Realism

Presented by: Christopher Rojo

 Realism
- came from the word Res and Ism. "Res"
means object and "ism" means reflection
(image).
 Classical Realist

Aristotle St. Thomas Aquinas

 Aristotle
• Greek Philosopher
• First prominent realist philosopher
• Father of Realism
• Pupil of Plato
• Teacher of Alexander the Great
 Aristotelian Realism
• Aristotle explained that each object had its own
'soul' that directs right away

Statement :
A kitten is a kitten
A kitten will grow into cat
but will never become a tree
Principle :
Design and order are present in the universe
Aristotelian Realism
• Aristotle also explained that "A tree can exist
without matter, but no matter can exist without
form."
Question :
How can a tree exist without matter how is that
possible?
Answer :
Before they were made, they started as an
idea in someone's head and it did not exist.
Aristotelian Realism

Logic explanation : A chair can exist in

someone's head; you can sit on a chair but
not on an idea of a chair.
 Aristotelian Realism
• He mentioned that each thing has a purpose or
function. The most important thing we can ask about
objects is about their purposes.

Question : What is the purpose of humanity?

Answer : "Because humans are the only creatures
endowed with the ability to think, their purpose is to
use this ability."
• Human's highest characteristic is thinking. We achieve our
true purpose when we think. When we refuse to think, we
go against the design of the universe and the reason for our
creation.

Aristotle's Golden Mean

(a path between extremes)
• The person who follows a true purpose leads arational
life of moderation, avoiding extremes
• Good education helps to achieve the Golden Mean.
• Aristotle believed that our good comes through thinking
• Aristotle is also concerned with logic. The logical
method he developed was the SYLLOGISM
• Syllogism - consists of three successive assertions;
the first two are the premises, and the third is the
conclusion.
Example:
All men are mortal
David is a man.
Therefore, David is
mortal.
 St. Thomas Aquinas

• Italian Priest
• Thomism- Roman Catholic
• Reconciled Aristotelian Philosophy with
Christian concepts
• First encountered the work of Aristotle while studying in
Naples.
• Became a leading authority on Aristotle in the Middle Ages

• He accepted Aristotle's view that a human has MATTER and

a MIND or a BODY and a SOUL
• He also believed that our highest good comes through
thinking because WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD our
best thinking should agree with Christian tenets
St. Aquinas' Beliefs
• Aquinas epitomized the scholasticism of the Middle Ages

• Scholasticism is an approach that emphasized the human's

eternal soul and salvation
• Only God can touch the soul because Aquinas believed
that God is the Ultimate Teacher.
• A teacher can only 'point' the way to knowledge.

• Teaching is a way to serve humankind; it is part of

God's work.
 "Leading the student from ignorance to
enlightenment is one of the greatest
services one person can give to another."
-Aquinas
 References
Aquinas. The Educational Foundations of America. (n.d.).
https://educationalfoundationsofamerica.weebly.com/
aquinas.html
Realism and education. Share and Discover Knowledge on
SlideShare. (n.d.).
https://www.slideshare.net/nextjs/ainaamalina3/realism-and-
education?nway-slidenext=B&index=5&expanded=1
Thank You
for listening!