subjects or to meet any other experience in life.

John Locke (1632- 1704)

Believed that the mind of the child at birth is like a

"tabula rasa", or blank tablet and experiences will be the ones to
write on that tablet
 Advocated that mastery of mathematics and linguistic;
ensures mastery of other subjects.

RATIONALISM

Rationalism was the educational philosophy prevalent in

Europe in the latter part of the seventeenth century. It took its
roots during the period known as the age of reason or age of
enlightenment.

This philosophy claimed that human reason was the sole

source of knowledge and the sole determiner whether things or
actions were acceptable or not.

Anything that did not conform to human reasoning

should be blatantly rejected.

The rationalists upheld the right of a person to expose his

own ideas and opinions, liberty of conscience and freedom of
thought and expression.

This philosophy aimed at the development of the

individual by means of restraints based upon his reasons.

By these, man can develop his lot and can contribute to

the common good and welfare of his institutions and society.

NATURALISM

Naturalism is the educational philosophy, which

adamantly opposed formalism.

This advocated that education should be in accordance

with the nature of the child.
All educational practices should be focused towards the
natural development of all the innate talents and abilities of the
child.

Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712- 1778)

He believed that man, by nature is basically good and the
influences of the society are the things that drive man to do evil
acts.

He also believed that the stronger the body, the more it

obeys: the weaker the body, the more it commands.
He wrote EMILE, a novel, which is now considered as the
gospel of the childs educational freedom.
IDEALISM

Lays stress on the mental idea, intrinsic and spiritual

value rather than physical fact or material value.
Truth or reality exists in ideas or in the spirit or in the
mind. The philosophy starts with the idea and ends up with the
thing, for thought is prior to being.

The school of thought governing idealism holds that

knowledge is independent of sense perception or experience.

The development of idealism is traced from the

philosophical ideas of Plato, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant
and Hegel.
Idealism also claims that man's knowledge is based on
his mental state and the mental stimulus perceived by man's
soul comes from an infinite spirit, which is God. And God is the
"summum bonum" or the highest good from which all absolute
good, beauty, and values are found.

The ultimate aim of education is the happiness of the

individual and welfare of the state.
The idealists claim that education must provide for the
development of the mind of every pupil, and in order to realize
this, the school must concentrate on intellectual, moral,
judgment, and aesthetic development of the students.

This they contend should only be made possible through

a subject matter-centered curriculum designed in order to
provide students with the best ideas of human culture and
civilization

The idealists expect the teachers to be role models of

intellectual, moral, aesthetic and vocational excellence to their
students. They should teach by example.

REALISM

Realism is a school of philosophy which is as old as that

of naturalism and idealism. It is a revolt against the theory of
knowledge and metaphysics of the idealist. It holds that the
world around us is a real world and does not depend on any
mind, finite or infinite for its existence. It starts with a thing for
it believes that being is prior to thought.
 This philosophy of realism is traced from the ideas of
Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Hernart, Spinoza, James,
Kant and Comenius.

Realism is defined as the type of education in which

natural phenomena and social institutions rather than
languages and literature are made the chief subjects of study.

It arose as a reaction opposing narrow humanism and

religious formalism that held education captive for nearly three
centuries 1300's to 1600's).
It is also considered as an educational philosophy, which
advocates that education should be concerned with the
actualities of life and prepare for its concrete duties.

PRAGMATISM
Is the doctrine that claims that the meaning of a
proposition or idea lies in its practical consequences.

It is derived from the Greek word pragma, meaning a

thing done, a fact that is practiced.

This can be attributed to the teachings of ancient

intellectual like Heraclitus of ancient Ephesus and the Sophists.

Pragmatism in education and in modern perspective is

credited to Professor John Dewey, Charles Pierce and William
James, the three famous American educators and philosophers.
This philosophy stresses that education has been in vain
if it does not perform the social functions assigned to it, and
unless it is considered as a social institution in itself.

The aim of education is the total development of the child

through experience, self-activity or learning by doing.
The pragmatists suggest that the curriculum must offer
subjects that will provide opportunities for various projects and
activities that are relevant to the needs, abilities, interests, as
well as the socio-economic conditions of the learners.

The child must be the center of all educative processes-

based on Deweys tenet that education is life, education is
growth, education is a social process, and education is the
construction of human experience.

Schools' main functions according to Pragmatism

 Being a specialized institution designed to represent
society to the child in simplified form;

Being selective in a qualitative. if not ethical manner as

it represent society to the young, the school is in a position to
exercise value judgments in representing society;

Being responsible in giving the child a balance and

genuinely representative acquaintance with society.

Teaching for the adolescent may be wide-ranging because

he'll be able to consider many possibilities from several
perspectives.

The aim of education as far as the pragmatists are

concerned is the total development of the child through
experiencing or- through self-activity or the "learning by doing"
dictum postulated by John Dewey.
The curriculum must offer subjects that provide
opportunities for various projects and activities that are relevant
to the needs, abilities, and interests as well as the socio-economic
conditions of the learners.

The learner must be made the center of `all educative

processes - a concept based on Dewey's tenet that education is
life, education is growth, education is a social process, and
education is the construction of human experience

ESSENTIALISM

Essentialism refers to the "traditional" or "Back to the

Basics" approach to education; a response to progressivism.

It is so named because it strives to instill students with

the "essentials" of academic knowledge and character
development; a conservative educational theory deeply rooted in
idealism and realism.
The term essentialism as an educational philosophy was
originally popularized in the 1930s by the American educator
William Bagley

In education, it is a philosophy which holds that certain

basic ideas and skills or disciplines essential to one's culture are
formulable and should be taught to all alike by certain time-
tested methods.
 The schools should inculcate into the minds and hearts of
the students the values that are hailed and are considered
important by society.

The educational institutions as far as essentialism is

concerned are the agencies for the propagation and perpetuation
of these long-cherished cultural traits and not an entity to
oppose such values.

Essentialists urge that the most basic academic skills

and knowledge be taught to all students; prescribe a fixed
curriculum and minimum essentials.

Traditional disciplines such as math, natural science,

history, foreign language (i.e., Latin and Greek), and literature
form the foundation of the essentialist curriculum.

Elementary students study things like writing, reading,

measurement, and computers. Even while learning art and
music, subjects most often associated with tile development of
creativity, the students are required to master a body of
information and basic techniques, gradually moving from less to
more complex skills and detailed knowledge.

Essentialist programs are academically rigorous for both

slow and fast learners.

PERENNIALISM

Perennial means "everlasting," like a perennial flower

that comes up year after year.
The roots of perennialism lie in realism, the philosophy
of Plato and Aristotle, as well as that of St. Thomas Aquinas, the
thirteenth-century Italian whose ideas continue to shape the
nature of Catholic schools throughout the world.

This philosophy of education argues that despite differing

environments, human nature remains the same everywhere;
hence education should be the same for everyone.

According to perennialists, when students are immersed

in the study of those profound and enduring ideas, they will
appreciate learning for its own sake and become true
intellectuals.

The great books of ancient and medieval as well as

modern times are a repository of knowledge and wisdom, a
tradition of culture, which must initiate each generation. ----
Mortimer Adler. Other proponents of perennialism are Robert
Hutchins and Richard Livingstone.

As Plato might claim, by neglecting the students-

reasoning skills, we deprive them of the ability to use their
"higher" faculties to control their "'lower" ones (passions and
appetites).

Perennialists suggest that a greater emphasis be placed

on teacher-guided seminars, where students and teachers
engage in Socratic dialogues, or mutual inquiry sessions, to
develop an enhanced understanding of historys most timeless
concepts.

Similarities to Essentialism

Both aim to rigorously develop all students' intellectual

powers, first, and moral qualities, second.
Moreover, both advocate classrooms centered around
teachers In order to accomplish these goals.

The teachers do not allow the students' interests or

experiences lo substantially dictate what they teach.
They apply whatever creative techniques and other tried
and true methods are believed to be most conducive to
disciplining the students mind.

Differences from Essentialisrn

The emphasis is on the value of scientific experiment to
acquire knowledge is reflected in essentialism, but not in
perennialism.

Perennialism urges schools to spend more time teaching

about concepts and explaining how these concepts are
meaningful to students.

Particularly at the high school and University levels,

perennialism as opposed to essentialism decry undue reliance
on textbooks and lectures to communicate ideas.

EXISTENTIALISM
Existentialism is a philosophical doctrine which
emphasizes the freedom of human beings to make choices, in a
world where there are no absolutes outside of man himself.

A doctrine primarily attributed to Soren Kierkegaard, a

19th century Danish philosopher; emphasizes the freedom of
human beings to make choices in a world where there are no
absolute values outside the individual; other existentialists
include Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Karl Jasper, Martin
Heidegeer, and Gabriel Marcel.

The existentialists have no concrete concept to support

the existence of God or any absolute value. They believe that
man is the molder of his own destiny.

For them truth is never absolute, but it is always relative

to each individual who is the sole determiner of the truth for
himself, and every value is always dependent upon the free
choice of every man.

Education to the existentialists should enable a person to

make choices for his /her life.

Existentialism as an Educational Philosophy

Existentialism sprang from a strong rejection of the
traditional, essentialist approach to education.

Existentialism rejects the existence of any source of

objective, authoritative truth about metaphysics, epistemology,
and ethics. Instead, individuals are responsible for determining
for themselves what is true or false, right or wrong beautiful or
ugly.

For the existentialist, there exists no universal form of

human nature. each of us has the free will to develop as we see
fit.
In an existentialist curriculum, students are given a wide
variety of options from which to choose.

Existentialists believe that the classroom should be a

market of free ideas that would guarantee complete individual
freedom.
The student must be allowed to decide for himself and
undertake activities which he believes are significant and
beneficial in his life.

The staff, rather than the students, influence the

curriculum; the humanities are commonly given tremendous
emphasis.

They are explored as a means of providing students with

vicarious experiences that will help unleash their own creativity
and self-expression. For instance, rather than emphasizing
historical events, existentialists focus upon the actions of
historical individuals, each of whom provides possible models for
the students' own behavior.

In contrast to the humanities, math and the natural

sciences may be deemphasized, presumably because their
subject matter would be considered cold, dry, objective, and
therefore less fruitful to self- awareness.

Vocational education is regarded more as a means of

teaching students about themselves and their potential than of
earning a livelihood.

In teaching art, existentialism encourages individual

creativity and imagination more than copying and imitating
established models.

The teacher should only act as a guide, a resource person

or facilitator of' learning and must not interfere in the decisions
of the student.
The teacher has "the right to teach his students how
think but not what to think".

The proponents of this philosophy believe that Childhood

is not adulthood; childhood is playing and no child ever gets
enough play. When a child has played enough he will start to
work and face difficulties. This theory has been shown in the
pupils ability to do a good job when it involves a lot of unpleasant
work.

Existentialist methods focus on the individual. Learning

is self-paced, self directed, and includes a great deal of individual
contact with the teacher, who relates to each student openly and
honestly.

The student is the center of the educative process

RECONSTRUCTIONISM

More concerned with social change; believes that the

school should make policies and changes which would bring
about reforms of the social order.

We live in a world of great crisis; humans have the

capability of destroying civilization overnight (Brameld).

Similarly, mankind has the intellectual, technological,

and moral potential to create a world of abundance, health, and
human capacity (Brameld).
 The curriculum should enable the individual to address
global educational issues, societal needs and problems

PROGRESSIVISM

It is an equally new approach to the philosophy of'

education; a contrast to the traditional views of essentialism and
perennialism.

The philosophy of progressivism is the educational theory

of pragmatism.

This philosophy holds that change and not permanence

is the essence of reality and therefore education is always in the
process of development. As such, educators must be ready to
modify methods and policies in the light of new knowledge and
changes in the environment.

This philosophy emphasizes that educational concern

must be on the child's interests, desires and the learner's
freedom as an individual rather than the subject matter. No
structured curriculum.

Adheres to the idea that people learn best what they

consider most relevant to their lives, thus, the curriculum
around the experiences_ interests, and abilities of students

Education should be life itself not a preparation for life.

The curriculum is child-centered and flexible. It needs not be so
structured. The child, with purposes and interest, is made the
starting principle of teaching and learning.

The school curriculum is based on activities and projects

that are in line with pupils interests and abilities. The school
program is integrated with life and activities of the
communities.

It asserts that learning is a dynamic or active process and

a learner learns best if he is an active participant in the learning
process.

The child must learn what he lives and must accept and
respond to his experience.,, based on the degree of his
understanding of a particular situation.

Progressivism adheres to the idea that thinking and

reasoning should be emphasized, and that good and successful
teaching utilizes the principle of self-activity, and stimulates
thinking and reasoning.

It also recognizes the principle of individual differences.

The activities and experiences provided by the school should
meet the needs of and in accordance with the abilities of every
child.

Methods of teaching include problem solving, learning by

doing, discussion, laboratory method, project, group planning,
self-expression

It stresses group discussion and group activities as

effective means of self expression and development.

Teachers plan lessons that arouse curiosity and push the

students to a higher level of knowledge.

Teacher serves the role of guidance counselor, facilitator

of teaching-learning process and stimulator of thinking and
reasoning.

The teachers role is not to direct but to advice. The

teacher is a stage setter, guide, and coordinator, but he is not the
sole source of authority and knowledge.

The person most responsible for the success of

progressivism was John Dewey (1859-1952). In 1896, while a
professor at the University of Chicago, Dewey founded the
famous Laboratory School as a testing ground for his
educational ideas.

Dewey not only believed in the existence of change but

also welcomed it. He regarded the principles of democracy and
freedom espoused in America, representing tremendous
progress over the political ideas of earlier times.

The outstanding leaders of the philosophy aside from

John Dewey are Horace Mann, Francis Parker, Stanley Hall and
Sidney Hook.

DEVELOPMENTALISM

Developmentalism traces its roots from the term

development which has been used to denote developmentally
informed educational practice.
 A similar term philosophic-developmentalist was used by
Lawrence Kohlberg and Rochelle Mayer in reference to the views
of John Dewey and Jean Piaget.

It discourages teachers and parents from asserting,

themselves with children. It served as a basis for rejecting harsh
and inhumane teaching methods.

"It takes a village to raise a child," - African Proverb

Developmentalist's guidance has encouraged parents and

teachers to be less assertive and to afford children greater
freedom.

It has encouraged lessened parent insistence on study

and effort in school and on mature and responsible behavior
generally; frustration and delayed gratification are to be
minimized while immediate success and satisfaction are' to be
maximized.
PHILOSOPHY OF PHILIPPINE EDUCATION: 1987
CONSTITUTION Article XIV Section 3 (2)

All educational institutions shall inculcate patriotism

and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for human
rights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in the
historical development of the country, teach the rights and
duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values,
develop moral character and personal discipline, encourage
critical and creative thinking, broaden scientific and
technological knowledge, and promote vocational efficiency.

REFERENCES

A.J Ayer (ed.), Logical Positivism, Free Press, p.9.

Bigge, Morris, L., Educational Philosophies for Teachers,

Charies E. Merril Publishing Co., Columbus.
Brubacher, John S., Modern Philosophies of Education,
McGraw Hill Book Company. Inc, New York.

Chakraborty A. K.(2003).” Principles and Practices of

Education.” Meerut, Lal Book
Carl Hempel, “Problems and Changes in the Empiricist
Criterion of Meaning.” Revue International edPhilosophie, Vol.
IV, No. 11,1950.
 Delors, Jacques, et al; (1996). Learning: The Treasure
within report of the international commission on education for
21st century, UNESCO.

Dewey, J. (1916/1977): Democracy and Education: An

introduction to the philosophy of education. New York:
Macmillan.

Kneller, George F. Introduction to Philosophy of

Education, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York.

Ozman, Howard A., & Craver, Samuel M., Philosophical

Foundations of Education. Allyn & Bacon. Boston.

Peters, R.S. (ed), (1975). The Philosophy of education.

Oxford University Press, London.
Winch, C. (1st edition). (1996). Key Concepts in the
philosophy of education. Routledge.

See R.W. Ashhy, “Logical Positivism,” in A Critical

history of Western Philosophy (ed. D.J.O’ Conner), Macmilan.