PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

A study of philosophy of education seems imperative today, for we are in a critical era of transition. There has always been change but seldom at our present accelerated rate, had creating in many individuals what Alvin Toffler called future shock. It is easy for people either to embrace more and more change with little thought to eventual consequences or to resist change and keep old values no matter what.

   We can say that philosophy of education is the application of philosophical ideas to educational problems. The practice of educational philosophy is not only a way of looking at ideas but of learning how to use ideas in the best way. No intelligent philosophy of education is involved when educators can do things simply because they done in the past. A philosophy of education becomes significant when educators recognize the need to think clearly about what they are doing and to see what they doing in the larger contact of individual and social development.

      Many major philosophers have written about education; probably become education is such an integral part of life that it is difficult to think about not having it. Human are tool making beings but can also be consider education-making beings because has been closely connected with the development of civilization. Thinking about life in general has often been related to education in particular, and education has often been viewed as a way of bringing a better life into existence. This is as true today as it has ever been.

     Education involved with the world of ideas and the world of practical activity –good ideas can lead to good practices, and good practices can lead to good ideas. In order to behave intelligently in the educational process, the educator needs the things philosophy can provide – that is; an understanding of thinking process and the nature of ideas, the language we are to describe education, criticism of cultural and social traditions and perspective on how these may interact with practical affairs. For educators, philosophy is not simply a professional tool but a way of improving the quality and enjoyment of life because it helps us gain a wider and deeper perspective on human existence and the world around us.

    From this argument, it seems a necessity of us to learn, study and practice philosophy through education. So education and philosophy is an integral part which cannot be separated. However, philosophy and education hopefully can create us to be better person in all perspective.

The Classical Philosophy of Education.

1.         Idealism and Education

2.         Realism and Education

3.         Eastern Philosophy, Religion and Education

4.         Pragmatism and Education

5.         Reconstruction and Education

6.         Behaviorism and Education

7.         Existentialism, Phenomenology and education

8.         Analytic Philosophy and Education

9.         Marxism and Education

10.      Philosophy, Education and challenge of Post modernism.