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ESSENTIALISM

OVERVIEW

Essentialism seeks to impart the most fundamental academic information,

talents, and character development on all students. According to Sahin (2018),
essentialists, hold that educators should work to instill in their students the conventional
moral ideals and virtues such as respect for authority, tenacity, loyalty to duty, care for
others, and intellectual acumen that they will need to grow into admirable citizens. The
fundamental subjects of mathematics, physics, history, foreign languages, and literature
form the basis of essentialist curricula.
To better understand the foundation of Essentialism, this module will begin with
an overview of the key characteristics of Essentialism and education. Information
related to history of essentialism and the key proponents, or the distinguished renowned
essentialist involved in it will also be presented. Within this module, a discussion of the
aims of educational essentialism and principles of essentialism will be tackled. Also,
the methods to be used in using an essentialist approach will be presented.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, the learner should be able to

• Define the Essentialism

• Definite the Education
• Define the Educational Essentialism
• know the History of Essentialism
• distinguished the Renowned Essentialists
• determine the Aims of Educational Essentialism
• determine the Principles of Essentialism
• know the Essentialism as teacher centered philosophy
• know the Methods of Educational Essentialism
• know the Contribution of Essentialism to Education
• to Criticize essentialism

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CONTENT

Educational essentialism is classified under Content based philosophies of

education. It is necessary to define the component terms in the phrase, namely,
essentialism” and “education” for a concrete understanding of essentialism and
education.

I. ESSENTIALISM

The Oxford English Dictionary defines essentialism as a belief that things have
a set of characteristics which make them what they are, and that the task of science and
philosophy is their discovery and expression; the doctrine that essence is prior to
existence.

In ontology, there is the view that some properties of objects are essential to
them. The “essence” of a thing is conceived as the totality of its essential properties.
Theories of essentialism differ with respect to their conception of what it means to say
that a property is essential to an object. The concept of an essential property is closely
related to the concept of necessity, since one way of saying that a property P is essential
to an object O is to say that the proposition “O has P” is necessarily true. A general but
not very informative way of characterizing essential properties is to say that property is
essential to an object if the object cannot lack the property and still be the object that it
is. Properties of an object that are not essential in this sense are said to be accidental.

II. EDUCATION

According to Howick (1971), education is defined as a wealth of knowledge

acquired by an individual after studying particular subject matter or experiencing life
lessons that provide an understanding of something. He also stated that education
requires instruction of some sort from an individual or composed literature. The most
common forms of education results from years of schooling that incorporates studies
of a variety of subjects. Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the
knowledge, skills, and habits, of a group of people are transferred from one generation
to the next through teaching, training, or research. Education frequently takes place

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under the guidance of others. Education is commonly divided into stages such as
preschool, primary school, secondary school and then college, university, or
apprenticeship.

III. EDUCATIONAL ESSENTIALISM

According to William (1874-1946) Educational essentialism is an educational

philosophy whose followers believe that children should learn the traditional basic
subjects and that these should be learned thoroughly and rigorously. In this
philosophical school of thought, the aim is to instill students with the "essentials" of
academic knowledge, enacting a back-to-basics approach. An essentialist program
normally teaches children progressively, from less complex skills to more complex
skills.

William C. Bagley came up with the concept of Essentialism in Education. This

mode of teaching emphasizes on the teacher being the ultimate authority in the
classroom. Supporters of this ideology criticize all other more liberal modes of teaching
if they are not in line with basics of essentialism. Supporters' of essentialism are
convinced that the depreciation of educational standards is due to the fact that the
teacher and the subject matter are no longer the focus of the curriculum.

An Essentialist will usually teach some set subjects similar to Reading, Writing,
Literature, Foreign Languages, History, Mathematics, Science, Art, and Music. The
teacher's role is to instill respect for authority, perseverance, duty, consideration, and
practicality. Essentialism strives to teach students the accumulated knowledge of our
civilization through core courses in the traditional academic disciplines. Essentialists
aim to instill students with the "essentials" of academic knowledge, patriotism, and
character development. This traditional approach is meant to train the mind, promote
reasoning, and ensure a common culture.

IV. HISTORY OF ESSENTIALISM

The Essentialist movement first began in the United States in the year 1938. In
Atlantic City, New Jersey, a group met for the first time called "The Essentialist's

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Committee for the Advancement of Education." Their emphasis was to reform the
educational system to a rational-based system.
The term essentialist first appeared in the book An Introduction to the
Philosophy of Education which was written by Michael John Demiashkevich. In his
book, Demiashkevich labels some specific educators (including William C. Bagley) as
“essentialists." Demiashkevich compared the essentialists to the different viewpoints of
the Progressive Education Association. He described how the Progressives preached a
“hedonistic doctrine of change” whereas the essentialists stressed the moral
responsibility of man for his actions and looked toward permanent principles of
behavior (Demiashkevich likened the arguments to those between the Socratics and the
Sophists in Greek philosophy). In 1938 Bagley and other educators met together where
Bagley gave a speech detailing the main points of the essentialism movement and
attacking the public education in the United States. One point that Bagley noted was
that students in the U.S. were not getting an education on the same levels as students in
Europe who were the same age.
A recent branch has emerged within the essentialist school of thought called
"neoessentialism." Emerging in the eighties as a response to the essentialist ideals of
the thirties as well as to the criticism of the fifties and the advocates for education in
the seventies, neoessentialism was created to try to appease the problems facing the
United States at the time. The most notable change within this school of thought is that
it called for the creation of a new discipline, computer science.

V. RENOWNED ESSENTIALISTS

He was an important historical

essentialist. William C. Bagley
completed his undergraduate degree
at Michigan Agricultural College in
1895. It wasn’t until after finishing his
undergrad studies that he truly wanted
to be a teacher. Bagley did his
Graduate studies at the University of
Chicago and at Cornell University. He

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Figure 1. William Chandler Bagley acquired his Ph.D. in 1900 after which
(1874-1946)
he took his first school job a principal
Source. (Wisconsin Historical Society)

in a St. Louis, Missouri Elementary School. Bagley’s devotion increased during his
work at Montana State Normal School in Dillon, Montana. It was here where he decided
to dedicate his time to the education of teachers and where he published The Educative
Process, launching his name across the nation. Throughout his career Bagley argued
against the conservative position that teachers were not in need of special training for
their work. He believed that liberal arts material was important in teacher education.
Bagley also believed the dominant theories of education of the time were weak and
lacking.
In April 1938, he published the Essentialist's Platform, in which he outlined
three major points of essentialism. He described the right of students to a well-educated
and culturally knowledgeable teacher. Secondly, he discussed the importance of
teaching the ideals of community to each group of students. Lastly, Bagley wrote of the
importance of accuracy, thoroughness and effort on part of the student in the classroom.

Eric Donald Hirsch Jr. was the

Figure 2. Eric Donald Hirsch Jr.
Source.
(philosophersofcomposition.wordpress.com) information regarding what he
Founder and Chairman of the Core of
Knowledge Foundation and author to
several books concerning fact-based
approaches to education. Now retired,
he spent many years teaching at the
University of Virginia while also
being an advocate for the "back to
basics" movement. In his most
popular book, Cultural Literacy —
What Every American Needs to Know,
he offers lists, quotations, and
believes is essential knowledge.

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VI. AIMS OF EDUCATION ACCORDING TO ESSENTIALISM

➢ Educational essentialism not only focuses on traditional subjects but aims to

develop character by instilling in them respect for authority. Emphasis is laid
on ethics, values, morals and discipline, things that are not learnt by books. With
focus on personality and character traits, the individuals get academic education
in a more constructive manner.
➢ Provide students with strong academic foundations, hard work is encouraged,
discipline is maintained, and basic skills are focused upon.

VII. PRINCIPLES OF ESSENTIALISM

Essentialism, as defined by Armstrong (2012), is an education philosophy in

which knowledge of the society and civilization is taught to student through classroom
curriculums. This involves the study of the current natural environment, natural laws,
character development, patriotism, and academic knowledge. The core aim of
essentialism is to promote a more common American culture.

Armstrong (2012) cited other non-traditional areas that were also integrated as
well in moderation to balance the education. Essentialists' goals are to instill students
with the "essentials" of academic knowledge, patriotism, and character development
through traditional (or back-to-basic) approaches. This is to promote reasoning, train
the mind, and ensure a common culture for all Americans.

Essentialism is the most typically enacted philosophy in American classrooms

today. Traces of this can be found in the organized learning centered on teacher and
textbooks, in addition to the regular assignments and evaluations typical in essentialist
education.

VIII. ESSENTIALISM AS A TEACHER-CENTERED

PHILOSOPHY

The role of the teacher, according to Howick (1971), as the leader of the
classroom is a very important tenet of educational essentialism. The teacher is the center

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of the classroom, so they should be rigid and disciplinary. Establishing order in the
classroom is crucial for student learning; effective teaching cannot take place in a loud
and disorganized environment. It is the teacher's responsibility to keep order in the
classroom. The teacher must interpret essentials of the learning process, take the
leadership position and set the tone of the classroom. These needs require an educator
who is academically well-qualified with an appreciation for learning and development.
The teacher must control the students with distributions of rewards and penalties.

IX. METHODS OF EDUCATIONATIONAL ESSENTIALISM

1. It stresses the role of the teacher as the primary focus. A teacher is

considered the most important source for transferring knowledge.
2. The teacher is responsible for instilling respect for authority and for guiding
the students towards a better future.
3. Essentialism emphasizes the significance of curriculum which means that
all subjects must be studied by the students regardless of the interest factor
as they might prove beneficial in future.
4. Teachers need to be patient, have a positive attitude, and need to effectively
communicate with the student in order to assist in the development of a
student’s mind and body. This phenomenon has become widely popular in
the as it not only focuses on academic growth but also helps students to
become better human beings.
5. The teacher and parents should plan out a proper future for the students and
guide them accordingly with a proper discipline and system. Family plays a
vital role, because according to basic principles of Essentialism in
Education, parent's guidance is the most essential part.

X. SCHOOLS ENACTING AN ESSENTIALIST CURRICULUM

The core knowledge schools were founded on the philosophy of essentialist E.D.
Hirsch. Although it is difficult to maintain a pure and strict essentialist-only curriculum,
these schools have the central aim of establishing a common knowledge base for all
citizens. To do so, they follow a nation-wide, content-specific, and teacher-centered

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curriculum. The Core Knowledge curriculum also allows for local variance above and
beyond the core curriculum. Central curricular aims are academic excellence and the
learning of knowledge, and teachers who are masters of their knowledge areas serve
this aim.

XI. CONTRIBUTION OF ESSENTIALISM IN EDUCATION

• Essentialism is a concept that focuses on primary and basic teaching.

Essentialism provides students with strong basic education such as reading
writing, listening, speaking, drawing, etc. It has largely contributed to the
education field, enabling students to develop a sound foundation of basic
knowledge.
• Apart from just academic knowledge, essentialism also instills moral values
and ethics in students, proving them with the sense to become educated good
human beings.
• Essentialism has contributed greatly to primary education. It pinpoints the key
importance of early childhood learning and how it is positively affected by
essentialism. Essentialism states that a sound body of basic knowledge must be
• Attained before further learning can take place. Young students who develop a
strong educational foundation can learn better at higher levels of school and
college.

XII. CRITICISM OF ESSENTIALISM

One of the positive critiques of essentialism according to Ornstein (1993), is the

stability of the education. Because essentialism is relatively conservative and focuses
on disciplines which are relatively stable, it is a rather consistent form of education.
The same disciplines are taught consistently and in a progressive manner. It is not
persuaded by the fads of the time, but instead focuses on the basics that students need
to know to be productive members of society.

However, because Essentialism is largely teacher-centered according to Sadkey

and Zittleman (2006), the role of the student is often called into question. Presumably,
in an essentialist classroom, the teacher is the one designing the curriculum for the

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students based upon the core disciplines. Moreover, he or she is enacting the curriculum
and setting the standards to which the students must meet. The teacher's evaluation role
undermines students' interest in study. As a result, the students begin to take on more
of a passive role in their education as they are forced to meet and learn such standards
and information.

Furthermore, there is also speculation that an essentialist education helps in

promoting the cultural lag. This philosophy of education is very traditional in the
mindset of passing on the knowledge of the culture via the academic disciplines. Thus,
students are forced to think in the mindset of the larger culture, and individual creativity
is often squelched.

Critics believe that by stressing on the importance of traditional subjects, it

would create a vacuum where the new generation will not be able to keep up with the
constantly changing world. This delay would not only be harmful but also create a
prominent difference between generations.

One of the greatest criticisms of Essentialism in Education is the fact that this
idea stresses solely on teaching the traditional basic subjects to the maximum level,
meaning there is less capacity to teach more contemporary and creative education and
"manufacturing" students that do not think by themselves.

CONCLUSION

Modern times have changed, changing the needs and the education requirements. Many
new progressive subjects have been introduced in the curriculum. On the other hand,
essentialist education aims to focus on the basic subjects only with an emphasis on
character building. The importance of focusing on personality development cannot be
denied in any age or time even if some may criticize is as a conservative approach. In
response to the original movement 1930's and its criticism neoessentialism school of
thought has called for the addition of computer science in order to adapt to the latest
changes.

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PRACTICE EXERCISES/REFLECTION

Direction: Answer the following guide questions

1. What are the philosophical foundations of Essentialism?
2. What are the three basic principles of Essentialism?
3. What would be an example of the Essentialist philosophy in practice?
4. What is the focus of the curriculum in a essentialist classroom?
5. How does an essentialist curriculum differ based upon the grade-level of the
student?
6. Do you think the focus of this curriculum is beneficial for students? Why or
why not?
7. What are the main methods of instruction in an essentialist classroom?
8. What is the teachers’ role in the classroom?
9. What is the students’ role in the classroom?
10. What strategies do students use in essentialist classrooms?

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REFERENCES

Armstrong, J.S. (2012). Natural Learning in Higher Education, MPRA Paper 37648,
University Library of Munich, Germany. Debra Jones Ringold, 2016.
Demiashkevich, M.J. (1935). An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education.
American Book Company. Los Angeles, California. p. 59.
Howick, W.H. (1971). Philosophies of Western Education. Order from Interstate
Printers & Publishers, Danville, III. p. 49.

Howick, W.H. (1971). Philosophies of Western Education. Order from Interstate

Printers & Publishers, Danville, III. p. 53.

Ornstein, A. (1993). Foundations of Education. Houghton Mifflin Company. United

States of America. p. 465

Philosophersofcomposition. Eric Donald Hirsch Jr. Retrieved from

https://philosophersofcomposition.wordpress.com/2014/09/25/e-d-hirsch/

Sadker, D.M. and Zittleman, K.R. (2006). Teachers, Schools, and Society: A Brief
Introduction to Education. McGraw-Hill Education Europe. London, United
States. p. 29
Sahin, M. (2018). Essentialism In Philosophy, Psychology, Education, Social And
Scientific Scopes. Journal of Innovation in Psychology, Education and
Didactics. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED593579.pdf
Wisconsin Historical Society. (n.d.) William Chandler Bagley Photograph. Retrieved
from https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM6862

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