FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION
Definitions:
1.
Development
of the whole man-(Comenius)
2.
Developing
morality – (Herbart)
3.
Developing
the body and the soul of all the perfection which they are capable of –
(Plato).
4.
Dispelling
error and discovering truth – (Socrates).
5.
Pestalozzi: Education is the natural, harmonies
and progressive
Development of man’s innate power.
6.
John
Dewy: Education is the development
of all those capacities in
The individuals who enable him to
control his environment and fulfill his responsibilities.
7.
Imam
Ghazali: A process which enable an
individual to
Distinguish between the true and the
false, the good and the bad, the right conduct and evil doing.
8.
Harris
T-William: Preparing the individual
for the reciprocal union With society
9.
William
James: Fitting the individual to his
physical and social
Environment
Individual process
o Seeks to bring growth and development
within the individual.
The term education then refers to as a
process:
Ø
Continuously
brings about changes.
Ø
Of
growth and development
Ø
Helps
the individual to use the knowledge acquired in achieving the aims.
Ø
Helps
to organized acquired habits according to social and physical environment.
Ø
Transforms
the instinctive behavior to human behavior.
EDUCATION
PROCESS
Why
to Educate: This includes aims of education. The
educator and the educand must be clear about the aims of education, so that
efforts are made in the right direction. As already explained, aims of
education depends upon various factors i-e. Political, Economic, Social,
Geographical, Religious etc. in a net shell, education must produce socially
efficient individual.
Whom
to Education: The educator
most understand the educand through this aptitudes, interests, temperaments
etc. so that the best of him is drawn out.
Who
is to educate: the teacher is to educate and he must
thoroughly understand himself also.
Where
to educate: This leads to the contents of the
curriculum which has been described as “The environment in motion” in a broader
sense it includes all the course, reading, associations and activities that go
in the school-workshop, playgrounds and in the numerous informal contacts
between teachers and pupils.
How
to Educate: this involves the knowledge and technique
of various methods of teaching for making the teaching learning process
dynamic, effective and inspirational.
When
to Educate: this is concerned with the different stages of
the child so that “Motivational” aspects may be handled and attended
Psychologically.
A teacher has to discover
and develop the talents and potentialities of the students for healthy
personality, there should be external and internal development of the individual.
In order to produce a balance personality through process of education, there
should be external development and development from within. There are same
hidden qualities possessed by individuals which have to develop.
Education
may be formal or informal; it must continuo throughout the life. Human beings
keep on improving through knowledge and through experience of life or through
systematic education. According to German Philosopher ‘Kant’ “Education is
progress from nature to Reason”. Thought education we learn to exercise control
over our emotions, desires of envy, and our behavior should be rationalized.
It is through education that man
begins to exercise control over his emotions of anger, jealousy, selfishness
and desires. Man learned to be rational, open minded, reasonable, thoughtful,
objective and optimistic through knowledge and experience.
Relationship
between philosophy and education
Philosophy and education
are closely related fields both are vitally concerned with humankind, the nature
of human kind, knowledge, relationships, and behavior but whereas philosophy
seeks to understand the fundamental theoretical basis of existence education
seeks to understand the more practical answers.
Where
philosophy would ask, “Where are we going?” Education would ask “How can we get
there?” where philosophy would ask, “How do we define ourselves as human?”
education would ask, “How do became self-reliant”.
Where
philosophy would ask, “where did the universe come from?” education would ask,
“Is there life on other planets!”
The world Philosophy comes
from the Greek Philos, which means “Love“and sophos, which mean “Wisdom”. Hence
Philosophy literally means Love of Wisdoms. Philosophy is therefore, the
inquiry in to Principles of knowledge, reality, and the values that constitute
wisdom.
SIMILARITIES
BETWEEN PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATION
Philosophy
and Education are interdependent
It
is a common knowledge and quite evident that philosophy and education are very
much interdependent as well as interrelated. James Ross defines the relation
between Philosophy and education by saying
“Philosophy & education are like
two sides of a coin, the former is the contemplative side and the later is the
active side”.
In the words of Jhan Adams “Education
is the dynamic side of Philosophy”
Al-Quran is also the
contemplative aspect of Islam while the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) was the
practical means of realizing the ideas of life. The truth of this statement can
be observed in the lives of great philosophers and their teaching’s they did
their best to put into practice the theories of education propounded by them. They
usually implemented their philosophies into concrete form and convinced other
people to hold the same ideas and beliefs they hold. A country first of all
develops a philosophy of life and later plans a scheme of education
accordingly. When there is a change in the philosophy of a nation, it brings a
change in education.
In Greece the
philosophy of the nation was state-centered. Hence military training and strict
discipline were parts of curriculum, later the philosophy changed and it become
individual centered. Hence the curriculum turned out to be activity based and
more freedom was given to child.
2. Philosophy determines Aims, Education
put them into practice.
Philosophy
formulates the aims and objectives of education which in turn influence the
practice, the subject of study and method of teaching. Thus the plans and
polices of education, the choice of subjects for suitable curriculum, the text
books, the employment of method of teaching and the tone of discipline requir3d
are all influenced by the philosophy of education.
The
formulation of the aims and the objectives is the mail responsibility of
educational philosophy. For achieving the set objectives, specific curriculum
and methods are needed. For example
THE RELATIONSHIP OF PHILOSOPHY TO
EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE.
If the aim of education is a progress
in agricultural and industry”, courses related to this field must be included
in the curriculum .if it is greed that aim of education is “the development of
the personality of the learner.” such methods of education should be employed
which help in attainment of this goal. The philosophy even describes the
curriculum, text books, employment methods and one of discipline required.
Philosophy like plot and Aristotle has given their theories on
education, which formed the aim and objectives of education.
(i)
In Plato words
“Education must develop four cardinal
virtues”
Ø
Wisdom:
to different between right and wrong.
Ø
Courage:
Make sacrifices for others.
Ø
Self-control:
To exercise control over emotions desires and temptations.
Ø
Justice:
Equality, result of the above all.
(ii)
According
to Aristotle, moral, Physical and spiritual development of the individual is
important.
“A
sound mind in a sound body.”
Keeping
their views in our mind, we determine our aims and objective of education.
3. Both Impart Knowledge:
A
very vast knowledge about every aspect of life is provided by philosophy. It
provides knowledge about universe, the nature of god, and purpose of life.
Education imparts knowledge in different discipline viz: Medicine, Law,
Engineering, social Science etc.
4. Both Provide Correct Knowledge:
Philosophy
enables the teacher to provide true and accurate knowledge to the learners.
Almost all the philosophers gave their theories which were based on truth and
realties and education impart them, practically.
5. Method of Teaching:-
Almost
all philosophers gave their own method of teaching.
Ø
First
method of teaching was given by the Plato i.e. Question Answer method.
Ø
Method
of Practical was introduced by Aristotle i.e. Experimental Method.
Ø
Activity
method was increased by Rousseau, Braudy & Dewy.
Ø
Socrates
and Plato favored and supported discussion and questioning method. Teachers
used to analyze the questions raised by the students and their satisfactory
answer should be given by the teachers. Students allowed bringing growth their
ideas and views and judging their soundness.
Ø
Experimental
method was suggested by Aristotle. Students should learn by performing
experiment.
Ø
Broudy
and Dewy introduced activity method. Learning is based upon activity method.
6. Subjects of Study:
Subject
of study were included in curriculum by Philosophers. Philosophers presents
basic subject of studies, which were developed by educationists. As the aim of
education was intellectual and physical development. This aim was divided into
two subjects. For physical development the subjects were music and gymnastics. For
intellectual development the subjects suggested were physics, philosophy,
mathematics, geometry, logic and ethics. This suggestion was given by Plato. Aristotale
also added the Rhetoric (Power of Expression), Poetics (Literature) and
politics.
7. Both Develop objective and positive
attitude:-
Objective
and positive attitude is developed by philosophy and education as well. Objective
mean not be prejudiced we should be open and broad minded. Do not accept any
knowledge and idea blindly by developing critical thinking our opinion and
ideas would be objective not subjective.
Positive
attitude means to accept ups and down of life not to become disappointed by
failure in life. Develop positive and realistic attitudes towards life and the
universe.
8. Both Deals with Morality:-
Both are interested in the moral code for men. Philosophy
emphasizes that man should do what is right and good. Man must differentiate
between right and wrong and follow the right path. Education also emphasizes
character building as the Chief Objective. Man should learn to be kind polite,
respectful, honest and true.
9. Philosophy is a guide for the teacher:
The study of Philosophy is essential. It is essential for
teacher as well as for taught. But for teachers it is inevitable. Teachers take
the responsibility of educating the youth of nation. Teachers are the ultimate
builders of the nation. They are supposed to translate into practice a
country’s educational theories and policies by implementing in real and
practical situations.
10. Comparison of Theories:
The
role of philosophy can very easily be viewed when we compare the ancient
theories of education with the modern ones. In ancient Greek, the policy of
education did not allow the free development of individuals. Loyalty and
obedience to the state was imperative upon the individual. Therefore, the
subjects included in the curriculum were such which should inculcate these
qualities in them. The methods of education employed in the process of
education aimed at producing the qualities of obedience and submissiveness
among the pupils. According to the Naturalists Rousseau and his followers, a
child should grow up in a free atmosphere. Therefore, the present experience,
interest and activities of the child are considered very important.
Furthermore,
the pragmatist’s school of thought emphasized on the principles of utility in
the choice of the subjects and the method of education allows more practical
activities for the learner. Dewey, the Chief exponent of this school emphasized
that since activity is the Chief Characteristics of childhood, the process of
learning also should be a way of doing things. Influenced by such Philosophies
of education all modern methods of teaching are “Child Centered”. This
philosophy draws its data from a wide variety of sources.
It
starts from the humble data of common sense and goes into philosophical
thinking of great construction and of high standard. It pays high regards to
the life of sciences of Biology and Psychology.
Philosophy
|
Education
|
1.
Both Differ in Scope
|
|
Study of Metaphysics,
Axiology and logic
|
Concern with aims,
Curriculum, methods of teaching, Administration,
Examination and discipline
|
2 Both Differ in Methods |
|
Speculation reflective thinking, analysis and synthesis, comparison
and contrast
|
|
3.
Both Differ in functions
|
|
Search for Ultimate
Reality Mind, Matter, Soul, Good, Evil, justice, Freedom etc.
|
Develops individual
Potentialities
|
4. Is Theoretical
Is Practical
|
|
It is a set of Ideas
|
Produces Better human
being
|
Difference between Philosophy and Education
