1.

Compare and contrast the attributes of the following social philosophies (idealism,
realism, pragmatism, existentialism) with respect to their proponents, basic
assumptions, educational aims, curriculum emphasis, the role of the teacher, the role
of the students and so on.

Idealism, realism, postmodernism, and pragmatism are the four main schools of philosophy.
Understanding philosophy is important for educators not only so that they possess an individual
philosophy but gain more awareness to the philosophies of their students and administrator.
Herein under, let we see each schools of philosophies one by one.

I, Idealism

Idealism takes its due from the philosophy of ideas, involved by Plato, the greatest philosopher
of all time. Plato, a great promoter of idealism. He believes that the highest ideal of life was the
attainment of the highest good or God. Plato conceives of the curriculum form the point of view
of ideas. According to him, the curriculum ought to impart inherent values in order to enable the
educated to attain his highest good.

The main assumptions of the philosophy of idealism underlies;

 Ultimate reality is mental or spiritual in nature: the material world is nothing more than
an outward sign of ultimate reality.
 The material world is mortal and changing: the ultimate reality which consists of ideals
and values is eternal and unchanging.
 On this basis, the body is false and mortal; the soul is true, immortal.
 Man is essentially a spiritual being: and his spirituality along distinguishes him from
animals. His spirit alone enables him to control his environment.
 Man is a free agent: free in the choice of his ends and means to realize them:
 Values are pre-existing, vital, and unchanging: man cannot create values, but the aim of
life is realization of vital values- Truth, beauty, and goodness for their own sake.
 Highest knowledge: spiritual reality, Brahma, Gyan, is the highest knowledge.
  The fullest development of personality: idealists believe in the fullest development of
personality of an individual. According to them, the development of personality means
the achievement of perfection.

In relation to education, the aims idealism has the following traits; Exaltation of Human
Personality: the exaltation of human personality is the major aim of education as contained in
idealism. The exaltation of personality is based on the concept of realization of the highest
potentialities of the self in a social and cultural environment. Universal Education: idealism
believes in the concept of a universal rate of man. Education, according to idealism, should be
based on the teaching of universal truth that is, men belonging to different races carry in them the
same delightful glow. Enrichment of Cultural Environment: idealism regards education as a
means to the enrichment of cultural environment. According to Rusk, “cultural environment is an
environment of man’s own making. The aim of idealistic education is preservation as well as
enrichment of culture. And, Cultivation of Moral Values: man is essentially a moral being
idealism requires that moral, intellectual and aesthetic aspects of his personality should be
promoted idealistic education in phase’s characters- building and character formation.

As to curriculum emphasis, Idealism believes that the goal of human life is the exaltation of
man’s personality. Education has to achieve this aim. The school curriculum, accordingly,
consists of those subjects which conducive to this goal. The curriculum must reflect the
capitalized knowledge and experience of the race. So it must primarily consist of “humanities” or
“cultural studies”.

Concerning the method of teaching, idealism has exercised more influence on the aims and
objects of education than on methods of teaching. It speaks to the general nature of teaching
methods. The great Greek idealist Plato, however, advocated and Socratic method-dialectics.
Many educational philosophers advocated many other methods the deductive method, the
inductive method, the analyst’s method, and so on. Idealism is not much concerned with the
choice of methods so long as its essential objective is fulfilled. Which is the enrichment of the
personality of the public? Idealism lays stress on instruction, activity, and experience. The world
‘instruction’ implies sympathetic guidance by the teacher. Another factor that idealism
emphasizes in the method of teaching is an activity or learning by doing. The normal child
should learn through activity. Idealism does not decry questioning discussion and lecture method
of teaching. But it extols the method and spontaneous mental activity. It does so because creative
activity leads to self-expression and realization of the highest potentialities of the child.
Experience has a significant place in the idealistic method of teaching. The truly educative acts
are those which go on within the experiences of the learner and comprise the students own self-
activity. The duty teacher is to develop in him, as insight into duped experiences that he already
possess. In addition to it, the teacher should endeavor to unfold his potentialities by providing
him with stimulating experiences. In short, the essence of the idealistic method of activity and
freedom, which is regulated and guided.

As to the role of teachers and students; the naturalist would do without the teacher at times.
But the idealist does not belittle the importance of the teacher. In the idealistic system of
education, the teacher is indispensable. The immature pupil not be expected to be able to
understand by his own intelligence. It is only under the enlightened advice and able guidance of
some individuals of mature understanding and seasoned experience that the child can have such a
knowledge. Thus, according to the idealist, there can be no teaching without a teacher. The
immature learner can never be able to perfect his personality unless there is someone to teach
him to methods of becoming perfect. The universe is a rational system in which the teacher
forms one part and the pupil another. The teacher is thus necessary for advising, directing, and
even controlling the conduct of the pupil in order that he may able to ensure the perfection of his
personality. The idealist teacher can guide and help his pupils in three ways. Firstly, he can
influence them by is personality, i.e., by associating with them personally. Secondly, he can
suggest questions and problems to them and encourages them to think for themselves. Thirdly,
he can enable them to understand the problems by following the scientific method of analysis
and synthesis. According to Ross, the idealistic scheme of studies, the teacher is needed “to assist
the educed, who is developing according to the laws of nature, to attain levels that would
otherwise be denied him.” According to idealism, education is a process in which “the educator
as well as educed is working out his salvation.” The pupil is as much as a necessity for the
teacher as the teacher for the pupil.

II, Realism
Realism is the notion that the world exists in terms of matter, separate from the world of ideas
and independent of it. Aristotle (384 BC–322 BC), the father of realism, was a student of Plato,
and adapted his philosophies from that of his teacher. Considering that both men were from
the same small community, it is astonishing that both Plato’s and Aristotle’s philosophies of
education have endured for thousands of years. Much like idealism, there are three branches
of realism: classical, religious, and modern.