Republic of the Philippines

SORSOGON STATE UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL (GS)
Magsaysay Avenue, 4700 SORSOGON CITY

ASSIGNMENT NO.6 RICABLANCA, Carla Kim R.

Date Due: April 27, 2024 2023-2024 MAED- ENGLISH

EDUC 502: PHILOSOPICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL AND

PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

Stephen Henry S. Totanes, Ph.D

Associate Professor V

“An Overview of Historians and Philosophers and their Educational

Theories”

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
The word education is used sometimes to signify the activity, process, or
enterprise of educating or being educated and sometimes to signify the
discipline or field of study taught in schools of education that concerns itself
with this activity, process, or enterprise. As an activity or process,
education may be formal or informal, private or public, individual or social,
but it always consists in cultivating dispositions (abilities, skills,
knowledges, beliefs, attitudes, values, and character traits) by certain
methods. As a discipline, education studies or reflects on the activity or
enterprise by asking questions about its aims, methods, effects, forms,
history, costs, value, and relations to society.

Definition
The philosophy of education may be either the philosophy of the process
of education or the philosophy of the discipline of education. That is, it may
be part of the discipline in the sense of being concerned with the aims,
forms, methods, or results of the process of educating or being educated;
or it may be metadisciplinary in the sense of being concerned with the
concepts, aims, and methods of the discipline. However, even in the latter
case it may be thought of as part of the discipline, just as metaphilosophy is
thought of as a part of philosophy, although the philosophy of science is not
regarded as a part of science. Historically, philosophies of education have
usually taken the first form, but under the influence of analytical philosophy,
they have sometimes taken the second.

In the first form, philosophy of education was traditionally developed by

philosophers–for example, Aristotle, Augustine, and John Locke–as part of
their philosophical systems, in the context of their ethical theories.
However, in the twentieth century philosophy of education tended to be
developed in schools of education in the context of what is called
foundations of education, thus linking it with other parts of the discipline of
education–educational history, psychology, and sociology–rather than with
other parts of philosophy. It was also developed by writers such as Paul
Goodman and Robert M. Hutchins who were neither professional
philosophers nor members of schools of education.

Types
As there are many kinds of philosophy, many philosophies, and many
ways of philosophizing, so there are many kinds of educational philosophy
and ways of doing it. In a sense there is no such thing as the philosophy of
education; there are only philosophies of education that can be classified in
many different ways.

Philosophy of education as such does not describe, compare, or explain

any enterprises to systems of education, past or present; except insofar as
it is concerned with the tracing of its own history, it leaves such inquiries to
the history and sociology of education. Analytical philosophy of education is
meta to the discipline of education–to all the inquiries and thinking about
education–in the sense that it does not seek to propound substantive
propositions, either factual or normative, about education. It conceives of its
task as that of analysis: the definition or elucidation of educational concepts
like teaching, indoctrination, ability, and trait, including the concept of
education itself; the clarification and criticism of educational slogans like
"Teach children, not subjects"; the exploration of models used in thinking
about education (e.g., growth); and the analysis and evaluation of
arguments and methods used in reaching conclusions about education,
whether by teachers, administrators, philosophers, scientists, or laymen.

12 Famous Philosophers and Their Guiding Principles

Raphael, "School of Athens" (detail of Plato and Aristotle), 1509-1511.

Stanza della Segnatura, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican.

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes •Last updated: 01.08.19

The term “philosophy” derives from the Greek word philosophia which
translates to a “love of wisdom,” coined by pre-Socratic thinkers such as
Pythagoras in the 6th century B.C. These ancient Greek philosophers were
influential in laying the foundations for the modern world; searching for
meaning in everyday life and shaping their musings into a system of
thoughts documented in books and manuscripts, letters, plays, and other
media.

What is Philosophy?

Philosophy can be described as the rational, abstract, and methodical

consideration of reality. Philosophy has been a central fixture in the history
of civilization, from ancient Greece to modern day. In the centuries that
have passed, notable philosophers both young and old have produced
original thoughts and made contributions to all industries and disciplines
including politics, mathematics, literature, art, and science. Below are some
of the most influential philosophers, their schools of thought, and what we
can learn from their forward-thinking approach.

Confucius (551–479 B.C.)

La Morale de Confucius. Sold for €100 via Arenberg Auctions (December

2018).

Confucius, also referred to as Kong Qui or K’ung Fu-tzu, was a Chinese

philosopher, teacher, and political figure largely considered the father of the
Eastern style of thought. His teachings focused on creating ethical social
relationships, setting educational standards, and promoting justice and
honesty.

Guiding Principle

His social philosophy was based on the principle of ren—loving others—

and he believed this could be achieved using the Golden Rule: “What you
do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.”

Socrates (c. 469–399 B.C.)

Socrates was a Greek philosopher and is considered the primary source of

Western thought. Because he could neither read nor write, much of what
we know of his life was recorded by his students Plato and Xenophon. His
“Socratic method” laid the groundwork for Western systems of logic and
philosophy, delivering a belief that through the act of questioning, the mind
can manage to find truth.

Guiding Principle

Socrates believed that philosophy should achieve practical results for the
greater well-being of society. He emphasized the idea that the more a
person knows, the greater his or her ability to reason and make choices
that will bring true happiness.

Plato (c. 428–348 B.C.)

The Republic of Plato. Sold for $4,500 via Sotheby’s(June 2005).

Greek philosopher Plato was a student of Socrates and later became a

teacher of Aristotle. He was a priori, a rational philosopher who sought
knowledge logically rather than from the senses. He went on to establish
the Academy in Athens, one of the first institutions of higher learning in the
Western world.

Guiding Principle
Plato’s logic explored justice, beauty, and equality, and contained
discussions in aesthetics, politics, language, and cosmology—the science
of the origin and development of the universe.

Aristotle (384–322 B.C.)

The Works of Aristotle. Sold for €160 via Bubb Kuyper(May 2016).

Considered one of the greatest thinkers in politics, psychology, and ethics,

Aristotle learned from Plato after enrolling in his Academy at age
seventeen. Later, he went on to tutor Alexander the Great. Aristotle
focused on a posteriori routes of knowledge, a term popularized by
Immanuel Kant where conclusions are formed based on actual observation
and data.

Guiding Principle

Aristotle’s intellectual knowledge spanned every known field of science and

arts, prompting him to idealize the Aristotelian syllogistic, a belief that
logical argument applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion
based on two or more propositions assumed to be true.

Dante (1265–1321)

Dante was a Medieval Italian poet and moral philosopher regarded as the
father of the modern Italian language. He is best remembered for his poetic
trilogy, The Divine Comedy, which comprised of sections that represented
three tiers of the Christian afterlife: purgatory, heaven, and hell. The poem
features an array of learning, an analysis of contemporary problems, and
creativity in language and imagery.

Guiding Principle

Dante’s important theoretical works included discussions of rhetoric

surrounding moral philosophy and political thought.

Pascal (1623–1662)

Le provinciali o Lettere scritte da Luigi Montalto. Sold for €180 via Forum
Auctions (June 2015).

Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, and religious

philosopher who laid the fountain for the modern theory of probabilities, a
branch of mathematics concerned with the analysis of random phenomena.

Guiding Principle

In 1657, Pascal published Les Provinciales under the pseudonym Louis de

Montalte, a series of eighteen letters that defended Jansenist over Jesuit
theologies. He also propagated a religious doctrine that taught the
experience of God through the heart rather than through reason, contrary
to the beliefs of French philosopher René Descartes.

John Locke (1632–1704)

Two Treatises of Government. Sold for $2,125 via Swann Auction Galleries
(April 2015).

John Locke was an English philosopher and Enlightenment thinker who

came to be known as the Father of Classical Liberalism. Throughout his
studies, he made valuable contributions to modern theories of a limited,
liberal government. His most notable work, Essay Concerning a Human
Understanding, offers an analysis of the human mind and its acquisition of
knowledge.

Guiding Principle

Locke’s thinking emphasized the notion that we should acquire ideas

through our experience of the world. His logic later influenced philosophers
like Voltaire and Rousseau.

Voltaire (1694–1778)

Francois Arouet, better known for his pen name “Voltaire,” is largely
considered one of the greatest French Enlightenment writers. He produced
thousands of letters, books, pamphlets, essays, plays, among other forms
of writing, most of which were centered on religion and politics. One of his
most famous works was Candide, a satirical novella that pokes fun at the
philosophical optimism proclaiming that all disaster and human suffering is
part of a benevolent cosmic plan.

Guiding Principle

Though Voltaire’s outright skepticism of the government and church caused

great controversy during his time, he remained a progressive thinker
regarding issues of civil rights and advocated for the importance of freedom
of religion, speech, and the right to a fair trial.

Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)

Critik der reinen Vernunft. Sold for $780 via Swann Auction Galleries
(March 2017).

Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher whose thinking revolved around

metaphysics, a philosophical study that examines the fundamental nature
of reality. His best-known work, Critique of Pure Reason, determines the
limits and scope of metaphysics, combining reason with experience that
moves beyond that of traditional philosophy.
Guiding Principle

Kant was one of the foremost thinkers of the Enlightenment, and a large
part of his work addresses the question, “What can we know?” Kant argued
that we can only have knowledge of things that are possible to experience.
Further, he believes that we can know the natural, observable world, but
we cannot have answers to many of the deepest questions of metaphysics.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797)

Mary Wollstonecraft was an English writer and intellect who advocated for
women’s equality within society. As an ardent feminist, she believed both
men and women should be treated as equal beings with a social mandate.
Her best-known publication, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, is
considered the first great feminist treatise. In it, she argued that women
deserve the same fundamental rights as men and should have an
education commensurate with their position in society.

Guiding Principle

Wollstonecraft was an fierce advocate for women’s rights, arguing that

women deserve the same fundamental rights as men and should have an
education commensurate with their position in society.

Ayn Rand (1905–1982)

Atlas Shrugged. Sold for $1,300 via Swann Auction Galleries (May 2018).

Russian-American author and philosopher Ayn Rand rejected collectivist

values in favor of individual self-interest, an ideal evident in her first novel
We the Living. She promoted the philosophy of Objectivism, which she
describes as “the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own
happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as
his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” This belief was
realized in her successful novel Atlas Shrugged, as well as in courses,
lectures, and other literary works.

Guiding principle

While Rand was a passionate advocate of the philosophy of objectivism,

her political philosophy placed emphasis on individualism, the constitutional
protection of individual rights to life, liberty, and property, and limited
government.

Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986)

Simone de Beauvoir is a French writer, existentialist philosopher, and
social theorist who paved the way for the modern feminist movement. She
published countless works, both fiction and nonfiction, often having
existentialist themes. Her most notable book, The Second Sex, discusses
the treatment of women throughout history and the oppression they
endured.

Guiding principle

While her novels focused on existential themes, de Beauvoir’s philosophies

were heavily influenced by the historical materialism of Karl Marx and the
idealism of Immanuel Kant.

SOURCES:

https://education./

https://www.invaluable.com/blog/famous-philosophers/