Social and Cultural Foundations of American Education/Chapter 1 Supplemental Materials/Why are they important to education? 1

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By: Ruth McCarthy

Why are Philosophies Important to Education?

“The philosophic attitude is a resolute attempt to enlarge the understanding of the scope of application of every notion which enters into our current thought. The philosophic attempt takes every word, and every phrase, in the verbal expression of thought, and asks, What does it mean? It refuses to be satisfied by the conventional presupposition that every sensible person knows the answer. As soon as you rest satisfied with the primitive ideas, and with primitive propositions, you have ceased to be a philosopher.” -Alfred N. Whitehead, (Krikorian).

Traditionally, the purpose of philosophy has been to explore the foundations and connotations of truth and knowledge (Cummings). Education generally seeks to accomplish the same goals; the main derivation being that throughout history Philosophy has plummeted into numerous analyses of that which exists and questioned copious facets of human life and one's place in the universe. Conversely, education did not experience the same swift advancing curve, rather it moved in slow incremental steps over the same period of time. Thus, it is crucial that logical philosophies be merged into education in order to cohesively enhance the teaching and learning structure of American school systems to produce a total education method that strives for a unified approach of delivering truth and knowledge.

Philosophies are developed theories applied to a specific subject that follow a structured principle of conduct and moral. They are a series of logical statements made to define how a system conducts business within the parameters of the organization’s structure based on values within a culture geographically and/or socially . The theorist’s aim is to verbalize innate unspoken psychological processes, ideas, or convictions, in order to create a logical, efficient, and effective organization. Basically, “Philosophy, like all other studies, aims primarily at knowledge. The knowledge it aims at is the kind of knowledge which gives unity and system to the body of the sciences, and the kind which results from a critical examination of the grounds of our convictions, prejudices and beliefs.” (Whitehead). Additionally, uniting the way in which the philosophy of education is approached would be the most logical method of imparting knowledge to students. Teaching with this conjoined method of Philosophy and Education prepares students to further their knowledge by taking the same truths and scrutinizing them again by another set of convictions, prejudices, and beliefs; therefore, it is essential to have a philosophy by which students can defend their beliefs.

Furthermore, it is important to realize that philosophies are not abstract ideas or unproven hypotheses. One’s philosophy of education should functional and consistant, comprised by a series of “I Believe…” statements similar to the following:

“I believe that the goal of education is… I believe that the role of the teacher is… I believe that students should… I believe that parents and community members… I believe that knowledge is…” (K. Cumminings)

All of which lead to recognizing the reason why philosophies are important. Philosophies are imperative to education because they help shape society according to a code of ethics that identify and represent a group of people. Identifying the audience is crucial in developing a method of teaching that is practical and beneficial to the educational structure. Additionally, amidst the logical aspects of philosophy it is important to note that “…Philosophy is mystical. For mysticism is direct insight into depths as yet unspoken. But the purpose is to rationalize mysticism: not by explaining it away, but by the introduction of novel verbal characterizations, rationally coordinated.” (Whitehead). With that said, philosophy is a field that requires probing into the mind of humanity and discovering the best approach to reaching a person. This aspect does not make philosophy irrational, nor is it something to be overlooked. Philosophy is a growing field that aims to logically adapt to cultures and society at large with the greatest good in mind.

Moreover, while identifying how to reach people logically, philosophy allows one to examine the psychological aspects of how to communicate verbally and non-verbally through the use of authority, leadership, and teaching positions. This is a crucial aspect in teaching, and while having a code of ethics or strong work theory is an absolute necessity in any position of leadership, also understanding how the student accepts information on the psychological level increases productivity. In other words, consider the human brain and how best to reach students on their level of understanding (verbally, kinestheticly, or audibly).

Furthermore, the question of how philosophies are applicable not just in education, but also in society, religion, personal ambitions, morals and values is one worth accepting and answering. Philosophies are based on what humans believe to be true, and truth is essentially “good”, goodness creates a feeling of pleasure, wholeness, or peace; thus, developing a sound philosophy for any walk of life can be an extremely productive venture. For instance, when one has a logical basis for how he/she participates in education, life, morals, and work than the ultimate goal would not just produce pleasure personally, but also establish a certain sense of unity that is crucial in producing a more swift upward development in education. Moreover, the “use of philosophy is to maintain an active novelty of fundamental ideas illuminating the social system.” So philosophy is not just a personal fixation, it can be applied universally as a tool to unite any given social, geographical, or organizational force.

How can philosophy be applied to education? As aforementioned, the aim of philosophy is knowledge, as is the aim of education. Knowledge = power = gain = pleasure; similarly, philosophy = structure = logic = knowledge and so on. Ultimately, knowledge and power come in various forms and knowing how to process power in mind/body/soul leads to opportunity; however, there are obstacles to consider such as ethnic and social background, educations and means of gaining one, and mental capacity. More importantly, Philosophies are developed to overcome these barriers in education. Philosophy is a tool that adjusts to and aims to discover truth while gaining knowledge. All in all, the idea is to engage the power of a curious mind and equip students with the tools to gain true knowledge. In short, education and philosophies are imperative to each other.

ESSAY QUESTION

Scenario: You are teaching in a large, well known high school and you have been given the position of expanding the fine art program. You must convince the school board and surrounding community that this is a worthy program and prove that it will benefit the students. How will you develop a philosophy of education that logically and functionally can be applied to teaching fine arts whilst appealing to both students and parents and proving the benefits of how fine arts improve cognitive awareness?

Multiple Choice Questions:

1.) What is the purpose of developing a personal Philosophy of Education?

  A.) allows people to understand your work ethic
  B.) it looks good on a resume 
  C.) it unifies the educator’s approach to equipping students with truthful knowledge
  D.) it increases ones chance of being hired and helps the teacher to stay focused

2.) How does joining philosophy and education make a difference in the Education system?

  A.) it doesn’t, philosophy and education are contrasting topics
  B.) education becomes more structured
  C.) students become equipped and encouraged to learn by conviction, prejudices, and beliefs
  D.) philosophy and education have always been paired, there is no major difference

3.) Why are Philosophies important to Education?

  A.) Philosophies are imperative because they shape society and identify with people
  B.) Philosophies don’t necessarily belong with education
  C.) Philosophies are important because they promote knowledge
  D.) Philosophies are helpful because the education system needs unification

4.) How are Philosophies applicable in education, society, religion, personal ambitions, morals, and values?

  A.) People can live without any sort of philosophy
  B.) Philosophies are only applicable to professionals
  C.) Philosophies are only useful when one wants to be productive
  D.) Philosophies are based on truth and create a sense of wholeness and completion

5.) How can a Philosophy of Education be utilized to create a greater impact on society?

  A.) by using it to prove a point in an interview
  B.) when it is used to overcome social, ethnic, or mental barriers and engage students
  C.) when used at PTA meeting to make education sound more like business
  D.) when an employer asks what the teachers goals for the community are

Answer Key: 1.) C 2.) C 3.) A 4.) A 5.) B

Works Cited:

Bronstein, Krikorian, & Wiener., Basic Problems of Philosophy. B21.B7.

Cahn, Steven M., Classics of Western Philosophy. Third Ed. 1990. Hackett Publishing Co. Inc. 1977.

Cummings, Katherine. Ph.D., Writing a Philosophy Statement. ED 302. Western Michigan University. 2004. http://homepages.wmich.edu/~cummings/Philosophy_State.html. 26 Sept. 2006.

Hamilton, Sir William., Discussions on Philosophy and Literature., New York. Harper & Brothers Publishers. 1855.

Kreis, Steven., Sapere Aude!., The History Guide. Educational Philosophy. 12 May 2004. http://www.historyguide.org/teach.html. 26 Sept. 2006.