An idealist is one who on, on noticing that a rose smells better than acabbage, concludes that it is also more nourishing.
Mencken H. L.On Ideals and Idealism
The educational approach of this philosophy is of a holistic nature. In which self-realization and character development is strongly supported. The idealist feelsthat with the growth of a fine moral character as well as personal reflection,wisdom is gained. The holistic approach is supported instead of a specializedconcentration on a specific targeted area. By combining experiences gainedthrough critical thinking and dealing with broader topics, the idealist creates anenvironment in which a learner can rationalize information across curriculum.Idealism as a philosophy had its greatest impact during the nineteenth century.Its influence in today’s world is less important than it has been in the past..Idealism is the conclusion that the universe is expression of intelligence and will,that the enduring substance of the world is the nature of the mind, that thematerial is explained by the mental. Idealism as a philosophy stands in contrastwith all those systems of thought that center in nature (naturalism) or in man(humanism)." According to idealism "to be" means to be experienced by aperson. Idealism holds that the order of the world is due to the manifestation inspace and time of an eternal and spiritual reality. As to knowledge, idealismholds that knowledge is man thinking the thoughts and purposes of this eternaland spiritual reality as they are embodied in our world of fact. As to ethics,idealism holds that the goodness of man's individual and social life is theconformity of the human will with the moral administration of the universe.Idealism as an educational philosophy is generally linked to the work of H.H.Horne and William Hocking. In the Forty-first Yearbook of the NationalSociety for the Study of Education, entitled Philosophies of Education, H.H.Horne lists ten grounds for accepting an idealistic philosophy of education. Among themore persuasive of these arguments are:
1. The mind is the principle of explanation and knowledge of any-thing, even of the mind itself, is a product of the mind.
2. The mind is of a different nature than matter. It is composed of a differentsubstance.
3. There can be no object without a subject thinking about it.The last of these three arguments is directly related to the position taken byBishop George Berkeley.
Definition and meaning of Idealism
The main tenant of idealism is that ideas and knowledge are the truest reality.Many things in the world change, but ideas and knowledge are enduring.Idealism was often referred to as “idea-ism”. Idealists believe that ideas canchange lives. The most important part of a person is the mind. It is to benourished and developed.
Pronunciation: [I-'dee-ê-liz-êm]Definition: (1) (From "idea") The Platonic theory that ultimate reality lies in arealm beyond the real world, that the real world is a by-product of mental or supernatural states; art that rejects realism for the world of imagination. (2) (From"ideal") The practice of living according to a set of ideals; overly optimistichopefulness. 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 theobjects they represent. Nothing exists until the idea of it exists, hence somesupreme power must have conceived of the universe before it came intoexistence. Real objects are the concepts in one's mind, which must be deliveredby the teacher, a kind of mental midwife (see "maieutics" in the Archives). Thiswas the original, philosophical meaning of "idealism," seldom used any moreoutside the philosophy classroom.Etymology: From Greek idea "form, shape" from *weid- also the origin of the "his"in his-tor "wise, learned" underlying English "history." In Latin this root becamevidere "to see" and related words. It is the same root in Sanskrit veda "knowledgeas in the Rig-Veda. The stem entered Germanic as witan "know," seen in ModernGerman wissen "to know" and in English "wisdom" and "twit," a shortened form of Middle English atwite derived from æt "at" +witen "reproach."In short Idealism is a philosophical position which adheres to the view thatnothing exists except as it is and idea in the mind of man, the mind of God, or ina super – or supra-natural realm. The idealist believes that the universe has anintelligence and a will; that all material things are explainable in terms of a mindstanding behind them.
Historical Retrospect of IdealismPre-Christian Origins: Plato
The origin and development of the Platonic doctrine of Ideas is one of the most effective and fruitful processes in the entire history of western philosophy.Plato was a follower of Socrates, a truly innovative thinker of his time, who didnot record his ideas, but shared them orally through a question and answer approach. Plato presented his ideas in two works: The Republic and Laws. Hebelieved in the importance of searching for truth because truth was perfect andeternal. He wrote about separating the world of ideas from the world of matter.Ideas are constant, but in the world of matter, information and ideas areconstantly changing because of their sensory nature. .The beginnings of the idealist philosophical position are generally attributed toPlato, but may be traced back to the thought of his teacher, Socrates. WilhelmWideband in his book, History of Philosophy, points out the importance of thePlatonic position for future thinkers. Scribd
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Search Explore Liezel Anain 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 theobjects they represent. Nothing exists until the idea of it exists, hence somesupreme power must have conceived of the universe before it came intoexistence. Real objects are the concepts in one's mind, which must be deliveredby the teacher, a kind of mental midwife (see "maieutics" in the Archives). Thiswas the original, philosophical meaning of "idealism," seldom used any moreoutside the philosophy classroom.Etymology: From Greek idea "form, shape" from *weid- also the origin of the "his"in his-tor "wise, learned" underlying English "history." In Latin this root becamevidere "to see" and related words. It is the same root in Sanskrit veda "knowledgeas in the Rig-Veda. The stem entered Germanic as witan "know," seen in ModernGerman wissen "to know" and in English "wisdom" and "twit," a shortened form of Middle English atwite derived from æt "at" +witen "reproach."In short Idealism is a philosophical position which adheres to the view thatnothing exists except as it is and idea in the mind of man, the mind of God, or ina super – or supra-natural realm. The idealist believes that the universe has anintelligence and a will; that all material things are explainable in terms of a mindstanding behind them.
Historical Retrospect of IdealismPre-Christian Origins: Plato
The origin and development of the Platonic doctrine of Ideas is one of the mosteffective and fruitful processes in the entire history of western philosophy.Plato was a follower of Socrates, a truly innovative thinker of his time, who didnot record his ideas, but shared them orally through a question and answer approach. Plato presented his ideas in two works: The Republic and Laws. Hebelieved in the importance of searching for truth because truth was perfect andeternal. He wrote about separating the world of ideas from the world of matter.Ideas are constant, but in the world of matter, information and ideas areconstantly changing because of their sensory nature. .The beginnings of the idealist philosophical position are generally attributed toPlato, but may be traced back to the thought of his teacher, Socrates. WilhelmWideband in his book, History of Philosophy, points out the importance of thePlatonic position for future thinkers. 2. Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century: Berkeley and Hegel
From this movement came the development of the modern idealistic views of Descartes, Berkley, Kant, Hegel and Royce.
Rene Descartes
Modern idealism in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries is largely defined by agroup of philosophers who were writing at the time. In his Discourse on Methodand Meditations on First Philosophy,
Descartes
arrived at his Cartesian firstprincipal “I think, therefore I am.” Descartes decided that he could throw all things into doubt except that he was thinking and doubting. This supports theconcept of idealism because it emphasizes the centrality or importance of themind. Descartes, like Plato and Augustine divided his world into two areas. For Descartes the two areas were the cogito and the Deity Descartes was a truedoubter. He attacked his thought processes by challenging the existence of every idea including his own existence. The one truth that he proved was that indoubting everything he arrived at the consensus that even if one doubted everyissue – the truth that couldn’t be denied was that one was thinking. Thus hisfamous first principle: Cogito, ergo sum, “I think, therefore I am.” (p20) Berkeleychallenged that in order for there to be truth, the mind must acknowledge thattruth.
George Berkeley
Berkley, the author of Principles of Human Knowledge, stated that all existencedepends on some mind to know it; if no minds exist, then nothing exists unless itis perceived by the mind of God. For Descartes a material world did not existindependent of the mind. His philosophical views were greatly influenced by hisreligious beliefs. In his view, there is no existence without perception. However things could be considered to exist in the sense that they were perceived by God.Berkeley has answered an important question on whether a tree falling in thewoods would make a sound if no one was around to hear it. His answer was no,if it was not perceived by God.Berkeley is commonly considered the father of modern idealism. He argues thatwhat we experience does exist in a real physical sense, but only because itexists in the mind. A thing is the sum of our ideas of it. For example, an apple isred, sweet, round, etc. The apple is nothing more or less than the sum of myideas of it. But what if I am not thinking about apples? What if I am thinking about roses, or books, or wine? Does that mean that apples don not exist during thetime my thoughts are focused elsewhere? Common sense would indicate theabsurdity of this position.
Immanuel Kant
In writing his Critique of Pure Reason, and Critique of Practical Reason, Kanttried to make sense of rationalism and empiricism within the idealist philosophy.In his system, individuals could have a valid knowledge of human experience thatwas established by the scientific laws of nature. This was in contrast toBerkeley’s thinking that things are totally dependent on the mind. Kant’sphilosophy of education involved some aspects of character education. Hebelieved in the importance of treating each person as an end and not as ameans. He thought that education should include training in discipline, culture,discretion, and moral training. Teaching children to think and an emphasis onduty toward self and others were also vital points in his philosophies. The desireto grow in ones understanding of being is supported through knowledge. As seen with the Religious idealism movement when Augustine approached the ideathat learning comes from within and that a person is responsible for his learning.These ideas lead Christianity and religious movements having a great effect onthe development of the modern world of education and schools. To support theideas of Christianity essentially means to believe in the Idea of a super power that cannot be seen or touched.His views were influenced by his strong religious beliefs. He held the existenceof God to be the Idea and without belief in God then things would not exist. Kantsupported the idea of human thought as his idealism. He held to the belief thatreal knowledge could be found though teaching a child to think both morally andethically.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Three of Hegel’s most famous books are Phenomenology of Mind, Logic, andPhilosophy of Right. In these readings, Hegel emphasizes three major aspects:logic, nature, and spirit. Hegel maintained that if his logical system were appliedaccurately, one would arrive at the Absolute Idea, which is similar to Plato’sunchanging ideas. Nature was considered to be the opposite of the Absoluteidea. Idea and nature together form the Absolute Spirit which is manifested byhistory, art, religion, and philosophy. Hegel’s idealism is in the search for finalAbsolute Spirit. Examining any one thing required examining or referring toanother thing. Hegel’s thinking is not as prominent as it once was because his system led to the glorification of the state at the expense of individuals. Hegel thought that to be truly educated an individual must pass through various stagesof the cultural evolution of mankind. Additionally he reasoned that it was possible for some individuals to know everything essential in the history of humanity. B .Georg Wilhelm Hegel’s position is an attempt to develop an all embracing philosophical system in to which all events and things can be fit. Since the world is not by any means in an Ideal state, Hegel reasoned it must be part of a dynamic process which moves toward the Ideal. Thus, for Hegel, the universe isone absolute, evolving spiritual unity. The world is in a dynamic state of becoming. Hegel’s position is generally referred to as objective or absoluteidealism.Hegel’s political philosophy places its emphasis on the state. Man is short-lived,but the state is more permanent since it has an existence of its own. Thisglorification of the state, as well as the search for the Ideal State is also seen inthe works of Plato. But Plato and Hegel appear to have influenced GiovanniGentile, the Italian philosopher. It is from Hegel that the doctrine of the individualgaining importance only as he becomes a part of the state draws its strength... much as having students with a broad view and understanding of the world inwhich they live. Idealism emphasizes the role of the teacher, a skillful questioner,who should be a model for the person we want children to become. While thelecture method is still important in an idealist’s education system, it is consideredmore of a way to convey information and to help students comprehend ideas.Self realization and self education are very important in idealism. While teacherscannot always be present when learning occurs, they must attempt to stimulatestudents so that learning occurs even when they are not present. Project basedlearning is on example of a self directed learning activity where learning canoccur without a teacher’s presence.As the curricular emphasis is subject matter of mind: literature, history,philosophy, and religion. Teaching methods focus on handling ideas throughlecture, discussion, and Socratic dialogue (a method of teaching that usesquestioning to help students discover and clarify knowledge). Introspection,intuition, insight, and whole-part logic are used to bring to consciousness theforms or concepts which are latent in the mind. Character is developed throughimitating examples and heroesThe classroom structure and atmosphere should provide the learners withopportunities to think, and to apply the criteria of moral evaluation to concretewithin the context of the subjects. The teaching methods must encourage theacquisition of facts, as well as skill in reflecting on these facts. It is not sufficientto teach pupils how to think. It is very important that what pupils think about befactual; otherwise, they will simply compound their ignorance. Teaching methodsshould encourage learners to enlarge their horizons; stimulate reflective thinking;encourage personal moral choices; provide skills in logical thinking; provideopportunities to apply knowledge to moral and social problems; stimulate interestin the subject content; and encourage learners to accept the values of humancivilization.The methods preferred by the idealists are the logical outgrowth of their acceptance of the doctrine of the primacy of ideas. If experience, as he haveseen, is an inferior of the primacy of ideas. If experience, as we have seen, is aninferior reflection of Reality, the only purpose experience has for the idealist is todistort the Truth. Since the Truth can be reached through the abstract activities of the mind, it is in these that method must lie.Methodology, for the idealists then, consist for the most part of lectures,discussion, and imitation. Learning is an exercise in stretching the mind to itsfullest so that it can absorb and handle ideas. Imitation should be of someexemplary person or persons who by their behavior give evidence that they areclose to the nature of reality.All three methods employed by the idealists are open to criticism. All rely onideas that are already know and allow little or no opportunity for the student to explore new ideas and new areas of interest. Because of this there is a tendencyto reinforce the cultural lag between education and the society.
Criticisms of Idealism
Idealism has been influential in education for a considerable amount of time. It isconsidered a conservative philosophy because of its emphasis in preservingcultural traditions. The strengths of idealism include encouraging thinking andcognition, promoting cultural learning, and providing for character development of students. Teachers are considered valuable parts of the educational process whoshould strive to provide a comprehensive, systematic, and holistic approach tolearning that stresses self realization.Science today has challenged idealism and brought about challenges to idealisticprinciples. Science is based on hypothesis and tentativeness, but idealismpromotes a finished and absolute universe waiting to be discovered. Idealism hasoften been linked with traditional religion. The weakening of religion has led tothe weakening of idealism as a philosophy. Through Plato’s ruler kings, andAugustine’s emphasis on the monastic life, it has been said that idealism leads tointellectual elitism. In the past, education was considered important for the upper classes of society, marking education as a luxury. Vocational and technicalstudies were considered good enough for the general public. Idealistic educationwas considered bookish and lacking relevance. It is argued that the character development aspect of the philosophy involved conformity and subservience onthe part of the learner. This type of character development was considered tostifle creativity and self direction, making students gullible and ready to acceptideas without serious examination.The emphasis on the importance of knowledge and ideas in the idealistphilosophy originally led me to believe that much of my philosophy of educationincluded idealistic tendencies. James Madison’s quote that knowledge is power,which sits front and center on my class webpage, seems to agree with thispremise. Because I believe strongly in project based education as a way to havestudents discover and learn new information, I also began to view the idealism inmy thinking. However, as much as I value these things and continue to believe in the importance of continually gaining knowledge, the fact that I view science andtechnology as a valued part of all education, sets me apart from the philosophy.While the idealist considered science and technical studies good enough for thegeneral public, I consider them an integral part of any education. However I dobelieve in the importance of teaching children to think, for not doing so results inchildren with book learning and no common sense.Critics of the idealist philosophy of education have been vocal and consistent,and there is, indeed, no lack of arguments opposing the position bothphilosophically and educationally. Here then are sex of the most common criticisms of this philosophical school. 1. Sets Unobtainable Goals For the educator who is concerned with having the child reach out and grasp the Ideal there are two significant problems. First, if perfection is unreachable there is very little desire on the part of most to become perfect. For the idealist studen tthe goals are often too far away. Second, the idealists have set up a final goal: to know the Ideal and become part of it. This implies a finite tend and as such means that we have a final end in view. It argues strongly against those who takethe point of view that man is infinitely perfectible.2. Ignores the Physical Self The body cannot be ignored. If we try to ignore the body it soon intrudes itself upon us. We do, whether we like the idea or not, react to and fake into our mind an deal with, on the intellectual level, such question as whether or not we are hot,cold, hungry, tired, happy, or sad. We will often give our greatest thought tochanging or modifying our physical realm, particularly where we are trying to avoid discomfort. In the classroom the teacher who would forget that the studenthas a body as well as a mind will soon be faced with discipline problem asyouthful spirits react to bodily demands. Thus, to try to separate mental activityfrom the physical and to try to place Ideas in a realm unrelated to the existentworld becomes nothing more than an exercise in futility.3. Deemphasizes ExperienceMany ideas cannot have meaning apart from experience. The ideas of heat andcold are not simply logical constructs, but ways of describing certain