2. INTRODUCTION
TO PHILOSOPHY
Unit 01
OBJECTIVES OF
THE COURSE
• Define philosophy
• Describe the scope of philosophy
• Discuss the branches of philosophy
• Analyze the relationship of education and
philosophy
• Evaluate the role of philosophy in
educational policy and practice
3. INTRODUCTION
TO PHILOSOPHY
Unit 01
Background and origin of
Philosophy
• Philosophy sets fundamental understanding
of things
• The problem of human conduct
• The assumptions that under lie religious or
scientific beliefs
• The tools and methods of thinking, or any
issue that arises in any field of human
activity.
4. Meaning ofphilosophy
Socrates , Greek Philosopher
used the term Philosophie
• The origin of “Philosophy” is from
two Greek words –
• ‘Philos’ meaning love
• ‘Sofia’ meaning knowledge or
wisdom.
• So, the total meaning is the love for
knowledge or love for wisdom.
5. DEFINITION
OF
PHILOSOPHY
• According to John Dewey,
"Whenever philosophy has been taken
seriously, it has always been assumed that it
signified achieving a wisdom that would
influence the conduct of life."
• “Philosophy is the science of knowledge”.
(Fichte)
• “Philosophy is the science which investigates
the nature of being as it is in virtue of its own
nature. (Aristotle)
• “Philosophy is the science of sciences”.
(Comte)
• “Philosophy aims at the knowledge of the
eternal, of the essential nature of things”.
(Plato)
6. SCOPE OF
PHILOSOPHY
• The scope of philosophy can be divided into the
following two parts:
• Field of Philosophical Sciences.
Philosophical sciences includes such as metaphysics,
epistemology, logic, philosophy of science, axiology,
aesthetics, ethics, philosophy of religion, political
philosophy, philosophy of education, philosophy of
history, economic philosophy etc.
• Field of Philosophy as Comprehensive Science.
Philosophy is the science of sciences, the mother of
all sciences. From this point of view, its scope
includes the criticism and conclusions of the physical
and social sciences.
9. Epistemology
Philosophy of
Sciences
Philosophies of
Social Science
Metaphysics
Axiology
Knowledge
Philosophies of
Education
Social
Philosophy
Political
Philosophy
Philosophy of
History
Philosophy of
Economics
Ethics
Logic studies
truth
Aesthetics
Cosmogony
Cosmology
Ontology
Philosophy of self
Eschatology
BRANCHES
OF
PHILOSOPHY
10. BRANCHES
OF
PHILOSOPHY
1. Epistemology.
• Philosophy is the search for knowledge.
• Truth, falsehood, validity of knowledge, limits
of knowledge and nature of knowledge, knower
and known
(2) Metaphysics. This is the study of existence
and reality.
(i) Cosmogony.
• Study of creation. Is the world created ?
• How was world created? Who created the
world? What is the purpose in creation?
11. BRANCHES
OF
PHILOSOPHY
(ii)Cosmology. The main problems of cosmology
are: Is the world one or it many, or is it both one and
many?
(iii) Ontology.
• Study of ultimate reality. If reality is many, what is
the relation between these many elements ?
(iv)Philosophy of self. Concerned with the
philosophical analysis of self. What is self ?
(v)Eschatology. The discussion of the condition of
soul after death, the nature of the other world, etc.
12. BRANCHES
OF
PHILOSOPHY
Axiology. It`s all about value. Divided into the
following three branches:
• (i) Ethics. Ethics discusses the criteria of right and
good.
• (ii) Aesthetics.Aesthetics discusses the nature and
criteria of beauty.
• (iii) Logic studies truth. The subject matter of logic
includes the methods of judgment.
• (4) Philosophy of Sciences. Concerned with the
philosophical examination and conclusions of
different sciences.
13. BRANCHES
OF
PHILOSOPHY
(5) Philosophies of Social Science.
The philosophical problems in different social
sciences give birth to different branches.
• (i) Philosophies of Education. The aim of
education and the basic philosophical problems
arising in the field of education.
• (ii) Social Philosophy. The philosophical basis of
social processes and social institutions.
• (iii) Political Philosophy. This branch of
philosophy is concerned with the forms of
government, forms of state.
14. BRANCHES
OF
PHILOSOPHY
(iv) Philosophy of History.
• Philosophy is the nature of historical process,
and its relations with the cosmic process.
(v) Philosophy of Economics.
• This branch of philosophy studies the aim of
man's economic activities and the fundamental
problems arising in the economic field
15. RELATIONSHIP
OF EDUCATION
AND
PHILOSOPHY
Plato defined
• Education as a life-long process starting, "from
the first years of childhood and lasting to the
very end of the life."
• Education is the process of development
• Development means the continuous progress of
mind and body.
• Knowledge of the environment by which he is
surrounded.
16. ROLE OF
PHILOSOPHY
IN
EDUCATION
POLICY AND
PRACTICE
Both philosophy and education are related to
each other.
• Without proper guidance and supervision
education cannot be a successful process of
achievement.
• Spencer remarked—"True education is
practicable only by a true philosophy"
• "Philosophy and education are like the
two sides of the same coin, present
different views of the same thing, and
that one is implied by the other."
(Ross)
17. Relationship
between
Philosophy
and
Education
• Philosophy is dependent on education
due to following reasons:
(1) Education is the Dynamic
Side of Philosophy
Philosophy is the thought or plan side and
education is the application or practical side
(2) Education is a means to achieve
the Goal
Herbart said:
"Education has no time to make holiday till
all the philosophical questions are once for
all cleared up.
18. Philosophy
and Aims of
Education
1. Philosophy and Aims of
Education
2. Philosophy and The
Curriculum
3. Philosophy and
Teacher
4. Philosophy and Methods of
Teaching
20. IDEALISM
• Plato called the father of Idealism
great Greece philosopher (Teacher of
Mathematics)
• His famous book, The Republic
• There are two worlds. The first is the
spiritual or mental world, which is eternal
and permanent.
• Idealism is “Mind is absolute reality”
• The soul is fully formed prior to birth
and is perfect
21. Idealismand
Education
• Aim of education is to discover
and develop each individual's
abilities
• The curricular emphasis is subject
matter of mind like literature,
history, philosophy, and religion.
• Teaching methods focus on
lecture, discussion, Socratic and
dialectical approach (discussion in
depth).
22. REALISM
• Father of Realism great Greece
philosopher and Physician Aristotle
(student of Plato)
• Realism focus on the body/objects. Truth is
objective.
• The ultimate reality is the world of
physical objects.
• Believe in logic, reasoning and
rational thoughts.
• The Realist curriculum emphasizes the
science mathematics and medical
sciences.
23. Pragmatism
• Word “Pragma” means action and practice
• Late 19th centaury American philosophy also
known as Experimentalism, Instrumentalism.
• Pragmatists believe that reality is constantly
changing
• Focuses on the reality of experience and
constant change.
• Charles Peirce (1839-1914) and John Dewey
(1859- 1952) are famous Pragmatists.
• John Dewey (1859-1952) applied pragmatist
philosophy in his progressive approaches.
• Teaching methods hands-on problem
solving, experimenting, projects and
students work in groups.
24. 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.
• 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.
26. Perennialism
• The aim of education is students acquire
understandings about the great ideas
• 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.
27. Essentialism
• Study of essential knowledge, skills and
values
• Schooling should be practical, preparing students
to become valuable members of society.
• 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.
28. 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
• Progressive education philosophy established in
America mid 1920s to the mid 1950s.
• John Dewey was its foremost proponent.
29. Reconstructionism
/
Critical Theory
• Brameld (1904-1987) was the founder of social
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)
