PHE 361: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Bro Jean-Marie MWAMBA PhD

INTRODUCTION
 Traditional Africa is confronted by the Africa of cities, modern Africa facing a lot of changes. The
youth in Africa are facing a crisis of values which has affected the traditional African society, and this
poses a problem for the kind of education they need today.
 In West, the conception exaggerated of human right (children, women, freedom) (which are
values that we need to promote but somehow. Education becomes a really challenge.
As Immanuel Kant, the German Philosopher indicated, Man can only become man through education. He
is nothing but what education makes of him and man is educated by other men who have also received
education (1996:76).
The question is: what kind of education is needed for young people today in Africa? What is the
philosophical foundation of that education?

For you seminarians, religious ministers of God, you are call to educate people in your ministry to have
philosophical view of education is important.

There is a need for an education that ensures the passage or transmission of the cultural heritage from
one generation to another. An education that fits to our society today.

 Understanding of keywords
Each academic discipline has own philosophy / general guiding principles , terminology and theoretical
frameworks . Philosophy and Education as sciences have their own languages,

Every Student who attains this course philosophy of education needs to be familiar with the meaning of
philosophy and education ( its terminology, theories as well).

 Educational practices and planning in all parts of the world are influenced by
1. Theories and philosophy of education,
2. Values the State (Church) and society desire to promote through education.

In this course we shall attempt to have a critical regard on Education.

 Philosophy
Philosophy is an act of human with one becomes at ease with only by exercising it.
Karl Jaspers affirmed after Kant: « One does not learn philosophy;
one learn to philosophize».

What is philosophy?

1. Etymological meaning
2. Popular or general understanding
3. Rigorous or purely philosophical understanding
 Etymological meaning
Philosophy provides 2 complementary pieces:
1Philo from Greek verb Phelein= to love, to seek 2Sophie, noun Sophia = Knowledge, wisdom

Etymological definition of philosophy is consequently: the love of wisdom, or better the love of
knowledge.

This definition contains a duality of meaning:

 The practice of philosophy
 The effort to be wise or learned
(Wisdom=to know is not enough but to be and to do.)
 Popular or general meaning of philosophy
It has several meanings: depend on context defined by what the person who is speaking, is doing,
activity in which the people have engaged. Philosophy can mean:

1. A way of life
As a way of life, philosophy would be :
• A singular way of reacting to intelligence and events (to accept the event of life with courage,
patience, self-control, even resignation).
 There is no way that characterizes purely philosophical activity.

2. A vision of the cosmos (world)

• A set of ideas about: the universe, the human being, the supernatural (everyone has his own
philosophy)
• A set of beliefs , knowledge, rules of life that is the expression of vision of man, cosmos,
transcendent (concept of philosophy indicates the deep conceptions of peoples in the face of various
problems of life.
 Every society would have its own philosophy. We therefore identify philosophy and culture.
(impossible to distinguish philosophy from cultural anthropology)

 From a rigorous understanding of philosophy

To make a philosophical grasp of philosophy, it is necessary to have in mind what said Karl Jaspers:
« For anyone who believes in science, the worst thing is that philosophy does not provide apodictic
results, knowledge that can be possessed ».

There is no absolute beginning in philosophy. There is no way to make philosophy an appropriation of

oneself.
Philosophy term can have several assertions in its use. Among the expressions are the following:
First philosophy metaphysis (the sciences of being) is concerned with principles and first causes
(philosophy is highest sciences) seeks first principles of all things, the first causes.

Its objects would be the highest reality that the human mind can grasp (Why is there something rather
than nothing?)

Second philosophy: we refer to physics (autonomous as part of philosophy, science of being as

matter.
2
Philosophy consists of developing, cultivating or training our faculties, both moral and intellectual, and
in a particular way, reason or better rationality.

 Philosophy strives to understand reality, the cosmos in which we live and questions the destiny
of humanity.
 August Dodeyne: to do philosophy « is to exercise an act connected to the personality as a whole,
an act that does not include in its purity the natural, daily attitude towards the world ».
 Philosophy would be that act in which we are astonished and anguished before the mystery of
existence and in which we begin to ask ourselves what can I know? What are things? What must I do?
All these questions focus on the one and the great: What is man?

Rigorously: Philosophy from Greek Philosophos

Sophos: the one who loves Knowledge, as opposed to the one who possesses knowledge.
 Essence of philosophy is the search for truth, not its possession. To do philosophy is to be on the
road (questions are more essential than answers and each answer becomes a new question.)

Who is the philosopher?

If philosophy is understood as a permanent questioning, the Philosopher would be the one who is the
antipode (at the heart) of this infinite and eternal search.
 The philosopher is always and already in search of the truth that he never possesses in fullness
(critical mind, spirit of tolerance, to be submitted to criticism, that he has only a point of view on the
truth).
 Able to think for oneself.
 The philosopher is therefore a friend of wisdom, he seeker of knowledge.

Emmanuel Levinas:” Philosophy, which is the activity of the philosopher is akin to « the love of wisdom,
nor the loving question for wisdom ».

 Philosophy: Love of wisdom

Wisdom contains 2 distinct aspects: Practical and theoretical.
1. Practical Aspect of Wisdom
Practice is not equivalent to utilitarian, (action, what directs volition, what directs conducts).

what guides my action as a rational being in the word.

Wisdom as a way of existing (of conducting) can be characterized:
• Transcendence
• Commitment
• Detachment
 Wisdom as Transcendence

Something beyond; above, move to a higher order (qualitative difference). Wisdom lies beyond material
things and opinions.
• Wise man (philosopher) is not possessed by the world, he is not lost in the world, and he is not
completely absorbed in the world ( material things are needed as a « means/road » not an end.
3
• Wise man is not a prisoner of his environment, of his culture (critical attitude).Wise man is
master of his life.

 Wisdom as Commitment

• The world is not for wise man (philosopher) a spectacle to be contemplated. It is the place of his
action, a place of his work.
• The world is to be transformed, to be humanized through the work, by transforming the world,
society, the environment in which he lives, that the wise man transforms himself: to do, and by doing to
make himself.
Wisdom is active, it is effective, it transforms the world according to a plan conceived in advance.

 Wisdom as Detachment
The wise man is detached from the world in which he is engaged, means « the wise man does not see in
the objects of the world his authentic or proper goods (relation to an end)
• Transcendence is made possible by detachment, to pass to a higher order, one must detach
oneself from lower order (this is conversion) knowledge detach from laziness, prejudices, law of least
effort)
• Two forms of detachment:
1. Moral (temperance, discipline, ascetism, moderation)
2. Intellectual (doubt) methodical doubt as way of reaching the truth.

2. Theoretical aspect of wisdom

Wisdom is an « art of living » that presupposes « Knowledge »: the wise man (philosopher) is the one
who knows the one who can distinguish the true from the false , the one who understands.
To understand means:
• To take, to grasp something, to apprehend.
• To take something else.
• Take with yourself, make your own, assimilate, rediscover.
• To surrender to the truth that appears.
Philosophy as « wisdom is to emphasize that philosophy is inseparably practical and theoretical».

 Branches of Philosophy
Metaphysics is a science which treats being as: “Being.
• It treats what is, what can be thought of as existing.
• It deals with «Being» . It treats what is, what can be thought of as existing. It deals with being in
actuality and being in act or potency.
• It deals with first principles and causes of things. Metaphysics: Study about the Reality.

Epistemology is derived from the Greek word epistemei meaning knowledge.

• It is the theory of knowledge involved in the cognitive process of knowing and understanding.
• It studies not so much of what we know or how we know, but what
it is to be known

Logic: study of valid reasoning or arguments

4
• It studies the principles and methods that govern correct reasoning from wrong reasoning or
fallacies.
• It is a systematic study of valid reasoning or arguments. All branches of philosophy require logic.

Ethics: Ethics or morality comes from (Greek) ethos or mores (Latin) meaning custom.
• It is the normative science dealing with the rightness or wrongness of
human conduct.
• Ethics or moral philosophy involves a sense of duty or moral obligation (deontology)

 Meaning of Education
Education come from the verb= Ducere or educare:
To lead (Wilhoit 1986,11) points 3 aspects of the leading out (Croome 1986)
• What is already known by either the teacher or the learner.
• Present process: what is being discovered by the learner.
• Future: new knowledge and new way of living.

“Education” means “to rise up or bring up or nourish”. “Education indicates the act of teaching.
Generally speaking, ‘Education’ is utilized in three senses:
Knowledge, Discipline (field) and a Process.
Education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and
values to the young. It is through the younger generation that society rebuilds itself, the primary
concern of society is to teach the young.
Education is a social process that intends to modify the behaviour of the pupil in socially desirable
direction through learning.
Education= enables the leaner to be aware of himself or herself. Aims of awareness: human (person to
become conscious of his or her possibilities (human capable of thought, feelings and will).
Education must help realize a person his or her potential possibilities and enable him to understand his
or her limits.

 NARROWER MEANING
Education is a process in which and by which knowledge, character and behaviour of the young are
shaped and moulded (Drever, G. H. Thompson, John Stuart Mill, S. S. Mackenzie).
The focus here is on Knowledge.
This likely to reduce all schools to mere knowledge-shops.
The acquisition of knowledge is one of the important aims of education, but it is not the only one or
supreme aim of education.

 WIDER MEANING
Education includes the individuals, the society, the environment, the social fabric and the prevailing
traditions. Hence, the definition of education ought to be a very comprehensive and all inclusive one.

Education is the total development of the personality.

In this sense, Education consists of all those experiences, which affect the individual from birth till
death.
5
Education means to help the human soul enter into the TOTALITY of the real, (Luigi Giussani)
In this way, education is a lifelong process of growth.
TO EDUCATE IS TO OFFER A RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ONE LIVES.

The goals of education for holistic development are:

1. Learning to Know: means having the ability to direct and take responsibility for one’s own
Learning. This type of learning is radically different from ‘acquiring itemized. Rather it implies ‘the
mastering of the instruments of knowledge themselves’.

2. Learning to Do: implies the application of what learners have learned or known into practices.
3. Learning to Be: Means developing different aspects of a person’s potential, such as: acquisition
of knowledge, skills and values conducive to personality development in its intellectual, moral, cultural
and physical.
4. Learning to Live Together: This means learning to live responsibly, respecting and cooperating
with other people.

For Christian, Education must touch all aspects of a person’s life.

A definition of education should involve a person’s total existence in the present and beyond the
physical body.
Education involves everything that is done to enable people live a precious and health life (physical and
spiritual)

Education is the interpersonal process of learning to become Christlike and self-reliant person in
society. (Christ + person) sin has destroyed relationship:
• How relate to God
• People relating to the creation
• People relating to fellow human being
• The way a person relates to himself or herself

Christ is the person to restore what was destroyed by sin. He is powerful to deal with sin. (all
relationships broken)
 Relationship Between Philosophy & Education Philosophy and education are closely inter-
related and inter- dependent.
Philosophy points out the ways and education follow it. Without philosophy, education would be a blind
effort and without education, philosophy would be deprived of capability for service.

All educational problems are questions of philosophy. In fact, philosophy tries to solve various
educational issues such as: why to educate (Aim), whom to educate (Child) Who to educate (Teacher),
where to educate (School), What to educate (Curriculum) how to educate (methods), when to educate
(motivation), and so on.
Further, «a sound philosophy of education is based on an adequate philosophy of life».
According to John Ross, philosophy is the contemplative side while education the active one.

 The following are a few viewpoints that establish the relationship between philosophy and
education:
6
John Dewey
 Education is the laboratory in which philosophical direction become concrete and tested.
 Education is not a preparation for life, rather it is the living.
 Education is the process of living through a continuous
reconstruction of experiences.
 Education is the development of all those capacities in the individual which will enable him to
control his environment and fulfill his possibilities.

Fichte
The art of education will never attain complete clearness without philosophy.

John Adams : Education is the dynamic side of philosophy.

T.P. Nunn: Education aims are correlative to ideals of life.

Gentile: “Education without philosophy would mean a failure to understand the precise nature of
education”.

Conner: theory (philosophy) directs practice (education) and practice directs theory.

Spencer: “True education is practicable by true philosophers”.

Mahatma Gandhi :By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in child and man’s body,
mind and spirit.

 Dependence of Philosophy on Education

Education is the dynamic side of philosophy: It is the active aspect of philosophical belief, the practical
means of realizing the ideals of life”. Philosophy is the theory of education while education is practical
thereof.
Philosophy equips us with thoughts and these thoughts are put into
practice by education.

Education is the means to achieve the goal:

Philosophy deals with the ends and education is the means to achieve those ends. Philosophy gives
ideals, values and principles; education works out those ideals, values and principles.
In the words of Herbert, «Education has no time to make holiday till all the philosophical questions are
once for all cleared up».

 Dependence of Education on Philosophy

Philosophy determines the real destination towards education has to go; Philosophy has always
inspired educational theory as well as practice. Philosophy is wisdom; education transmits that wisdom
from one generation to the other. Philosophy is the knowledge obtained by natural reason; education is
the development of that reason and other powers of mind.
7
Philosophy determines the various aspects of education.
All the problems of education are the problems of philosophy. There is no aspect of education is not
influenced and determined by philosophy.
Philosophy determines both aim of life and the aim of education.
Philosophy helps to construct curriculum according to the needs of the individual and the society.
Curriculum: Totality of experiences that a pupil receives through the manifold activities that go on
inside and outside of the classroom.
Great Philosophers have been great educationists in the East as well in the West. We can find the
clearest examples of the dependence of education on philosophy in the lives and teachings of all the
great philosophers.

 Great Philosophers have been great educationists Socrates with his Socratic method of
questioning;
Plato’s (427-347 BC) school was known as the Academy. His dialogues on education are recorded in
The Republic, where he noted that education is the first reasonable thing that the best of men can ever
have. In his curriculum, he insisted in general education for both boys and girls which had to begin so
early.
All education must lead to virtue like wisdom, courage, temperance and justice.
The acquisition of knowledge should be without force..
Education develops in the body and soul of the students, pupil, all the beauty and all the perfection that
he/she is capable of.
There are three social classes in the nation: tradesmen, artisans, and farmers. Public officials
(guardians) form the middle class, and rulers form the upper class.
For Plato, what brings people closer to the world of Ideas is education. Only philosophers become the
ruling minority.

Plato’s image of an ideal person was that of «one who loves wisdom» (or a philosopher) and that of
«one who is harmonized with all the four virtues: temperance, courage, justice and wisdom».
The purpose of education is to build a nation.

Aristotle (384 - 322 BC)

Maintains that the senses are the essential avenues of knowledge and valid sources of truth.
The true aim of education is the attainment of happiness through perfect virtue and the right kind of
character.
Ethics is needed in Politics, and it gives moral qualities which the educator produces in the young.
Education should be under the control of the State and not private hands to ensure proper supervision.
Education should promote physical health and lead to moral good even at elementary level..
For Aristotle, the question is education should lead and help a person enter one’s culture or prepare
each one for a particular profession.

Children should learn liberal subjects suitable for citizens and illiberal subjects (arts and skills).
But all subjects should be included not just for a particular profession, but for man’s intellectual life.
Education is the creation of sound mind in a sound body. It develops man’s faculty specially his mind so
that he or she may be able to enjoy the contemplation of supreme truth, goodness and beauty.
8
Comenius’ View of Education
Jan Amos Komenský, known as: Comenius (1592-1670), the ultimate purpose of human life is TO
BECOME INITED WITH GOD AND TO OBTAIN ETERNAL BLISS IN LIFE AFTER DEATH. Life here on
earth is the preparation for life after death. For that purpose, everyone should (1) KNOW ALL THINGS,
(2) become a person who can CONTROL THINGS ONESELF, and (3) become the IMAGE OF GOD.

Comenius advocated the necessity of three kinds of education: INTELLECTAUL, MORAL and RELIGIOUS.
the theme of Cornelius’ theory of education, which was called pansophia is «TEACH EVERYTHING TO
EVERYONE».
The talent to realize the goals of education is naturally inherent in people, and it is the role of education
to bring out this natural gift.
Fundamentally, parents are responsible for education, but When they become unable to do it, schools
would become necessary to replace them.

The purpose of education is to raise PRACTICAL CHRISTIANS who have learned everything knowable,
and to realize the peaceful unification of the world through Christianity.
Comenius’s ideas on early education laid the foundation for the concept of the kindergarten
(Preschools).

Rabindranath Tagore: The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but
makes our life in harmony with all existence.

 Rousseau’s View of Education

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) wrote an educational novel entitled Emile, or On Education
claiming that «God makes all things good; man intervenes with them and they become evil». Therefore,
he insisted on educating children in a NATURAL WAY. He asserted that, since man possesses an
inherent «natural goodness», his «nature» should be developed as it exists originally.

Education, as advocated by Rousseau, aims to develop people naturally through eliminating factors that
obstruct the development of their natural gifts, such as indoctrination by established culture and by
moral and religious teachings.
However, «natural man» in the state of nature would not be well suited to the existing society.

Rousseau advocated the necessity to educate people to become members of society (good citizens).
The image of the ideal person in Rousseau’s theory of education was that of a «natural man», and the
purpose of education, in his view, was to nurture «natural man» and realize the ideal. Republican
society, in which «natural man» would become citizen.

Education is the child’s development from within.

A child should not be considered a means, but an absolute end.
For Rousseau, education should not aim to form a particular type of man or woman, but rather man and
woman in their very essence.

 Kant’s View of Education

9
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) said that «man is the only being who needs education, and that «Man can
only become man by education», promoting education..
According to Kant, the mission of education is to develop people’s natural gifts in a harmonious way and
to cultivate those who can act freely while following moral laws.
Kant declared that education should not aim at adjustment to any society, rather, it should aim, more
generally, at the perfection of humankind.

On the other hand, Kant believed that human beings have a radical evil in their nature. According to
him, evil comes into being when moral law is subordinated to self-love.
Therefore, through inner CONVERSION, one should come to place moral law above self-love, and that
duty so orders it. RESPECT FOR MORALITY? TRUST IN SCIENCE AND REVERENCE FOR GOD
characterize his views on education and on humankind. (Kant)
For Kant, the ideal image of a human being is that of a «good man», and the purpose of education is TO
PERFECT HUMAN NATURE, thereby establishing everlasting international peace.
Education is that whose product is SALVATION. (Upanishad)
Education enables the mind to find out THE ULTIMATE TRUTH, which gives the WEALTH of inner
LIGHT and LOVE and gives significance to life. (Tagore)
Education is the development of valuable personality and spiritual individuality. (John Ross)
 Pestalozzi’s View of Education
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1741-1827) advocated education in conformity with «nature» and sought
to liberate human nature, or the noble nature inherent in people.
He held that education starts from MATERNAL LOVE IN THE FAMILY. The family education forms the
basis of education. (The holistic development of the child’s «HEAD, HEART, and HANDS»)
There are three fundamental forces forming human nature, namely, MENTAL power, HEAR power, and
TECHNICAL power; these three correspond to MIND, HEART, and HAND. Education of the mind is
KNOWLEDGE edification; education of the heart is MORAL (religious education), and education of the
hand is the TECHNICAL training.
The internal power that unites these powers is LOVE.

Love is the basis of heart power and the driving force of moral and religious education.
Those three types of education should be harmoniously united, centering on moral and religious
education.
The image of the ideal person advocated by Pestalozzi was that of a person in whom the three
fundamental powers are harmoniously developed-in other words, a «whole man». He is in favour of the
education of the WHOLE MAN centred on LOVE and FAITH.
The aim of education was to cultivate human nature and build a moral and religious nation/ society.
Johann F. Herbart (1775-1841) systematized pedagogy as a science. In doing so, he incorporated
ETHICS and PSYCHOLOGY into PEDAGOGY, whereby he established the AIM of education from ETHICS
and the MEANS of education from PSYCHOLOGY. Education is the development of good moral character.

 John Dewey (1859-1952) pragmatic view of education

Education consists primarily of transmission through communication and reconstructing of experience.
Education that develops society. What Dewey intended to achieve was a kind of practical, technical
education aimed at the

10
reconstruction of society. The image of the ideal person, in Dewey’s theory of education was that of an
active man who learns by doing in a cooperative environment where the child solves concrete
problems, thus developing their social and individual sense. (theory of ‘learning by doing). (Knowledge
must produces action.)
 Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852): Importance of Child education and family education.
Kindergarten is a necessary supplement to family education, and he became the founder of the
kindergarten. Play (game) is crucial for learning, and developing educational
«gifts» and «occupations» to foster holistic development.

 Democratic View of Education

Ideas on democracy in education are based on democratic thought (freedom of thinking and expression
of one's ideas)
Responsibility is of the essence of this freedom.
Democratic education, is a system of education for life based on the recognition of the value and dignity
of the individual, to provide educational opportunity in accordance with the abilities and aptitudes of
each person. To foster freedom of inquiry, and training in the ability to analyse critically.
It will encourage a wide discussion of information.
The success of education in a democracy cannot be measured in terms of uniformity and
standardization.
The purpose of democratic education, therefore, is the perfection of character and the nurturing of
responsible members of society.

 Dependence of Philosophy on Education

Education is the dynamic side of philosophy: It is the active aspect of philosophical belief, the practical
means of realizing the ideals of life. Philosophy is the theory of education while education is practical
thereof.
Philosophy equips us with thoughts and these thoughts are put into practice by education.
Education is the means to achieve the goal.
Philosophy deals with the ends and education is the means to achieve those ends. Philosophy gives
ideals, values and principles; education works out those ideals, values and principles.
In the words of Herbert, «Education has no time to make holiday till all the philosophical questions are
once for all cleared up».

 Objectives of the Studying of Educational Philosophy

1. To find out the solution for various educational issues.
2. To make education according to the need based life and society.
3. To define the aim of human life, (aim of existence).
4. To produce better citizen by fostering independent attitude in behaviour.
5. To make teaching and learning process more effective and attractive according to the need of the
society, interest and ability of a person.
6. To discern the different philosophies and choose any one of them to lead a fruitful life in the
society.
7. To expand knowledge, experiences and implement them in the educational practices.

11
8. To bring out all round personality development in a person (child) and prepare him to stand\ on
his own feet.(self reliance)
9. To make education flexible in order to achieve goals of a country- national integration,
international understanding and globalization.
10. To develop education as a powerful instrument to bring about social, cultural, political and
economical change in society.

 Scope of Educational Philosophy

The scope of educational philosophy is the study of all those aspects or schools of philosophy, which are
important from the educational point of view.
It is philosophy in the field of education.
The scope of philosophy of education is concerned with problems of education.
These problems mainly include :
• Interpretation of human nature, the world and the universe and their relation with man,
• Interpretation of aims and ideals of education,
• The relationship of various components of the system of education,
• Relationship of education and various areas of national life [economic system, political order,
social progress, cultural reconstructions etc.],
• Educational values,
• Theory of knowledge and its relationship to education.

 Function of Educational Philosophy

Philosophy of education performs various function such as : A Defining the aspects of education:
(Aims of education, Curriculum, Methods of teaching, Discipline,
A. Teacher & Student, Administration).
Philosophy of education guides the process of education by suggesting suitable aims from the
diversities of life and selecting the means accordingly.

B Harmonizing old and new traditions in the field of education:

It must be kept in mind that every ‘old’ is not outdated and every ‘new’ is not perfect. Therefore, there is
a need of co-coordinating the two in order to maintain the harmony between both.

C. Providing the educational planners, administrators and educators with the progressive vision
to achieve educational development: to attain the educational goals efficiently.

D Preparing the young generation to face the challenges of the modern time: Society is not static;
it changes its value, tradition, custom, culture etc.

Philosophy of education is a guiding, steering and liberating force that helps young people and society
at large to face the challenges of the modern time. It helps the individual to understand the relationship
between his goal and day to day routine work and develop critical attitude towards life in diverse
society.

12