This document discusses the educational philosophy of perennialism. Perennialism believes that truth is universal and unchanging, and therefore education should also be universal and focus on developing rational thought. The curriculum emphasizes subjects like history, literature, and the sciences that cultivate rational thinking skills. Teachers are seen as scholars who guide students towards understanding eternal truths through discussions of great books and works. While teacher-centered, perennialism aims to develop students' intellectual and moral capacities through engagement with classic texts that explore fundamental human experiences.

2. PERENNIALISM

5. Robert M. Hutchins
Born
January 17, 1899
Brooklyn, New York
Died
May 17, 1977
(aged 78)
Santa Barbara,
California
Occupation Educator
Spouse(s) Maude Hutchins
“I do not need to tell you
what the public thinks about
universities. You know as
well as I, and you know as
well as I that the public is
wrong. The fact that popular
misconceptions of the
nature and purpose of
universities originate in the
fantastic misconduct of the
universities themselves is
not consoling.
— Robert Maynard
Hutchins

6. PERENNIALIS
M
Is an educational theory that is
greatly influenced by the principles
of realism. It has a conservative
traditional view of human nature and
education. Perennialist content that
truth is univeral and unchanging,
therefore, a good education is also
universal and constant.

7. The perennialist have for their
aim that education is of the rational
person. The central aim of
education should to develop the
power of thought. They view the
universal aim of education as the
search for the dissemination of
truth. They look up to the school as
an institution designed to develop
human intelligence.

8. The Perennialist view education is
a recurring process based on the
eternal truths. Thus, the school’s
curriculum should emphasize the
recurrent themes of human life. It
should contain cognitive subjects
that cultivate rationality and the
study of moral, aesthetic, and
religious principles to develop the
attitudinal dimension.

9. The perennialist prefer subject-
matter curriculum which includes
history, language, mathematics,
logic, literature, the humanities, and
science. Robert Hutchins
educational Philosophy is based on
the premise that human nature is
rational, and knowledge resides in
the unchanging , absolute, and
universal truth. He stressed that
education must be universal

10. The curriculum of the Perennialist
education would be subject-centered. The
perennialist suggests that the best means
to attain this enduring knowledge is
through the study of the great books. The
method of study would be the reading and
discussion of these great works which, is
turn, discipline and mind. The teacher
accordingly must be one who has mastered
discipline, guiding truth, and whose
character is beyond reproach.

11. PERENNIALISM
PERENNIALIST believe that one
should teach the things that one
deems to be of everlasting importance
to all people everywhere. They believe
that the most important topics develop
a person. Since details of fact change
constantly, these cannot be the most
important. Therefore, one should
teach principles, not facts. Some
people are human, one should teach
first about humans, not machines

12. since people are people first, and workers
second it all, one should teach liberal topics
first, not vocational topics.
A particular strategy with modern
perennialist is to teach scientific reasoning
not facts. They may illustrate reasoning with
original accounts of famous experiments.
This gives the students a human side to the
science, and shows the reasoning in action.
Most importantly, it shows the uncertainly
and false steps of real science.

13. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
OF PERENNIALISM
1. Permanence is more real than change
2. Human nature remain essentially the same no
matter what the culture.
3. Moral principles remain essentially the same.
4. The GOOD LIFE – the life that is fit for man /
woman to live – remains essentially the same.
5. Hence, the education that men reccine should
essentially the same.

14. MAJOR EDUCATIONAL
PRINCIPLES OF
PERENNIALSIM
1. Truth is universal and does not
depend on the circumstance of
place, time, or person.
2. A good education involves a
search for an understanding of the
truth.
3. Truth can be found in the great
work of civilization
4. Education is a liberal exercise that

15. APPLICATIONS TO TEACHING
1. Education should be the same for everyone.
2. Because man is basically the same, there is no
need to sway material to the lowest student.
3. Because men are free and determine their own
actions, children must be challenged and educators
must expect reason from them.
4. Education implies teaching. Teaching implies
knowledge. Knowledge is truth. The truth
everywhere is the same. Hence, education should
be everywhere the same.
5. The school should not function as the political or
social aim of society. The school has one purpose

16. 6. Education is not the only aspects of life – it is
the tool in which one prepares for life.
7. Basic subjects should and must be taught
using the 3R’s to become more rational citizens.
8. Great emphasis to be placed upon the great
classics.
“This is a very conservative and inflexible
Philosophy of Education. It is based on the view that
reality comes from fundamental fixed truth –
especially related to God. It believes that people find
truth through reasoning and revelation and that
Goodness is found in rational thinking. As a result
schools exist to teach reason and God’s will. Students
are taught to reason through structured lessons and
drills.”
RON KURTUS

19. Why teach?
We are all rational animals. Schools
should therefore develop the student’s
rational and moral powers. According to
Aristotle, is we neglect the students’
reasoning skills, we deprive them of the
ability to use their higher faculties to control
their passions and appetites.

21. What to teach?
The Perennialist curriculum is a
universal one on the view that all human
beings possess the same essential nature. It
is heavy on the humanities, on general
education. It is not a specialist curriculum but
rather a general one. There is less emphasis
on vocational and technical education.
Philosopher Mortimer Adler claims that the
Great Books of ancient and medieval as well
as modern times are a repository of
knowledge and wisdom, a tradition of culture
which must initiate each generation. What a
perennialist teachers each are lifted from the

23. How to teach?
The perennialist classrooms are
“centered around teachers”. The
teachers' do not allow the student’s
interests or experiences to substantially
dictate what they teach. They apply
whatever creative techniques and other
tried and true methods which are
believed to be most conducive to
disciplining the students’ minds…
Students engaged in Socratic dialogues,
or mutual inquiry sessions to develop an

24. The teacher is a scholar, trained in the
liberal arts, and the one who dominates
the instruction in class. S/he teaches
principles, not facts; humanity, not
techniques, and; liberal education, not
vocational courses. The teacher gives
emphasis on the universal and recurrent
themes of human life.

25. The teacher focuses on the personal
development of every student by making
them rational and developing their human
intellectual potentiality. These can be
done by using great and classic books
and the laws or principles in science as
the bases of knowledge.

26. Technology does not play a big role in a perennial
education because it pays more attention in
dialoguing, and studying great works and laws.
The classical texts, laws and principles are the
universal knowledge of life that every person should
know that is why education for everyone is the
same. Today’s trends are not perennial because
education gives more depth on general education
by reading and understanding the great work.

27. MY PERSONAL STATEMENT
“Our teaching Philosophy guided by those renowned
Educational Philosophy helps in determining a teachers’ behavioral
attitude, skills and concepts about his teaching motivation and
personal inclination in teaching. As a future teacher, our attitudinal
formation serves as a mirror and foundation of where stand either
idealist, progressivist, essentialist, existentialist, behaviorist,
constructivist or a perennialist. These philosophies are all good and
functional because they possess positive characteristics which are
unique from each other. Meaning they are all beneficial and
significantly useful in the teaching-learning process.
Perennialist concept have touched my interests to favor and
believed in the salient points in it. As what I’ve understood, although
it is traditionally inspires hence it is a teacher-centered approach
and the learning is centered around the way the teacher inflects and
imparts feed-in knowledge into the learners but we can still use this
concept in these modern times because the teacher acts as the real
or actual visual aids who influenced a forceful, lively, and energetic
atmosphere to the learners. The teacher should have a rational
thinking meaning he is intellectually gifted with varied values, skills
and knowledge to exercise and implement a lively teacher-learner
interaction in the class. In addition, a morally endowed teacher is
also an influenced to the learners by way of internalizing, modifying

28. MY REFLECTIONS
“Perennialist philosophy have greatly
influenced me to use my rational ability and
intellectual skills to apply varied methods and
strategies to my learners distinct characteristics
and being flexible to equip them with the
appropriate learning styles that will harness their
potentials and interest in learning. Since this is a
teacher-centered approach in this new modern
times, being a rational thinker adds greater
effect, emphasis or retention to the learning
process hence the teacher serves as the real
visuals who influence a lively, forceful, and
energetic atmosphere that will entice, inflict and
motivates the whole crowd, who influence and
ignites each learner to participate and perform