KETIKAN BUKU:

PERENNIALISM
In Chapter 17 we will examine the educational theory of Perennialism, which asserts that education
is universal, as is human nature itself. Stressing universal knowledge and values, Perennialists look to
the reoccurring patterns of human life to set the foundations for education and schooling. We will
define Perennialism's approach to education and schooling, situate it, identify its major principles,
and its implications for education.

DEFINING PERENNIALISM

I am an amateur gardener and have a perennial garden made up of plants that come up of plants
that come up each spring, bloom for their particular season in the summer, die in the fall, are
dormant in the winter, and return again each spring to repeat their life cycle. Unlike annual plants,
which live for one season, perennials return and repeat their cycle of growth each year.

In philosophy and in educational theory, Perennialism flows from the tradition of the great
founders of Western philosophy, especially from Aristotle, the Realist, and Aquinas, the Thomist.
(Realism was discussed in Chapter 3 and Theistic Realism in Chapter 4.) These philosophers were
concerned with metaphysical questions about ultimate reality. Perennialism can be defined as an
educational theory that proclaims that people possess and share a common nature that defines
them as human beings. This common human nature, in the Aristotelian tradition, is grounded in
rationality and is the same at all times and in all places. Possession of this commonly shared
rationality makes it possible for individuals to search for and find universal truth and live the values
based on it. Like the seasons of the perennial plant, this human rational nature is a possession of all
generationspast, present, and future. It enables each generation to find the great universal
commonalities that transcend time, place, situation, and circumstance. It makes it possible to read,
understand, and be guided by the great of thinkers of the past, such as Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas.
We can also read the great writers, listen to the classics in music, appreciate the great works of art
and be guided by their wisdom and enjoy their beauty.

Impressed by the recurring features of human experience across time and space the
Perennialists are concerned with what they call the search for enduring truths and their values.
Certain philosophers, writers of literature, artists, poets, and musician, with their insights and styles,
have captured a glimpse of that truth and value, as did the prisoner in Plato's cave who finally saw
the light rather than shadows and distorted images of reality. (Refer to Plato's Allegory of the Cave in
Chapter 2.) Their insights are embodied in philosophy, literature, art, and music. Some of these
works, having survived the test of time, become classics that appeal to people of all generations. For
example, Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, Rousseau's Social Constract, Tolstoy's
War and Peace, and other great writings have been read by women and men at different times and
in different places. Perennialist educators seek to bring the young of each generation into contact
and understanding with these classics.

SITUATING PERENNIALISM
Perennialism has had a long history, though not a fashionable one, in modern times. In most
cultures, there is literature that is considered sacred, or at least deeply philosophical, and is regarded
as a font of wisdom in that particular culture. In Chinese and Japanese cultures this reverence is
given to the Confucian classics; in India to the Bhagavad Ghita; in Islamic cultures to the Koran; and in
Judaic and Christian cultures to the Bible. These sacred texts are considered repositories of perennial
truths and values, and education has been focused on studying and learning from them.

In Western civilization. Perennialism has been heavily influenced by Aristotle's Realism,

especially his assumptions that the human being is rational and that happiness consists of actions
that conform to reason. Aristotle's assumptions became part of Western history when Thomas
Aquinas incorporated them into Christian doctrine.

For a very long period in Western civilizationfrom the Greek and Roman Classical Period to
the nineteenth centuryGreek and Latin were regarded as the languages of the educated person.
The works of Greek and Roman writers were considered classics and used as texts in schools. To
these Greek and Latin classics were added the great works of the Medieval, Reformation,
Renaissance, Enlightenment, and modern eras. In many ways, these secular texts were held in almost
the same regard as the religious texts. Esteemed as the best that civilization has produced, they often
formed the core subjects to be studied by the educated person.

In the modern era, especially in the twentieth century and today, Perennialism has been in
retreat, fighting a rear-guard defensive action against Pragmatists, Postmodernists, Progressives, and
Critical Theorists. While these more modern philosophies and theories challenge Perennialism, the
greatest threat has come from the modern society and economy's emphasis on specialization, and
from educational programs designed to prepare specialists rather than generalists.

Although they might not always identify themselves as Perennialists, the Perennialist position
has been ably defended by educational theorists such as Robert Mayanard Hutchins, Mortimer Adler,
Allan Bloom, and William Bennett. Hutchins, a former president of the University of Chicago, argued
for a general education grounded in the study of the great books of western civilization. Hutchins's
associate, Mortimer Adler, drafted the Paidea Proposal, which called for the same general education
for all students. Allan Bloom attacked ethical relativism in higher education. William Bennett, a
former Secretary of Education, looked to universal moral values as a way to renew society and
education.

WHY STUDY PERENNIALISM?

Perennialism merits study as an educational theory because it reflects an important world tradition
in education; that is, the great works or sacred texts convey wisdom based on universal and
recurrent truths. In Western civilization, Perennialism translates Aristotelian and Thomist
metaphysics and epistemology into educational theory. Although eclipsed by the more modern
theories of education such as Progressivism and Critical Theory, Perennialism remains a significant
theory.

PERENNIALISM's PHILOSOPHICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS

perennialism derives its basic principles from the Realist and Thomist philosophies, especially their
metaphysics. The Universe is seen as purposeful and operating according to a rational design.
Humans are defined as rational beings who, possessing the power of free will, can use their
rationality to frame alternatives and choose among them. When functioning properly human beings
will act rationally and make rational choices. The traditional philosophies believe that a major
purpose of education is to cultivate and exercise rationality. Perennialism's ideological derivations are
not that obvious. Some Perennialists such as Robert Hutchins were in many ways civil libertarians.
However, Perennialism also has an affinity with Conservatism, especially with the older European
statement of Burkean principlesthe need for an intellectual elite.

Often Perennialism and Essentialism, treated in the previous chapter are equated as traditional
theories that agree on the emphasis given to such shared features as: (1) the school's primary
purpose as an intellectual and academic agency; (2) the organization of the curriculum into discrete
subject matters; (3) the importance of structure, order, and sequence in curriculum and instruction.
However, there is a significant difference in the foundational beliefs of the two theories. The
Essentialists argue that the school's purpose and its curriculum is largely a product of history in that
it emphasizes the skills and subjects that have contributed to human survival, productivity, and
civility. Perennialists look to metaphysics, especially to human nature, so they see the purpose of
education, the role of the school, and the organization of the curriculum as coming from humanity's
enduring and universal characteristics.

The Perennialist theory of education is opposed by Pragmatists who see reality as being in
constant flux. It is also opposed by Existentialists who argue that the Perennialist theory of education
is based on prior definitions of human nature and education that are established prior to the
individual's personal existence and choice. Philosophical Analysts would contend that Perennialism's
basic propositions are empirically nonverifiable. Postmodernists and Critical Theorists would dismiss
Perennialism's claims to universality and timelessness as masking a metanarrative once used to
rationalize the control of favored classes, namely intellectual elites, at a particular period in history.

PERENNIALISM AS A THEORY OF EDUCATION

A Metaphysically Derived Theory

While many influential contemporary theories, especially Critical Theory, reject metaphysically based
claims to universal truth as metanarratives that mask a once-favored elite's claims to power and
control, Perennialism exalts metaphysics as the source of universal truth. While Critical Theorists
reject universal justifications, Perennialism builds its case on eternal and universal principles. Like
Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, Perennialists assert that the universe itself is governed by rational and
spiritual principles. Like Aquinas, who defined humans as rational beings, endowed with intellect and
free will, Perennialists see education as a means of cultivating human reason. They define the school
as an intellectual agency that has the primary purpose of developing human reason. Based on these
metaphysical principles, Perennialists assert:

Human beings, everywhere and at all times, are endowed with the power of reason.
The possession of rationality enables humans to express their ideas in symbolic systems and
language patterns, that enable them to communicate with each other.
Human beings have free will in that they can construct and choose between alternative
patterns of action.
Behavior is most humane and civil when it is based on knowledge and reason.
 Affirming Aristotle's premise that human beings are rational and that their greatest happiness
comes from exercising and applying reason, Perennialists also assert that we inhabit a purposeful,
intelligible, and orderly universe. This rationality, order, and purpose is the source of universal and
eternal truths and values.

Perennialists reject the propositions of those who assert that the universe is an accident and
that we are accidental beings. While they recognize that some things appear to change over time,
they insist that the most important aspects of human lifethe search for truth and beauty and the
mysteries of love and deathdo not change and are universal.