Foundational Philosophies in Education

Idealism - mind Realism - fact Scholasticism - tradition Thomism – combination of faith & reason Pragmatism – growth in efficiency Existentialism – Intensity of feeling Post-modernism – Ending

domination/cultural assertion

Foundational Philosophies in Education

Traditional PhilosophiesIdealism, Scholasticism, Thomism, Realism

Absolute Truths – permanent, universally relevant

Required Subjects

Relativistic PhilosophiesPragmatism, Existentialism, Post-modernism

Relative Truths No Fixed Curriculums

IdealismIdealist - Anytime someone puts

more emphasis on the mind, or the mental side, than anything else.

Body,Feeling, Matter, Subconscious, Instinct, etc.

Mind, Thinking

Idealism Extreme Idealism

Idealism Plato

The Circle Descartes

Doubting = Thinking (If I think, then I am) Move beyond the learner, turn to ways

of thinking (Blooms Taxonomy) Lecture > Dialectic >Think

RealismRealist – Best type of knowledge is

those of physical fact.

Mind, Feeling, Subconscious, etc.

Physical Fact

Beginning of Realism

Scientific Realism

RealismLevels of Certainty:1. Physical Science2. Social Science3. Philosophical Knowledge - Speculation4. Religious Knowledge – Proof? Low

Agreement Behaviorism – Conditioning Aristotle

ScholasticismThe main focus here is Tradition. Truth is found in the physical, mental

and emotional things that have endured over time and is still relevant.

The world was here before we were born and we must be a part of this world.

Liberal Education

Thomism God exists and can be known

through faith and reason. Since both physical objects and

human beings, including minds and ideas, are created by God, faith has nothing to fear from idealism and rationalism.

Aquinas & Aristotle (Faith & Reason)

Pragmatism Everything is subject to change.

(Relevance?) Saber-Tooth Curriculum

Certainty is only at a practical level – that which brings the most practical results to the most people.

Focus: learning the scientific method and problem-

solving. working cooperatively with others

ExistentialismTruth is Subjective

Existence precedes essence. 55 mph? (Our we committed to this?) Students should be given the opportunity to

choose to learn and what to learn (responsibility) (Spiderman)

Reality is only determined by our choices. The only authority is the authority of self.

(knowledge & values) Pragmatists – success is important. Existentialists – success is of no value, be true to

yourself.

Post-Modernism Truth is found in the interaction of different

cultures. There should no be an ever dominant

group. This hinders certainty and rightness. New creations of truth can and should arise

when all groups are equal and interact. Multicultural Education Curriculum and Instruction