Philosophical Foundations of Education

The purpose of this volume is to show how philosophical ideas about education developed over time, with due regard to historical influences and settings, and with an emphasis on how these ideas continue to have relevance for education and life. This book was conceived as an introductory text in the philosophy of education, but it leads students from simple to complex philosophical ideas. Many variables needed to be considered in selecting ideas, philosophers, and an organizational format, and the guiding rule for the book has been to select those influences that we believe have had the most relevance for education. Each chapter examines a general philosophy, such as realism, and shows its applications in aims, curriculum, methods, and teaching. An assessment of each philosophy also is provided, including how other scholars have viewed it. Some ideas included here are more than 2,000 years old, but they often appear in the panoply of ideas that continue to influence people because old and new ideas are useful tools for evaluating the world. Idealism, though not a particularly influential philosophy today, might be a useful counterpoint by which to compare and evaluate today's materialist culture. Marxism and existentialism, though declining in popularity, still might be useful paradigms for examining a person's individual life and his or her relationship with other persons in the larger society. The philosophies of education presented here are essentially arranged in chronological order, which helps the student see how ideas evolved. We have tried to avoid unnecessary philosophical and educational jargon, but one needs to know a terminology to talk about ideas in a philosophical fashion. Technical expression is kept to a minimum, however. With regard to format, we realize that not all philosophers agree with a "systems" or "schools" approach and that this issue has serious pros and cons. We do believe that for beginning students, often those who might be encountering philosophy for the first time, the benefits of this organizational approach outweigh the disadvantages because it provides a useful way of synthesizing ideas. The study of philosophy of education should help sharpen students' ideas about education and give them ways to think about education in a broad sense. The study of philosophy not only assists students in developing necessary analytical skills and encourages critical perspectives but also provides useful perspectives on the importance of education. It is impossible to include in a volume of this size every philosopher or every leading philosophical idea that has had some educational importance, but we hope that the material presented will stimulate students to explore further the philosophical foundations of education and to cultivate ideas about education and life. Organization of the Book By presenting several philosophical positions and showing how philosophy developed in an organized and orderly fashion, we hope the reader will be better able to grasp the essential elements and basic principles of each philosophy and to set how they have influenced educational theory and practice. However, the organization of the book by schools of thought is not meant to foster slavish emulation of any one school, combination of schools, or even a school approach. The usefulness of this approach lies in showing the following: How past philosophy developed. How it has been organized. How it has been used to help devise educational policies and practices. After all, the major role of philosophy in education is not to formulate some grand scheme but to help develop the educator's thinking capacities. The creative genius of individuals, combined with particular cultural developments, produced philosophies of education. Individual philosophers seldom set out simply to construct a system, and many of them reject being identifiedOzmon, Howard is the author of 'Philosophical Foundations of Education', published 2002 under ISBN 9780130423993 and ISBN 0130423998.