NATURE OF

NATURALISM

Reported By:
Angelo B. Ambrosio
 Nature of Naturalism
Naturalism is a doctrine denying anything in reality that has
a supernatural significance.

Scientific law account for all phenomena.

Is concerned with the natural self or real self, it contends

that the ultimate reality is matter and not mind and spirit.

There is an utter denial of miraculous and the supernatural.

Revelation is Rejected.

Truth can be discovered only through nature.

According to naturalism…
The ultimate explanation of all reality is to be found in
nature.

The doctrine of the all-sufficiency and primacy of

nature is affirmed.

Natural laws are viewed as the ultimate explanation of

all material reality, which naturalism holds as the only
reality that man can ultimately know.
Philosophical Roots
of
NATURALISM
Naturalist Philosophers
THALES (c. 624 – 546 B.C)

ANAXIMANDER (c. 610 – 545 B.C.)

ANAXIMENES (c. 585 – 528 B.C)

DEMOCRITUS and LEUCIPPUS

AEPICURUS and LUCRETIUS

 They were considered naturalist because of their

exclusive interest in Physics and Cosmology.
THALES contribution…
By postulating a single substance, water, as the cosmic
stuff comprising the universe.
ANAXIMANDER…
Postulated that the universe is made up of the
APEIRON, that is the Boundless or the Infinite.

He formulated a theory of transmigration of souls

according to which cosmic matter creates itself,
disintegrates and then recreates itself in a perpetual life
process of never ending transformation.
ANAXIMENES…
Postulated air as the fundamental substance since air is
the most mobile of all the elements.
DEMOCRITUS & LEUCIPPUS
They explained the world using the common sense
approach of reducing nature into two simple things;
Empty Space and Atoms.

They argued that there must be some infinitesimal unit

which is elemental and cannot be further divided.
EPICURIUS & LUCRETIUS…
Epicurius crusaded for a peaceful life of quiet pleasure
and believed enjoyment of the simple rhythm existing
in the life of man and nature.

Lucretius postulated an evolutionary development

which followed the hurling together of atoms to form
the earth and the other planet.
Modern Naturalist…
Bruno, Bacon, Locke (6th and 7th Century)

Rousseau (18th Century and the most popular)

Montaigne (forerunner of naturalism in education)

Basebow (he brought naturalism into the school)

Spencer (England)
Dewey (United States)
Orata (Philippines)
Thomas Hobbes (Europe)
FORMS OF NATURALISM
Biological Naturalism

Psychological Naturalism

Sociological Naturalism

Romantic Naturalism
Biological Naturalism
It maintains the natural science that holds the key to an
understanding and interpretation of man, his nature, his
origin and his destiny.
This flows from the concepts that man is a product of
nature (DeHovre and Jordan).
“In the course of ages, and under the influence of the
physical forces only, the animate had evolved from the
inanimate, the animal kingdom from vegetative, man from
lower animals, and the whole social organizations from the
primitive condition of nature. According to this conception,
Nature is no longer the domain of man; Man is the domain
of nature. The laws of nature control the life of man, his
origin, his development and the whole social organization
he has devised”
The exponents of naturalism venture to measure
education, its ideals and values, solely on the strength
of pragmatic, naturalistic and utilitarian standards.
They also argue that physical nature is supreme and
therefore, man as such is subordinate on its powerful
laws.
The grand strategy is “survival of the fittest” which
means the fit will survive by affecting the necessary
adjustments rapidly and efficiently.
The end results of such development is in terms of the
generation of an increasingly better human race.
The ultimate sanction of naturalism is based on the
discipline of nature consequences.
Psychological Naturalism
It is the only fundamental standard of the science of
education. (Applied Psychology)

Man’s intellect is interpreted as psychological entity, a

little thinking “machine”.

The intellect is a machine and intelligence is described

as a function of brain. (Brain-child, Brainstorming and
braindrain).

Man acts in terms of the stimulus – response model.

It holds that man’s personality, conduct and
philosophy of life are determined by his social and
physical heredity.

Present day psychological naturalism has merged the

“intellectualism” of Herbert and “Voluntarism” of
William James into mechanistic and pragmatic
psychology better labeled as behaviorism.
It applied behavioristic methods to explain the
explanation and control of human movement and
conduct. (conditioned response).
Man’s power to think, reason and judge is explained by
this kind of response.
Sociological Naturalism
It is known as the science of the study of man, Society and
nature. (Sociological and Naturalism)
This was the theory of August Comte, known as the founder
of sociology.
It was the function of of sociologists to establish a kingdom
of man with naturalistic society as its supreme ruler and
controller of all his movements.
Naturalistic Society is the great reality, and altruism (service
to society) is converted into the ultimate objective of human
life.
Romantic Naturalism
According to Jean Jacques Rousseau, he taught that
emotion rather reason dominates natural instincts and
desires are supreme.

It postulates that moral and religious ideas cannot

develop in early childhood, that more is derived from
association with the nature.
3 meaning of Nature (Rousseau)
The social one

The instinctive judgment, primitive emotions, natural

instincts and first impressions are more trustworthy as
a basis for action than are reflective reasoning, or the
experience that comes from association with others.

That the inanimate and subhuman nature, are more

lasting, referring to intimate contact with plants,
animal and the physical phenomena and forces of all
kinds.
According to romantic naturalism, education is for the
benefit of the child and not for anybody else.

Education should provide first-hand contact with the

physical environment and that the method of
instruction should be based upon the psychological
development of the child.

Education should be practical preparation for life.

The romantic naturalist has a profound respect for

nature, as expressed by Rousseau that nature is good,
rather than fallen, as his contemporaries generally
maintained.
The romantic naturalist respects the unique, as the
universal in human nature.
By organizing school program that has the interest of the
child.
He gives priority to what the individual child thinks, feels,
desires and values.

Romantic naturalist have a high regard for the unique

and the subjective, defining what is true as that which
works and they define “work” as achieving what they
set out to do.
Romantic naturalist regard the social process as a more
natural status in the education of the child (Rousseau)
it is towards the independence and autonomy of the
individual.
Stoicism in Relation to Naturalism
Stoicism is a school of philosophy founded by Zeno of
Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century B.C.

Stoicism is predominantly a philosophy of personal ethics

informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural
world.

The Stoic philosophers equate the moral people with the

dictates of right reason manifesting itself with nature.

They also portray them as self-sufficient individuals who

possess the capability of disciplining themselves.
According to Zeno the Stoic and his disciples Cleanthes and
Chrysippus who founded the the Stoic philosophy as applied to
education, that they look upon the universe as an organic unity in
which the form and purpose of each part is determined by God.
But according to Epictetus, education must be an education for
virtue. That a virtuous man is a happy man.
Virtue is a condition of the will being governed by reason and
education must train the individuals to make them resign to
limiting desires to matter within their control.
With respect to desire, it is the function of the teacher or educator
to teach the students or pupils to be apathetic, that they have no
feeling about them.
Epictetus as an educationist, counsels us to cultivate an attitude of
indifference to good and bad fortune alike because external events
are beyond man’s control. Thus educated person do not allow
themselves to be enslaved by the demands by their bodies or to
become emotionally attached to persons or objects.
Teachings of Epictitus and of
Stoicism as regards education
and the moral life
1. He teaches us that the proper perspective in education
requires us to understand the metaphysical conceptions
of divine providence, cosmic reason, rather than
chance, is the governing principle of all things. That
the universe operates according to natural law which
we should strive to understand.
2. He teaches that since humans as a rational beings are
part of the universal city of God or cosmic reason, each
individual is a part of the whole and should
acknowledge his her duty to his fellowmen.
3. It is the duty of the educator to impart upon the
learner that it is essential that a person “fragment of
God” should recognize his her proper place and status
in the scheme of things.
4. It is the duty of educator to enable the learner to be
aware that in order to live in a manner befitting our
rational nature, each human must “make the best of
what is in his own proper” and take the rest as it
occurs.

5. Education teaches the moral primacy of the will. It is

the duty of the teacher or educator to warn pupils and
students against being victimized by the pleasures of
life.

6. He outlines the proper subject of philosophy of

education and emphasizes the importance of the
application of philosophical theory to actual behavior.
Synthesis of Naturalism
There is only one reality, and that reality is nature. (Leucippus,
Democritus, Epicurus, Lucretius, and Spencer)

Reality is composed of bodies moving in space. (Democritus,

Epicurus, Lucretius, and Hobbes)

Forge of energy is the ultimate reality. (Spencer)

Keeping close to the dominant and peaceful ways of nature is the

most acceptable way of adhering to the demands of day to day life.
(Leucippus, Democritus, Epicurus and Rousseau)

Cosmic reason is the governing principle of all things. (Epictetus)

Implication on Education
Education is for the benefit of the child, not for the sake of
any conception, function of the teacher, or he curriculum or
the school. (Rousseau)
Education should be a practical preparation or life
(Rousseau)
All the knowledge should be evaluated in terms of
evolutionary naturalistic principles of education which must
conform to them. (Spencer)
The method of instruction should be based upon the
psychological principles governing the development of the
child. (Rousseau)
Education teaches the moral primacy of the will.
(Epictetus)

Education must provide first-hand contact with the

child’s physical environment. (Rousseau)

The knowledge that the individual acquires through

experience and verifies and uses to solve his life
problems, is utterly superior to that knowledge
supplied by traditional sources. (Spencer)
To sum up…
Naturalism denies a supernatural element in man’s nature.
It makes the natural sciences, rather than philosophy, the
basis of theory of education.
It gives a paramount place to the natural sciences in the
naturalistic program of education.
It holds that the inductive method of natural science is the
only scientific educational method.
It holds that learning is the result of the unhampered
activity of the individual and takes place as the result of a
discipline of natural consequences.
Reduces the moral and religious elements of human
experience to just mere physical or biological functions.
Fundamental Objective of
Naturalism…
1. The preservation of the natural goodness of man.

2. Education according to nature,

3. Society anchored upon the natural, individual rights of

man.
Thank You!!!