Chapter 3 - Aal-e-

Imran: Verses 66-66

Ah! Ye are those who fell to disputing

(Even) in matters of which ye

hadsomeknowledge! but why dispute ye
in matters of which ye have no knowledge?
It is Allah Who knows, and ye who know
not!

Presented to:
Muhammad

Dr. Mahar
Saeed

Akhtar
Presented by:
St : No

Tahira jabeen
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
astructure

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 knowledge
To transmit culture
To help people adapt to society
To give religious education
To provide practical/hands-on experience/training
To 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
Mans 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 Gods 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 abilities
To 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
methods
Read to adopt new technology
To teach disciplined knowledge
Teacher should be competent in subject matter
Teacher presenting ideas in a clear &
consistent manner
There are definite ways to judge works of art,
music, poetry and literature

Methods of Instruction:
Lecture, question &answer (formal ways of

teaching)
Inductive & scientific reasoning
Competency-based assessments as a way
ensuring that students learnt what they are
being taught
Emphasis on critical reason aided by
observation (our experiences) &
experimentation
Stressing 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
mans 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

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 (selfdirected 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
Mans consciousness tells about right or
wrong
Man is over burdened due to values
Emotions and decision power are the basic
elements of mans 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 Teachers responsibility to develop an
educational environment that promotes
awareness of the past and present, and of the
future possibilities.

Methods of
Instruction:
Stressing individual freedom
Empowering students to make choices

about what and how they will learn

Educational 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 selfexpression with the help of teachers
existentialist approach.

Curriculum:
Stressing arts an literature, little emphasis is

given on math and science

The 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)

Topic

Idealism

Realism

Pragmatism

Existentialis
m

Truth

Super force

science

practical

Based on
choice &
action

Comparison:

value

Eternal

Discovered

Created by
humans

Based on
choice

Nature of
human
beings

Super forces
creation

Creature of
nature

Bio-sociopsycho
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

Curriculum

Liberal rats
Humanities

Science, math Social studies

Social science Problem
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

Within limits
of nature

Democracy

Total freedom

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