1. Idealism
Prepared by:
Cariza Arguta & Pia Catalan

2. I. The Meaning of Idealism

3. IDEALISM
#1
is the oldest systematic
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in
Western culture.
(Ozmon and Craver 2008)

4. IDEALISM
#1
is the oldest systematic
PHILOSOPHY in Western culture,
which is a believe that ideas are
the only true reality.
(Ozmon and Craver 2008)

5. IDEALISM
#2
this philosophy begins
with _ _ _ _ _(428-347
B.C.E).
(Orstein and Levine 2011)

6. IDEALISM
#2
this philosophy begins
with PLATO (428-347
B.C.E).
(Orstein and Levine 2011)

7. IDEALISM
#3
a philosophical belief claiming that
material things are _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_, that material things do not exist
independently but only as
constructions in the mind.

8. IDEALISM
#3
a philosophical belief claiming that
material things are IMAGINARY, that
material things do not exist
independently but only as
constructions in the mind.

9. IDEALISM
II. Movements in Philosophy Relevant in
Education (Ozmon and Craver 2008)
a.Development of Idealism
b. Idealism as a Philosophy of Education
c. Critique of Idealism
d. Two Proponents and their works/ideas

10. Development of Idealism
• Platonic Idealism (Plato 427-347 B.C.E)
• “people should concern themselves in searching
for truth”
• importance and use of dialectic (or critical
discussion)
• two worlds: world of ideas (forms) and world of
matter (ever-changing)
• People do not create knowledge, but rather
they discover it. (Doctrine of Reminiscence and in Meno)

11. Religious Idealism
- Idealism hasexerted
considerable influence on
religion
Religion – God as Universal
Good,
 Idealism- Truth as Universal
Good

12. Augustine 354-430 C.E
Concept of Good: God
Concept of Evil :Adam

13. Two worlds
 Man(matter)-Bad God(ideas)-
Good
 Meditation and faith

14. Augustine believed that
the senses were unreliable
and that belief in God rests
ultimately on faith.
“We must first believe, In order
that we may know.”

15. He believed that God
already created
knowledge, and people
can discover it through
trying to find God.

16. intuitive approach
to education

17. Learning must come
from within and all
true knowledge
comes from God.

18. Modern
Idealism

19. Rene Descartes 1596-1650 C.E.
Methodologi clear and Solid
cal doubt distinct foundation
doubt all Discover TRUE IDEAS
things ideas
his own search for
existence ideas

20. Cogito, ergo sum, “I
think, therefore I am.”
Cogito-reaffirms the centrality
of mind in the relation of the
human being to the world

21. cogito -Indubitality of
human Thought.
Deity- foundation for all
the objects of thought.

22. George Berkeley (1685-1753 C.E.)
all existence depends on some mind
to know it; if no minds exist, then for
all intents and purposes nothing
exists unless it is perceived by the
mind of God.
Philosophical realism- that material
world exists independent of mind.

23. Esse Est Percipi
(To be is to
perceived)

24. His mainpurpose is to
make evident the
existence of God and to
prove that God is the
true cause of all things.

25. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804 C.E.)
Critique of Pure
Reason
Critique of Practical
Reason

26. Rationalism and Empiricism
Rationalism sought universal truths
or ideas by which a coherent system
structure of knowledge could be
deduced.
Empiricism (practical and connected
with everyday life.)

27. Rationalist analytically
thinks (a priori)
Empiricist synthetically
thinks (posteriori)
 Validity and reliability of modern science
 Compability of science development in two philo.
view

28. synthetic a priori judgments
is a system Kant’s worked out
based on a posteriori
(synthetic) and a priori
(analytic) logical judgments

29. to Kant, the essence of
education should not be
simply training; the
important thing was
enlightenment, or teaching a
child to think according to
principles as opposed to mere
random behavior

30. Development of Idealism
• Modern Idealism
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831 C.E.)
• three important books: Phenomenology of
Mind, Logic, and Philosophy of Right
• Three major aspects of his system: logic, nature and
spirit
• Spirit is the final stage or synthesis of Idea and Nature.
• Hegel’s idealism is most apparent – the search for
final Absolute Spirit.
• ―to be truly educated, an individual must pass
through the various stages of the cultural evolution of
humankind. “

31. Development of Idealism
• Modern Idealism
 Josiah Royce (1855-1916 C.E.)
• the external meaning of a thing depends
entirely on its internal meaning —
“embodiment of purpose‖
• ―ideas are essentially purposes or plans of
action and that the fulfilment of ideas is
found when they are put into action―
NOTE:
• Interests in Idealism continued in several countries.

32. Idealism as a Philosophy of
Education
• Aims of Education
• Methods of Education
• Curriculum
•
• Role of the Teacher

33. IDEALISM
Aims of Education
• Search for Truth (highest aim)
- philosophical wisdom or the conception of true
ideas is the highest aim of education
• Self-Realization (ultimate aim)
- Idealism has exerted so much influence on
educational views about individual mind and self
• Character Development (proper aim)
- many idealists are concerned with moral character
as an outgrowth of thinking and thoughtful
actions

34. IDEALISM
Methods of Education
• Dialectic (Plato)
• Intuitive approach (Augustine)
• Great Books (Modern idealists)
• Lecture method
• other idealist’s methodology:
projects, supplemental activities, library
research and artwork.
• self-directed activity

35. Curriculum

36. Teach students to
think

37. Idealists think that humans can
become more noble and rational
by developing the ability to think.
 Idealists believed that mind, which
can conceptualize, create and can
accumulate facts, need to be
nourished and developed.

38. Educational materials ex. Reading
materials
Teacher should encourage/help
students to explore curriculum
materials for ideas(life,fam, etc.)
Older students- use appropriate
materials

39.  Harris developed a curriculum centered
around five studies: mathematics and
physics, biology, literature and
art, grammar, and history.
 - Horne suggested seven major studies:
physics, biology, psychology, mathemati
cs, grammar, literature and history.

40. Memorization vs.
creativity
Art and sciences

41. Roles of
teachers

42. Assist students inchoosing
important material
Serve as exemplary models
Teachers are expected to encourage
students to ask questions and to
provide a suitable environment for
learning.

43. Socratic characteristics
(analyzing, discussing with others)
– encourage their students to
better their thinking.
Infuses them with a desire to
improve their thinking in the
deepest possible way.

44. IDEALISM
Critique of Idealism
 as a conservative philosophy of education.
Strengths of Idealism:
o The high cognitive level of education that idealists
promote.
o Their concern for safeguarding and promoting cultural
learning.
o Their great concern for morality and character
development.
o Their view of the teacher as a revered person central to the
educational process.
o Their stress on the importance of self realization.
o Their stress on the human and personal side of life.
o Their comprehensive, systematic and holistic approach.

45. Weakness
of
Idealism

46. industrialization and
technological advances
development in sciences
renewed vigor of realism and
naturalistic philosophies

47. contemporary emphasis on newness
as opposed to cultural heritage
historical decline of the influence of
traditional religion in contemporary
affairs
idealism leans toward intellectual
elitisms

48. extreme cognitive
and bookish approach
idealist curriculum
for lacking relevance

49. IDEALISM
Two Proponents
1) Plato (The Republic)
• one of the greatest expressions of idealist
philosophy
• Plato’s most thorough statement on education
• similarities of teaching to think philosophically and a
prisoner escaping from a prison
• “certain professors of education must be wrong
when they say that they can put a knowledge into
the soul which was not there before, like sight into
blind eyes”
• demonstrates painful difficulty toward wisdom and
its dangerous consequences.

50. Kant- Education
 Shows how education can be used to shape
human character through maxims, or
enduring principles for human activity
 Child development and learning through
activities.
 Moral culture must be based upon “maxims”
not upon discipline; the one prevents evil
habits, the other trains the mind to think.
 Infuse to the children ideas as to what is right
and wrong

51. Features of Character Development
1. Obedience
 Obedience to his master’s commands.
 Obedience to what he feels to be good and
reasonable will.
 Voluntary obedience is very important.
 General rule for all.
 Duty as a child.
 Punishment(physical or moral)

52. 2. Truthfulness
 A man who tells lie has no character
 Negative and positive punishments.
3. Sociableness
 Form friendships with other children and not
be always himself.
 Friendship to character development

53. IDEALISM
III. The Philosophies of Education
(Ornstein and Levine 2011)
a) Key concepts
1. Metaphysics
• spiritual, non-material world → ultimately real.
• world → the creation of a great universal mind.
• concepts of macrocosm( universal mind, the first cause
, creator or God) and microcosm(personal mind or spirit)
were used
2. Epistemology
• Ideas that make up reality have always existed in the mind of
the absolute or God.
• Plato developed the epistemology of reminiscence.

54. IDEALISM
III. The Philosophies of Education
(Ornstein and Levine 2011)
a) Key concepts
3. Axiology
• Truth, goodness and beauty exist in a universal and
eternal order.
• Ethical behaviour reflects the enduring knowledge and
values of human culture.
4. Logic
• Whole to part relationship between the Absolute and
individual minds.
• Idealist teachers would use deductive logic to organize
lessons.
.

55. IDEALISM
III. The Philosophies of Education
(Ornstein and Levine 2011)
b) Basic questions
• What is knowledge?
• What is the school?
• How should we teach?
.

56. IDEALISM
III. The Philosophies of Education
(Ornstein and Levine 2011)
b) Basic questions
• What is knowledge?
- knowledge is about universal spiritual truths that underlie reality and
about the ideas that reflect truth.
• What is the school?
- it is an intellectual institution where teachers and students pursue the
questions, “What is truth? What is beauty? What is good life?” (Socrates
&Plato)
• How should we teach?
- the effective means of teaching and learning process is Socratic method

57. IDEALISM
III. The Philosophies of Education
(Ornstein and Levine 2011)
c. Implications for Today’s Classroom Teacher
• Idealism seeks to create schools that are intellectual centers
of teaching and learning.
• It sees teacher as vital agents in guiding students to realize
their fullest potential intellectual.
• Encourages teachers and the students to encounter and
appreciate the finest and most enduring achievement of the
culture.
• Idealists recognize internet that can make great book
accessible to students, however they insist that technology
should be used as a means of education and not as an end.

58. Thank you for listening!


59. References
• Encarta Dictionary (Idealism)
• Ozmon, Howard A. & Craver, Samuel M. Philosophical Foundatons of
Education, 8th Ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. 2008.
• Ornstein, A. C., Levine, D. U., & Gutek, G. L. (2011). Philosohical Roots of
Education. In Foundations of Education. (11th ed.). (pp. 160-163).
Canada: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
• What is Idealism?. (2010, May 15). Retrieved from
http://http://philosophos.hubpages.com/hub/idealism