Philosophy: Reflections on the Essence of Education

Is a school of philosophy that holds that ideas or concepts are the essence of all that is worth knowing.

• Realism

• Idealism

• Pragmatism

• Existentialism

There is great emphasis on observing nature and learning through wanderings and pilgrimages. The importance of achieving wisdom, satori, enlightenment, or nirvana is supreme. All paths must lead to this, and from this wisdom spring virtue, right living, and correct behavior.

• Realism

• Pragmatism

• Eastern Ways

• Idealism

The student is changed as a result of contact with the guru, master, or prophet. This educational thought emphasizes transformation: The individual must be transformed to face life. Attitude shaping is important because the attitude a person holds toward life will determine the individual’s levels of goodness and wisdom.

• Idealism

• Pragmatism

• Eastern Ways

• Realism

Order, regularity, and patience that are proportional to and in harmony with the laws of nature are key to a good life.

• Eastern Ways

• Idealism

• Existentialism

• Pragmatism

Stress the inner rather than the outer world, intuition rather than sense, and mysticism rather than scientific discoveries.

• Pragmatism

• Existentialism

• Idealism

• Eastern Ways

Intertwined religious doctrines with philosophical views about the nature of the world and humans’ interactions with it.

• Existentialism

• Eastern Ways

• Idealism

• Realism

As a group, stress inner peace, tranquility, attitudinal development, and mysticism. In general, ways of knowing emphasize order, regularity, and patience that are both proportional to and in harmony with the laws of nature.

• Eastern Ways

• Idealism

• Pragmatism

• Realism

Focus is on the mind.

• Realism

• Existentialism

• Idealism

• Pragmatism

Is a school of philosophy that holds that reality, knowledge, and value exist independently of the human mind.

• Pragmatism

• Realism

• Idealism

• Existentialism

Contends that reality is nothing more than lived existence and the final reality resides within each individual.

• Existentialism

• Pragmatism

• Idealism

• Realism