1. Idealism
Idealism is a philosophical approach that has as its central tenet that ideas are the only true
reality, the only thing worth knowing. In a search for truth, beauty, and justice that is enduring
and everlasting, the focus is on conscious reasoning in the mind. Plato, father of Idealism,
espoused this view about 400 years BC, in his famous book, The Republic. Plato believed that
there are two worlds. The first is the spiritual or mental world, which is eternal, permanent,
orderly, regular, and universal. There is also the world of appearance, the world experienced
through sight, touch, smell, taste, and sound, that is changing, imperfect, and disorderly. This
division is often referred to as the duality of mind and body. Reacting against what he perceived
as too much of a focus on the immediacy of the physical and sensory world, Plato described a
utopian society in which "education to body and soul all the beauty and perfection of which they
are capable" as an ideal. In his allegory of the cave, the shadows of the sensory world must be
overcome with the light of reason or universal truth. To understand truth, one must pursue
knowledge and identify with the Absolute Mind. Plato also believed that the soul is fully formed
prior to birth and is perfect and at one with the Universal Being. The birth process checks this
perfection, so education requires bringing latent ideas (fully formed concepts) to consciousness.
In idealism, the aim of education is to discover and develop each individual's abilities and full
moral excellence in order to better serve society. The curricular emphasis is subject matter of
mind: literature, history, philosophy, and religion. Teaching methods focus on handling ideas
through lecture, discussion, and Socratic dialogue (a method of teaching that uses questioning to
help students discover and clarify knowledge). Introspection, intuition, insight, and whole-part
logic are used to bring to consciousness the forms or concepts which are latent in the mind.
Character is developed through imitating examples and heroes.
INTRODUCTION
Idealism is the oldest system of philosophy known to man. Its origins go back to ancient India in
the East, and to Plato in the West. Its basic viewpoint stresses the human spirit as the most
important element in life. The universe is viewed as essentially nonmaterial in its ultimate nature.
Although Idealist philosophers vary enormously on many specifics, they agree on the following
two points:
1. The human spirit is the most important element in life; and
2. The universe is essentially nonmaterial in its ultimate nature.
Idealism should not be confused with the notion of high aspirations - that is not what
philosophers mean when they speak of Idealism. In the philosophic sense, Idealism is a system
that emphasizes the pre-eminent importance of mind, soul, or spirit. It is possible to separate
Idealism into different schools, but for our purposes we shall be content to identify only the most

2. general assumptions of the Idealists in metaphysics, epistemology, and value theory, without
regard to the idiosyncrasies of the various schools.
BASIC METAPHYSICS OF IDEALISM
In Idealism, all of reality is reducible to one fundamental substance: spirit. (You may better
understand the nature of spirit in this context if you think of it as the total absence of materiality.)
Matter is not real; it is rather a notion, an abstraction of the mind. It is only the mind that is real.
Therefore, all material things that seem to be real are reducible to mind or spirit. The chair you
are sitting on is not material; it only seems material. Its essential nature is spirit. On the universal
level, finite minds live in a purposeful world produced by an infinite mind. It is as though the
entire universe is made up of an infinite mind or spirit; which is, in effect, everything, and we are
small bits and pieces of that mind. Because man is a part of this purposeful universe, he is an
intelligent and purposeful being.
EPISTEMOLOGY OF IDEALISM
Idealists believe that all knowledge is independent of sense experience. The act of knowing takes
place within the mind. The mind is active and contains innate capacities for organizing and
synthesizing the data derived through sensations. Man can know intuitively; that is to say, he can
apprehend immediately some truth without utilizing any of his senses. Man can also know truth
through the acts of reason by which an individual examines the logical consistency of his ideas.
Some Idealists believe that all knowledge is a matter of recall. Plato was one who held this
notion. He based this conclusion upon the assumption that the spirit of man is eternal. Whatever
he knows is already contained within his spirit. Objective Idealists, such as Plato, think that ideas
are essences, which have an independent existence. Subjective Idealists, such as George
Berkeley, reason that man is able to know only what he perceives. His only knowledge is of his
mental states. Existence depends upon mind. Every stimulus received by the mind is derived
ultimately from God. God is the Infinite Spirit.
IDEALISTIC VALUE THEORY
Idealists generally root all values either in a personal God or in a personal spiritual force of
nature. They all agree that values are eternal. Theistic Idealists assert that eternal values exist in
God. Good and evil, beauty and ugliness are known to the extent that the idea of good and the
idea of beauty are consistent with the absolute good and the absolute beauty found in God.
Pantheistic Idealists identify God with nature. Values are absolute and unchanging because they
are a part of the determined order of nature.
EDUCATIONAL THEORY OF MODERN IDEALISM
Aims of Education.
The purpose of education is to contribute to the development of the mind and self of the learner.
The education-imparting institute should emphasize intellectual activities, moral judgments,

3. aesthetic judgments, self-realization, individual freedom, individual responsibility, and self-
control in order to achieve this development.
Curriculum.
The curriculum is based upon the idea or assumption of the spiritual nature of man. This idea in
turn leads to an idea of the nature of the larger units of family, community, state, earth; the
universe, and infinity. In preserving the subject matter content, which is essential for the
development of the individual mind, the curriculum must include those subjects essential for the
realization of mental and moral development. These subjects provide one with culture, and they
should be mandated for all pupils. Moreover, the subject matter should be kept constant for all.
The Teaching-Learning Process.
Idealists have high expectations of the teacher. The teacher must be excellent, in order to serve as
an example for the student, both intellectually and morally. No other single element in the school
system is more important than the teacher. The teacher must excel in knowledge and in human
insight into the needs and capacities of the learners; and must demonstrate moral excellence in
personal conduct and convictions. The teacher must also exercise great creative skill in providing
opportunities for the learners' minds to discover, analyze, unify, synthesize and create
applications of knowledge to life and behavior.
Methods of Teaching.
The classroom structure and atmosphere should provide the learners with opportunities to think,
and to apply the criteria of moral evaluation to concrete within the context of the subjects. The
teaching methods must encourage the acquisition of facts, as well as skill in reflecting on these
facts. It is not sufficient to teach pupils how to think. It is very important that what pupils think
about be factual; otherwise, they will simply compound their ignorance.
Teaching methods should encourage learners to enlarge their horizons; stimulate reflective
thinking; encourage personal moral choices; provide skills in logical thinking; provide
opportunities to apply knowledge to moral and social problems; stimulate interest in the subject
content; and encourage learners to accept the values of human civilization.
Idealism in education
Dr. V. K. MaheshwariPh. DFormer Principal K.L.D.A.V CollegeRoorkee, IndiaDr.
SurakshaBansal,Ph. DSr. Lecturer D.I.M.SMeerut, India
An idealist is one who on, on noticing that a rose smells better than acabbage, concludes
that it is also more nourishing.
Mencken H. L.On Ideals and Idealism

4. The educational approach of this philosophy is of a holistic nature. In which self-realization and
character development is strongly supported. The idealist feelsthat with the growth of a fine
moral character as well as personal reflection,wisdom is gained. The holistic approach is
supported instead of a specializedconcentration on a specific targeted area. By combining
experiences gainedthrough critical thinking and dealing with broader topics, the idealist creates
anenvironment in which a learner can rationalize information across curriculum.Idealism as a
philosophy had its greatest impact during the nineteenth century.Its influence in today’s world is
less important than it has been in the past.Idealism is the conclusion that the universe
is expression of intelligence and will,that the enduring substance of the world is the nature of the
mind, that thematerial is explained by the mental. Idealism as a philosophy stands in contrastwith
all those systems of thought that center in nature (naturalism) or in man
(humanism)." According to idealism "to be" means to be experienced by aperson. Idealism holds
that the order of the world is due to the manifestation inspace and time of an eternal and spiritual
reality. As to knowledge, idealismholds that knowledge is man thinking the thoughts and
purposes of this eternaland spiritual reality as they are embodied in our world of fact. As to
ethics,idealism holds that the goodness of man's individual and social life is theconformity of the
human will with the moral administration of the universe