Denny SP Sitorus

Philosophy of Science
Task 1 Idealism and Education

MM UPH: 90120120019

Idealism, which asserts that reality is essentially spiritual or ideational, is one of Humankinds oldest and most enduring systems of thought. The belief that the world and human beings within it are part of an unfolding universal spirit has long been a cosmic principle in oriental religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. It was probably through cultural interactions between East and West that Idealist concepts found their way into Western thought. Plato, who taught in the Grove of Academus (or simply "Academeia") in Athens, argued that only concepts are real since they do not change over time as do the objects they represent. Nothing exists until the idea of it exists, hence some supreme power must have conceived of the universe before it came into existence. Real objects are the concepts in one's mind, which must be delivered by the teacher, a kind of mental midwife (see "maieutics" in the Archives). This was the original, philosophical meaning of "idealism," seldom used any more outside the philosophy classroom. Philosophical Rationale of 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. The Universe (Ontology or Metaphysics) To the idealist, the nature of the universe is mind; it is an idea. The real nature of the position is idea-ism. For the idealist the universe has two aspects. The first is the sensory aspect, that part of life open to empirical or sensory exploration and verification. This is a sham world; a world of illusion. This second aspect, the Real World, lies beyond the sensory world and can only be reached through the intellect. This is the World of Ideas. Knowledge and Truth (Epistemology) The idealist, once he accepts the ontological assumption of the existence of a transcendent reality, must ask whether or not it is possible to know and or come to grips with this realm. Most idealists, to a greater or lesser degree, accept the notion that man may know the Ideal, at least in part.

The idealist take a rationalistic approach to the difficult problems of knowledge and truth and relies heavily on deductive logic (the process of reasoning from the general the more specific) Although some idealist thinkers have carefully denied reliance on empirical or sense data, such data usually serve as the basis for the premises of deductive logic. 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, aesthetic judgments, selfrealization, individual freedom, individual responsibility, and self-control in order to achieve this development. In an idealistic education system emphasis should be placed on developing the mind, personal discipline, and character development. A person should be literate and of good moral character. The aim of education is to brings the child as close to Absolute Truth as possible. All of the aims of the idealist as educator find their ground in the conception of Ultimate Reality and the students relation to this Reality. The school, as one of the social institutions concerned with the Absolute must make judgments as to what is right and what is wrong; thus, one of the aim of education would be to develop morality. Another aim of education is the maintenance and transmission of the established values of the past. Once we have established that something is good, or true, or beautiful, it is a responsibility of the school to pass it one to succeeding generations. The Concept of Student The learner is a spiritual being in the process of becoming. His is a finite personality which, with prober molding and guidance, might more like the Ideal or the Absolute. Man is, in a sense, a small representation of the Absolute Self. The student must bring himself closer to the Absolute through imitation of the exemplar (the teacher) and through study of those subjects (the humanities) which best represent or symbolize the true ideas of which the human race has knowledge. The learner, if the is an idealist himself, or if the idealist philosophy can be inculcated into his being, tries to do the very best he can, striving constantly toward perfection. Horne has described the Idealistic Pupil as follows: The Idealistic pupil is characterized by that admirable trait, the will to perfection. Whatever he does as well as he can. He is ambitious to deserve honors in scholarship. He wants to grow in knowledge and wisdom,

to appreciate the aesthetic things in life to deserve approbation, and to be a worthy person. He strives for perfection because the ideal person is perfect. The Concept of Teacher 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. The curriculum The important factor in education at any level for idealists is teaching children to think. Teachers should help students to explore texts for ideas about the purposes of life, family the nature of peer pressures, and the problems of growing up. Idealists believe that ideas can change lives and that classical literature can be used and explored to help solve problems in todays world. Creativity will be encouraged when students immerse themselves in the creative thinking of others and when they are encouraged to reflect The idealist curriculum which places a considerable emphasis on the study of history and the reading of biographies. Both of these are evidently reflections of the Hegelian influence on American education. Certainly it is assumed by the idealists that through the study of the past, we can find appropriate truths around which to model our present behavior.