Unit # 1

Introduction to Philosophy

Online Workshop for B.Ed. (1.5) 2020

AIOU Islamabad
Objectives
• After reading this unit, you will be able to:
1. Define philosophy
2. Describe the scope of philosophy
3. Discuss the branches of philosophy
4. Analyze the relationship of education and philosophy
5. Evaluate the role of philosophy in educational policy and practice
Philosophy
• The term philosophy has been derived from the two Greek words,

• Philosophy = Philos + Sophia

• Philos means “Love for”

• Sophia means “Wisdom or knowledge”

• So, philosophy means “love for wisdom”

Cont…

• A search for the wisdom of life

• An attempt to understand the universe as a whole

• An examination of our moral responsibility and our social obligations

• The way we perceive the world around us

• How we define what is important to us?

Definitions of Philosophy

• According to Greek Philosopher Plato,

• “Philosophy aims at a knowledge of the eternal nature of things”

• According to Aristotle,
• Philosophy is a science which investigates the nature of being as it is in itself.

• Herbert Spencer said

• "Philosophy is concerned with everything as a universal science."
Cont…

• According to George F. Kneller,

• “Philosophy is the attempt to think in the most general and systematic way
about everything in the universe, about the whole of reality”.

• Kant said,
• Philosophy is the science and criticism of cognition.

• Philosophy is the science of all sciences.

Meaning of Education

• The word Education has been derived from the Latin words ‘educare’ meaning to
bring up‟; ‘educere’ meaning draw out and ‘education’ meaning the act of
teaching or training.

• According to Aristotle, Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body.

• According to Islamic point of view:

“Education is the process of preparing individuals as vicegerent to Allah (SWT) in
society on earth.”
Philosophy of Education

• Philosophy of Education is concerned with the aims of education and

the basic philosophical problems arising in the field of education.

• It may be defined as the application of philosophy in the field of

education to solve various educational issues.
Cont…
• Educational philosophy provides answers of educational
issues,
• Why to educate (aim)
• Whom to educate (child)
• Who to educate (teacher)
• What to educate (curriculum)
• How to educate (methods) etc.
 Field of Philosophy
(1) Field of Philosophical Sciences
• The scope of philosophy includes different philosophical sciences such as;
• Metaphysics, epistemology, logic, philosophy of science, axiology, aesthetics, ethics,
• Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Education, Philosophy of History etc.
(2) Field of Philosophy as Comprehensive Science
• Philosophy is the science of sciences, the mother of all sciences.
• Its scope includes the criticism and synthesis of the hypothesises and conclusions of
the physical and social sciences.
(3) Subject Matter of Philosophy
• The scope of philosophy clarifies its subject matter.
• Its subject matter includes the conclusions and postulates of all the physical and social
sciences besides their general problems.
Scope of Philosophy
• Nature of the Universe
• Standard of justice and conduct of life
• Validity of knowledge
• Concrete application of reason
• Criteria of beauty
• Relationship between languages and thought
 Branches of Philosophy
Branch Description Key Questions
Metaphysics An attempt to • What is the meaning of life?
determine what is • Does life have a purpose?
real • Are people born good or evil?
• Does the universe have a design or purpose?
Epistemology Questions about • What are the limits of knowledge?
knowledge and • Where do we find the sources of knowledge?
knowing • How do we acquire knowledge?
• Are there ways of determining the validity of knowledge?
• What is the truth?
Axiology Seeking wisdom Ethical:
about the nature of • What are values and why are they important?
ethical and aesthetic • How should we live our lives? What is right and what is wrong?
values
Aesthetic:
• How do we judge what we see, touch and hear?
• What is beauty?
Metaphysics
• Term metaphysics mean “comprehensive thinking about the nature of
things.”
• It means, usually, the study or theory of reality.
• Metaphysics (study of existence)
(i) Cosmogony (study of creation)
(ii) Cosmology (study of cosmos)
(iii) Ontology (study of ultimate reality)
(iv) Philosophy of self (philosophical analysis of self)
Epistemology
• Branch of philosophy that studies;
 Concept of Knowledge
 Sources of Knowledge
 An Authentic source of Knowledge
 Validity of Knowledge
 Limits of Knowledge
 Nature of Knowledge
Axiology

• This branch of philosophy philosophically studies value.

• It has been divided into the following three branches:

1. Ethics. discusses the criteria of right and good.
2. Aesthetics. discusses the nature and criteria of beauty.
Relationship of Education and Philosophy
• Philosophy plays an important role in;
• Providing direction to education
• Providing a theory of knowledge for education
• According to Soltis (1988) has three dimensions:
1. Personal dimension: having a set of personal beliefs about what is good,
right, and worthwhile in education.
2. Public dimension: aimed at guiding and directing the practice of many
3. Professional dimension: Provides specific guidelines for the practice of
teaching
Cont…
• Philosophy and Education are closely interrelated.
• It is the application of philosophy to study of the problems of
education that is known as philosophy of education.
• According to Ross,
• “Philosophy and education are like the two sides of a coin”.
• This indicates the fact that plant of education draws its nourishment
from the soil of philosophy.
• Philosophy answers all the ultimate questions of Education.
 Role of Philosophy in Educational Policy and
Practice
• Both philosophy and education are interdependent.

• All great philosophers have employed education to translate

their philosophical ideas into practice.

• Education is the Dynamic Side of Philosophy

• Education is a Means to Achieve the Goals

Scope of Philosophy of Education
• Philosophy and Aims of Education
• Philosophy and Curriculum
• Philosophy and Text Books
• Philosophy and Methods of Teaching
• Philosophy and Discipline
• Philosophy and Teacher
• Philosophy and Evaluation
 General Philosophies

At the metaphysical level, there are four broad philosophical schools of

thought that apply to education today.
1) Idealism
2) Realism
3) Pragmatism
4) Existentialism
 Idealism
• Father of Idealism great Greece philosopher Plato (Teacher of
Mathematics)
• His famous book, The Republic
• Idealism is reflection of ideas of mind because “Mind is absolute
reality”
• World is eternal, permanent, and universal
• The soul is fully formed prior to birth and is perfect
Realism
• Father of Realism great Greece philosopher and Physician Aristotle
(student of Plato)

• The ultimate reality is the world of physical objects, focus is on the body.

• Believe in logic, reasoning and rational thoughts.

• The Realist curriculum emphasizes the subjects of the physical world,

particularly science mathematics and medical sciences.
 Pragmatism
• Word “Pragma” means action and practice
• Late 19th centaury American philosophy also known as
Experimentalism, Instrumentalism.
• Focuses on the reality of experience and constant change.
• Charles Peirce (1839-1914) and John Dewey (1859-1952) are famous
Pragmatists.
• Teaching methods hands-on problem solving, experimenting,
projects and students work in groups.
Existentialism
• A life centered philosophy
• Reality is subjective and lies within the individual because every
person is unique in this world.
• The focus is on freedom, the development of authentic individuals.
• Existence comes before any definition of what we are,
• Because there is nothing before the birth and will be nothing after the
death.
• Existentialists suggest classrooms should be a matter of personal
choice.
• They start with the student, rather than curriculum content
 Educational Philosophies
These educational philosophical approaches are currently used in
classrooms the world over.

1) Perennialism
2) Essentialism
3) Progressivism
4) Reconstructionism
Perennialism
• Perennial means “principle”
• Life is set of some basic unchangeable and unchallengeable
everlasting principles.
• Humans are rational beings, and their minds need to be developed.
• Curriculum focuses on cultural literacy, stressing students' growth in
enduring disciplines.
• Study of “Great Books” by Robert Maynard Hutchins is mandatory.
Essentialism
• Study of essential knowledge, skills and values
• Promotes Core Curriculum
• Teacher and subject centered education
• Training students to read, write, speak, and compute clearly and
logically
• Students should be taught hard work, respect for authority, and
discipline
Progressivism
• John Dewey s’ Child centered educational philosophy

• Progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole child,

rather than on the content or the teacher.

• Learner s’ Individual experiences in the physical and cultural context.

• Believe in learning by doing

Reconstructionism
• Philosophy of educational and Social Reforms
• Focuses on change, future and democracy
• Critical thinking and use of technology
• A revolutionary theory
• Curriculum focuses on student experience and taking social action on
real problems
• Community-based learning and bringing the world into the classroom
are also strategies (Cohn, 1999)