Chapter 3 سورة آل عمران- Aal-e-Imran: Verses 66-66

ؤلء حاججتم فيما ل ون فيما ليس كم به علم فلم تحاج ها أنتم ه

يعلم وأنتم ل لكم به علم واللهتعلمون

Ah! Ye are those who fell to disputing (Even) in matters of which ye had some knowledge! but why dispute ye in matters of which ye have no knowledge? It is Allah Who knows, and ye who know not!

Presented to: Dr. Mahar Muhammad

Saeed Akhtar

Presented by: Tahira jabeen

St : No Mp/2013-30

Philosophical Foundations of Education

What is a foundation?1. The basis or ground work of any thing

2. The natural or prepared ground on which some structure rests

3. The lowest and supporting layer of a structure

What is philosophy?Al kindi:“Philosophy helps the Muslim to understand the truth using different techniques from those directly provided through Islam.”

Heraclitus:“Philosophy is a sacred disease.”

Marx, Karl ( Theses on Feuerbach, #11)

“The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.”

Continued…….William James:

"Philosophy is the unusually stubborn attempt to think clearly.”

Aquinas:

“ The study of philosophy aims not at knowing what

men feel, but at what is the truth of things.”

Continued……George Berkeley ( A Treatise Concerning The

Principles Of Human Knowledge)

“ Philosophy being nothing else but the study of wisdom and truth, it may with reason be expected that those who have spent most time and pains in it should enjoy a greater calm and serenity of mind, a greater clearness and evidence of knowledge, and be less disturbed with doubts and difficulties than other men.”

What is education?Plato :

“Education the initial acquisition of virtue by the child, when the feelings of pleasure and affection, pain and hatred, that well up in his soul are channelled in the right courses before he can understand the reason why… education, then is a matter of correctly disciplined feelings of pleasure and pain.”

The purpose of Education:What do you think the purpose of education is?To give knowledgeTo transmit cultureTo help people adapt to societyTo give religious educationTo provide practical/hands-on experience/trainingTo provide learner/human-centered education (self-realization)Why do some parents choose or reject certain schools?Your views……..

Philosophical Foundations of Education:

Philosophy influences daily educational life in many ways (curriculum, teacher role, assessment, teaching methods..)

Idealism

Realism

Pragmatism

Existentialism

Idealism:History:

Idealism is a Greece word.

Having the meanings of A visible form, The look, Appearance of something.

It is oldest systematic philosophy in western culture.

The Development of idealism:Socrates gave ideas about idealism but they were oral.

Plato (427-327 B.C.) wrote ideas and dialogues of Socrates

Plato developed one of the most influential philosophies dealing with education.

Rene Descartes (1596-1650), George Berkeley (1685-1753), Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), George Wilhelm Friedrick Hegel (1770-1831) are considered modern idealists.

Definitions: Kant ( Kant's idealism, pg:5)

idealism may be defined as the view that reality or “the world” is a product of the mind.

George Berkeley ( Internet Encyclopaedia of

Philosophy)

The claim that everything that exists either is a mind or depends on a mind for its existence .

Salient Features:Mind, Thought or Spirit are important

World is the projection of mind or spirit

According to Theism God and Universe are separate

Universe is created by God

According to Pantheism this Universe is the projection of God

The creation of this Universe is purposeful

Ideas are eternal and everlasting

Man’s nature is spiritual

Ideas are true reality

Continued……Idealists use deductive method

Knowledge gained through revelation and intuition is the best knowledge

Knowledge through senses is uncertain knowledge

wisdom, thoughts and consideration are the key points

Values are unchangeable

Values are created by God

Plato believed that matter has no reality

Goals of Education:Educators are interested in the search for truth through ideas.

They encourage students to search for truth as individuals.

Education is transformation: ideas can change lives.

Role of a Teacher:Dealing with abstract notions through dialectic method.

Establishing an environment to ensure the desired outcomes.

A role model.

Methods of Instruction:Lecturing but particularly using dialectic approach.

Through questioning encouraged students to discuss, analyze, synthesize, and apply what they have read.

Encouraged students to work in groups/ individually on research projects, both oral and written.

Curriculum:Examining the roots of the contemporary problems in the past (great literature/classics etc)

Education at any level should teach students to think

Subject-matter curriculum

Back-to-basics approach in education

Realism:Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) the pupil of Plato is the founder of realism

He said, ideas may be important in themselves, a proper study of matter could lead us to better and more distinct ideas

“Idea of God or the idea of a tree can exist without matter, but there can be no matter without form”

Religious Realism:Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Leader of Religious Realism

He argued that:

“Since God is pure reason, then the universe is reason, and by using our reason, as Aristotle suggested, we could know the truth of things.”

He emphasis on using our senses in order to obtain knowledge about world, and his proof of God’s existence depend heavily upon sensory observation.

Development of Modern Realism:Francis Bacon(1561-1626)

He was against Aristotle.

Science must be concerned with pure and simple inquiry

He claimed to take all knowledge as his field of investigation.

John Locke(1623-1704)

Alfred North(1861-1947)

Bertrand Russell(1872-1970)

Salient Features:Universe is not the projection of idea

There is no supreme power behind this universe

Our senses certify this universe

Man is just a physical body having no relation with spirit

Universe is immortal

Real knowledge is that which can certify this universe

Purpose of knowledge is to get benefits from the universe as much as possible

Continued…..Revelation can be the source of knowledge for religious Realists

Values are immortal

Individuals are important

Goals of Education:Develop intellectual abilitiesTo equip students with information to understand current event

Role of the Teacher:Having a solid grounding in science, math's, and the humanities.Competency testing of students with various methodsRead to adopt new technologyTo teach disciplined knowledgeTeacher should be competent in subject matterTeacher presenting ideas in a clear & consistent mannerThere are definite ways to judge works of art, music, poetry and literature

Methods of Instruction:Lecture, question &answer (formal ways of teaching)Inductive & scientific reasoningCompetency-based assessments as a way ensuring that students learnt what they are being taughtEmphasis on critical reason aided by observation (our experiences) & experimentationStressing precision and accuracy in math, science, social studies and writing

Curriculum : Curriculum consists of the basics – math's, science, reading etc.

Attention is given to didactic & object studies in education (use of pictures, TV, videos in educational process)

Use of objects in education (Montessori)

Emphasis is on subject matter (highly organized & systematic in approach)

Pragmatism :History :

it is a Greek word

Its meaning is “work”

It is viewed as a twentieth century philosophy developed by Americans

This philosophy is linked with “Scientific revolution”

The American Pragmatists:Charles Sanders Peirce(1839-1914)

True knowledge of any thing depends upon verification of our ideas in actual experience

William James(1842-1910)

Truth is that which gives benefits to man

John Dewy(1859-1952)

He changed Pragmatism into Instrumentalism

He did not believe in Supreme Power

He related philosophy with the problems of daily life and their solutions ( benefits)

Salient features:This universe is materialistic

This Universe is just for the benefits of men

Experiences and Observations are the basic realities

man’s status is physical nor spiritual neither moral

Scientific proofs are true realities

Knowledge can gain through wisdom

Just practical knowledge is the right knowledge

Values are temporary and changeable

Values are created by man

Goal of Education:Primary goal of education is growth.

Education is for life.

Education should not be locked upon merely as schooling and the acquisition of academic subject matter but as a part of life itself.

Schools should balance the needs of the society and students

Helping people direct, control and guide personal and social experience (self-actualization)

Education should promote our individualism (self-directed learning)

Role of the Teacher:Applies democratic methods

Classroom is a community of learners

Teacher facilitator not authoritarian

Teacher encourages, offers suggestions, questions and helps plan and implements courses of study

Teacher writes curriculum and must have a command of several disciplines to create and implement curriculum

Methods of Instruction: Problem solving, experiential learning, inquiry methods, field trips, projects

Learning in groups and individuality

Formal instruction is abandoned (flexible methods are used) moveable chairs, freedom in class etc.

Lockstep, rote memorization of traditional schools are replaced with individualized studies.

Action-oriented education (activity-oriented approach to curriculum)

Curriculum:Learner-centered curriculum

Pragmatist curriculum is composed of both process (experience) and content (knowledge)

All academic and vocational disciplines in an integrated and connected way

Existentialism:History:

Recent application to educational theory and the problems of education

Its roots may be traced as far back as the Sophists

These are the philosophers of Existentialism:

Soren Kierkegaard(1813-1855)

Martin Buber (1878-1965)

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)

Salient features: Direct relation between man and God

Problems can solve through subjective thoughts

Freedom of man is the basic reality

Man’s consciousness tells about right or wrong

Man is over burdened due to values

Emotions and decision power are the basic elements of man’s personality

Goals of Education: Education should focus on the needs of individuals, both cognitively and affectively.

Education should stress individuality. (Education should include discussion of the nonrational and rational world)

Education is an activity liberating the individual.

Individuals are responsible of consequences. Individuals should be given credit for the creation of concepts like peace, truth, and justice. So, focus is on humans and their ideas.

Good education would encourage individuals to ask such questions: “Who am I?”, “Where

Role of the Teacher :Emphasizes individual choices (there is no common way of viewing world)

Both Teacher and students learn from each other & their relation is more friend to friend

Thus the role of teacher is an intensely personal one that carries with it a tremendous responsibility.

Due to the greater experience & knowledge, it is the Teacher’s responsibility to develop an educational environment that promotes awareness of the past and present, and of the future possibilities.

Methods of Instruction:Stressing individual freedomEmpowering students to make choices about what and how they will learnEducational methods which help Teacher in the opening of a whole new world of possibilities for students.Students become more articulate and capable of comprehension and self-expression with the help of teacher’s existentialist approach.

Curriculum: Stressing arts an literature, little emphasis is given on math and scienceThe humanities are considered in an existentialist curriculum because they deal with the essential aspects of human existence, such as the relations between people, the tragic side of human life as well as the happy.Through humanities, the existentialists try to awaken modern individuals to the dangers of being swallowed up by the technology (wide awaken)

Comparison:

Topic Idealism Realism Pragmatism Existentialism

Truth Super force science practical Based on choice & action

value Eternal Discovered Created by humans

Based on choice

Nature of human beings

Super force’s creation

Creature of nature

Bio-socio-psycho individuals

Self defining

Power Glorify Super force

Knowledge Individuals Responsibility

Knowledge Revealed Observation Social process Self relevant

Role of teacher Model of morality

Model of science

participant Re searcher

Curriculum Liberal rats Humanities

Science, math Social science

Social studiesProblem solving

Fine arts Creative work

Purpose of education

Conform to Super power

Conform to nature

Learn how to learn

Encourage selfhood

Freedom Within limits of Super power

Within limits of nature

Democracy Total freedom