EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY What is a Philosophy of Education?

Philosophy of Education Philosophy centers on three major questions. What are these? What is real? What is true? What is good and beautiful? What is Philosophy? http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_philosophy.html http://www.philosophypages.com/index.htm

Educational Philosophy Love of wisdom; pursuit of wisdom Offers an avenue for serious inquiry into ideas, traditions, & ways of thinking Help develop new insights into educational problems Role is to examine critically the intellectual disputes & suggest different ways of viewing things

What is Content of Philosophy? Activites Prescribing Speculation Analysis Synthesizing Attitudes Self-awareness Comprehensiveness Penetration Flexibility

Body of content of Philosophy Metaphysics – what is real to you Epistemology – how do we know Axiology – values Ethics – morality, behavior Asthetics – beauty, comfort

Everyday problem vs. Philosophical analysis of problem Philosophical conflicts Look beyond the obvious = philosophical analysis

Assumption Taken as true Example: If a student does well on the TAAS, ACT, SAT, etc., they are educated.

Hypothesis A considered guess or hunch in regard to which some pertinent data are available; a trial answer to be tested.

Intuition Instinct – feel something Low level – gut feeling Based on past experiences

Theory “A theory is an instrument, a guide to thought, not necessarily a guide to direct practice.” Richare Pratte, Contemporary Theories of Education (1971). Invites argument and counterargument Organize ideas for eventual practical activity

Practice Provides raw materials and testing grounds. Experiences shared, critically analyzed for improvement, taken back into practice for testing Serves to expand theory and direct it toward new possibilities

Theory and Philosophy What is the relationship between theory and philosophy? Is theory a set of assumptions? Explain Explain how questions such as why, what, how, etc. build a theoretical basis from which to operate.

Metaphysics The view that reality exists beyond the observable world Conceived to be transcendental to humankind’s sensory experience Beyond, independent of, superior to, & separate from the world of experience Metaphysics Resources; http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Metaphysics-Principles-Reality.htm http://websyte.com/alan/metamul.htm

Areas of Metaphysics Cosmology-order in being universe? Human? Teleology- final causes, end Theology – study of God Anthropology – study of humankind Ontology-existence, nature of being

Cosmology Order in being Study of the origin, nature & development of the Universe Our picture of the order & priority of values in the structure of the Universe More on Cosmology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmology

Teleogy Study of purpose of being Is there an end? Afterlife? Three Views Outline Fetus by: Leonardo da Vinci

Theology Theological questions How do I answer questions I have about God? Can God allow evil if he is good? Examples of Theological Questions and answers if God were a computer programmer: http://www.meyerweb.com/other/humor/theology.html

Anthropology Two views: Judeo-Christian human beings have worth & dignity Free will Scientific determined by our environment No free will

Ontology Study of being Existence, nature What are the essential qualities of the human being? Value - priority More on Ontology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology

Problems of metaphysics? What does it mean “to be”? When does life begin? Is this a dream or reality? When does life end?

Reality vs. Appearance Perception Reliability of sense data

Referent vs. Symbol Symbol = red Referent = what you think about Language is a catalogue of symbols

Static vs. Dynamic Culture Characteristics of cultures Universals – society agrees on these Specialties – some people know Alternatives – society disagrees on these Universals > Alternatives = static Alternatives > Universals = dynamic

Culture is static = subjects used for study are static Culture is dynamic = subjects used to teach people to think

Epistemology What is true? The nature of truth and knowledge The source of truth and knowledge Quotes on Truth and Wisdom: http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_wisdom.html

In Education Metaphysics – deals with content Epistemology – deals with instruction, strategy used to deliver content: direct instruction, cooperative learning, inquiry learning, etc.

Scientific Knowledge vs. Intuition Knowledge - Truth – Epistemological – Is truth an absolute? Intuition - Gut feeling; you just know; innate sense of knowing; information is immediate w/o any reasoning involved; react spontaneously w/o knowing why

Levels of Intuition Simple Awareness Scientific Intuition Artistic Level Religious Intuition

Problems - Epistemology Truth vs. truth Vicarious vs. Direct Learning Objective vs. Subjective Knowledge a priori vs. a posteriori

Truth vs. truth Is there an absolute truth in the Universe? Are there absolutes? What are absolutes? Something that NEVER changes “T” Classical Phil Truth changes - small “t” Contemporary Phil

Vicarious vs. Direct Learning Vicarious – indirectly through others Direct – experience, by doing

Objective vs. Subjective Knowledge Objective - Knowledge is out there to be discovered. How can I discover knowledge? Subjective – Knowledge is inside everyone. How can I create knowledge?

a priori Deductive knowledge based on principles that are self-evident apart from observation or experience. Independent of sensory experience Proposition is necessarily true or false based on purely logical or semantic (meaning in language) grounds

a posteriori Knowledge gained as a result of experiences

How do we know? Sense data Common sense Logic Intuition Science Syllogism Dialectic Intuition Science Choice making

Rationalism vs Empiricism Rationalism – the basic source of knowledge is reason. Adherents think that each person either is or has a mind that has the ability to know truths directly. Things need not be perceived by the senses. idealism, classical realism, dualistic theism

Rationalism vs Empiricism Empiricism – the basic source of knowledge is experience, not reason. Adherents emphasize that human learning centers on perceptual, sensory experience instead of being centered on the mentalistic, speculative reasoning or rational process. behavioral experimentalism, logical empiricism, cognitive-field experimentalism

Axiology What is good and beautiful? A general theory of value Primary concepts are ought, duty, right and wrong

Ethics Ethics = a theory of behavior Morality = a practice of behavior

Axiological problem in U.S. Growth of mass society Depersonalization Alienation Law of Interchangeable Parts Cloning

What do we deal with in Ethics? Good “G” vs. good “g” Free choice vs. determinism on the other Means vs. Ends Do ends justify the means? Conceived vs. Operative Behavior What you believe you should do vs. what you do Morality vs. Religion Varied agreement of morality vs. rules

Aesthetics Beauty “Feeling good part” Who are you? What do you like? Taste – good or bad

Aesthetic Experience Euphoric state Beauty of something overwhelms you Transcend self Lost in the experience

Two areas of Aesthetics Art for Art’s sake – something is done for the purpose of beauty-nothing else Art for our sake - decide what it is to be used for, then design it. Form follows function

21st Century Educational Issues Identify major 20/21st century problems relative to education, such as: National standards High Stakes Testing Vouchers Federal dollars to religious organizations others

THREE BASIC WORLDVIEWS Dr. J. Scott Horrell Dallas Theological Seminary

THREE BASIC WORLDVIEWS Dr. J. Scott Horrell Dallas Theological Seminary

THREE BASIC WORLDVIEWS Dr. J. Scott Horrell Dallas Theological Seminary