Contents

-Brubacher- .................................................................................................................................................. 2
1) Two forms of the whole world ............................................................................................................... 3
-Home- ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
-Plato- .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
-Rorris-......................................................................................................................................................... 5
-J. S Ross- .................................................................................................................................................... 5
-J. S Ross- .................................................................................................................................................... 5
-H. N Home- ................................................................................................................................................ 6
1. Self-realization or Exhalation of Personality .......................................................................................... 7
-J.S. Ross- .................................................................................................................................................... 8
-RUSK- ........................................................................................................................................................ 8
4. Conservation, Promotion and Transmission of Cultural Heritage .......................................................... 8
5. Conversion of Inborn Nature into Spiritual Nature ................................................................................ 9
6. Preparation of Holy Life........................................................................................................................ 9
7. Development of Intelligence and Rationality ........................................................................................ 9
FROEBEL from-Education of Man- ......................................................................................................... 10
Metaphysics of Idealism ................................................................................................................................ 11
Axiology of Idealism ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Epistemology of Idealism .............................................................................................................................. 12
IDEALISM AS A PHILOSOPHYOF EDUCATION: .................................................................................. 13
 IDEALISM

DEFINITIONS:

Idealism is a term in philosophy that refers to the rejection of the physical reality.

Instead, the proponents of idealism suggest that everything in the universe is either constructed by

the human man or that it is without material substance. To make the meaning of idealism clearer, we

discuss some definitions with refer to well-known scholars of the time.

“Idealism holds ultimate reality is spiritualism.”

-Demuth-

“Realistic philosophy takes many and varied forms but the postulates underlying all this

is that mind and spirit is essential world stuff; that the true reality is the mental character.”

-Jisr’s-

“Idealist point out that it is mind that is central in understanding the world. To them

nothing gives the greater sense of reality then the activity of mind that engaged in trying to

comprehend its world. For anything to give a greater sense of reality would be a contradiction in

terms because to know anything more real than mind would itself be a conception of mind.”

-Brubacher-

HISTOR
Idealism is one of the oldest traditional philosophies begins with Plato who taught his philosophy in

ancient Greek city state of Athens. Plato is the father of idealism, “he believed that, soul fully

fanned prior to birth and is perfect and once with the universal being.”

In 19the century Germany W.F Hegel a university professor lectured to his student about an

unfolding view of history and a total world view based on ideal metaphysics. He believed

that, “as individuals, our minds attuned to or related to the divine mind called Absolute Mind of the

creator.”

In the United States Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David developed an American

variant of idealism called transcendentalism, that emphasis the spirit self-reliant individualism.

GROWTH OF IDEALISM:

Idealism is an old philosophy. Its inception is taken from the very times when a man begins

to thing. In the west, it was born out of writing an oration of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and other

philosophers. In India it was born out of holly script Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads. Since than it is

developing in all countries of world in small or greater measure.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF IDEALISM:

There are following fundamental principles of idealism

1) Two forms of the whole world

2) Ideas are more important than objects

3) Importance of man over nature

4) Faith in spiritual v a l u e s

5) Importance of personality development

6) Full support of principles of unity in diversity

1) Two forms of the whole world:

Idealism believes in two forms of the world

a) Spiritual world

b) Material world

Idealist gives more importance to the spiritual world in comparison to the material world.

They believe that spiritual world is real and ultimate truth whereas the material world is

transitory and mortal.

“Idealism holds the order of world is due to the manifestation in space and time of an

eternal and spirituality.”

-Home-

2) Ideas are more important than objects:

According to idealist knowledge of mind and should be obtained through ideas only. Hence,

they have given more importance to ideas than material things. They think ideas are the

ultimate reality while materials die whether sooner or later.

“Ideas are of the ultimate cosmic significance. They are rather the essence or

archetype that give forms to cosmos. These ideas are eternal and unchanging.”

-Plato-

3) Importance of man over nature:

To idealist man is more important than material nature. This is because man can think and

experience about things, material objects and material phenomenon. The thinker or
 one who experienced is more important than object or the phenomena experienced. Man is

endowed with intelligence and sense of discrimination.

“The spiritual or cultural environment of man’s own making, it is a product of

man’s creative activity.”

-Rorris-

4) Faith in spiritual values:

According to idealist the prime aim of life is to achieve spiritual values. They are Truth,

Beauty and Goodness. These spiritual values are undying and permanent. The realization

of these values is the realization of God. For the achievement of these spiritual values all the

capacities of man are to be harnessed to the full. These capacities are knowing, filling and

willing.

“Goodness, truth and beauty are seen to be absolute each existing in its own rights

and entirely desirable.”

-J. S Ross-

5) Importance of personality development:

Idealist gives much importance to the self-individual. Hence, they insist upon the fullest

development of the personality of an individual. According to them the development of the

personality means achievement of perfection. Plato rightly speaks that everyone has an

ideal self. In short idealism believes in the welfare of whole human community.

“Thus, the Grandeur and worth of human life at its best are emphasis the idealism.

Human personality is of supreme value and constitutes the noblest work of the God.”

-J. S Ross-
 6) Full support of principles of unity in diversity:

Idealist gives full support to principle of unity in diversity. They believe that implicit in all the

diversity is an essential unity. This implicit unifying factor is of spiritual nature. This may be

called universal consciousness or divinity.

“An idealistic philosophy of education, then, is an account of man finding

himself as an integral part of universe mind.”

-H. N Home-

IDEALISM IN EDUCATION:

The credit of introducing idealism in education goes to the Plato, Pestalozzi and Froebel who

are world renounced educators. According to them, idealism pervades all the creations and it is an

undying, unlimited and ultimate force which reigns the supreme over all minds and matters. They all

advocates its great importance in education and lay more emphasis on aims and principles of

education than on methods, aids and devices.

IDEALISM AND AIMS OF EDUCATION:

Regarding Aims of Education Idealists generally agree that education should not only stress

development of the mind but also encourage students to focus on all things of lasting value. Along

with Plato, they believe that the aim of education should be directed toward the

search for true ideas. Another important idealist aim is character development because the search for

truth demands personal discipline and steadfast character. This aim is prevalent in the writings of

Kant, Harris, Horne, Gentile, and others. What they want in society is not just the literate,

knowledgeable person, but the good person as well. Idealists always have stressed the importance of

mind over matter. The important thing for the idealist is to arrive at truth, and
truth cannot be ever-shifting. Some idealists, although not adhering strictly to the Platonic idea that

“Truth is eternal and perfect, do believe that truth is substantial and relatively permanent.” It is

necessary for the individual to have a strong sense of loyalty to the state. Proper character education

would thus develop the attribute of loyalty because an individual without loyalty

would be incomplete. When the teacher acts according to the interests of the state or society, the true

interests of the student are being met. By the same token, a student’s proper role is to abide by the

authority of the teacher.

The following are the aims of education according to the philosophy of education.

1. Self-realization or Exhalation of Personality

2. To ensure Spiritual Development

3. To cultivate Truth, Beauty and Goodness

4. Conservation, Promotion and Transmission of cultural H e r i t a g e

5. Conversion of Inborn Nature into Spiritual Nature

6. Preparation of Holy Life

7. Development of Intelligence and Rationality

1. Self-realization or Exhalation of Personality

According to idealism man is more beautiful creation of the GOD. Hence, the advocates of

idealism lay great stress on the exaltation of the human personality. By exaltation they mean

the self-realization. Self-realization involves the full knowledge of self. Hence, first aim of the

education according to the idealism is to develop the self of the individual higher and higher

till the self-realization is achieved.

 “The aims of education specially associated with idealism is the exhalation of

personality, or self-realization, the making actual or real the highest potentialities of the self.”

-J.S. Ross-

2. To ensure Spiritual Development

Idealists give more importance to the spiritual values in comparison with material

attainments. Thus, according to them, the second aim of education is to develop the child

mentality, morality and above all spiritually. Thus, the teacher should so organizer as to

develop the child spiritually.

“Education must enable mankind through its culture to enter more and more fully into

the spiritual realm and enlarge the boundaries of the spiritual realm.”

-RUSK-

3. To cultivate Truth, Beauty and Goodness

Idealists assert that to develop the spiritual values in the individual, pursuit of highest

ideals namely-Truth, Beauty and Goodness should be encouraged more and more. The more

an individual realize, the more spiritual, he will, become.

4. Conservation, Promotion and Transmission of Cultural Heritage

Man is only endowed with the keen and penetrating intellect, intelligence and an

enormous capacity of assimilating the knowledge of the world. His mental, and intellectual

capacities develop cultural, social and artistic values in human life in all its aspects. Thus, the

fourth aim of the education according to idealism is to acquaint the with cultural heritage so

that he conserves, promotes the transmits it to the rising generation.

5. Conversion of Inborn Nature into Spiritual Nature

Idealist holds the view that the inborn instincts and inherent tendencies of the child

should be sublimated into the spiritual qualities and values. This is the real development of the

individuality. Hence, the fifth aim of education according to idealism is to sublimate the

inborn raw instincts of the child into spiritual qualities.

6. Preparation of Holy Life

Idealists upload that education should create such condition and provide an

environment which are conducive to the development of the spiritual values in the child. A

holy life full of piety and good ideals will lead naturally towards spiritual development and self-

realization. Hence, the sixth aim of education according to idealistic philosophy is to prepare

a child for a holy life.

“The object of education is the realization of a faithful, pure, inviolable and hence holy life.”

-Froebel-

7. Development of Intelligence and Rationality

Adams has defined the education from the point of view of an idealist. According to

him there is a purpose in all objects and natural phenomena. Man can understand the purpose

as well as the plan and organization n. There are sets principles working in this creation.

According to the Adam’s the seventh aim of the education is to develop the intelligence and

rationality of the child. Out of these principles the idealists lay great importance on the

principles of unity in diversity.

“In all things there reigns an eternal law this all-pervading energetic, self- conscious

and hence eternal unity. This unity is GOD. Education should lead and guide man to face with

nature and unity and GOD.”

 FROEBEL from-Education of Man-

PROCESS OF EDUCATION:

STUDENT:

The student is hard working and obedient.

The school suggests perennialism should bring learners to know these truths. Whether the

learner see as relevant the academic content necessary to reveal these truth is an unimportant

consideration.

Student tries to make himself clear in the theoretical aspect through discussion and debate with

the teachers.

The schools are changed with preparing young people for life.

TEACHERS:

The teacher decides what is to be taught, at what time and through what method.

Learners are expected to ingest the content presented to them by teachers and ask few

question. Teachers are perceived to be bears of the wisdom of the countries.

The teachers accordingly must be one who has mastered the discipline, who is the master

teacher in terms of guiding, discussion which will enables the student to deduce the proper

truth and whose character is beyond reproach.

The teacher is to be viewed as an authority in the field whose knowledge and expertise are not

to be questioned.

CURRICULUM:
 School curricula should be the same for all youngsters. critically important are those

subjects that most clearly reveal long standing truth about the human condition.

Idealism is more important attracted to be especially useful in illuminating critically

important insights.

The curriculum of the idealism education would be subject centered and would draw

heavily upon the discipline of literature, mathematics, languages, and the humanities,

including history.

It would be what is commonly termed a ‘liberal education.’

BRANCHES:

There are Three Major Branches of Philosophy

i. Metaphysics - the nature of reality

ii. Axiology - the nature of values

iii. Epistemology - the nature of knowledge

Metaphysics of Idealism

Idealists believed that spiritual nonmaterial world is ultimately real, envision the universe as an

expression of a highly generalized intelligence and will-a universal mind. They understand the

person’s spiritual essence, or soul as the permanent element of the human nature that gives individual

the power to think and feel. The self is the primary reality of individual experience.

The Ultimate reality is self. Ultimate reality may be one or many more. The individual self has all the

freedom. Idealists use two concepts.

 Macrocosm
  Microcosm

Macrocosm refers to the universal mind, the first cause, creator, or GOD. Regardless of

what it is called, the macrocosm mind is the whole existence.

Microcosm, the personal mind or spirit, is a limited and lesser self but nevertheless

spiritual and intellectual like a great being of which it is a part.

Axiology of Idealism

They believe that truth, goodness and beauty exist in the universal and eternal order. Idealists

prescribe values that are unchanging and applicable to all people everywhere. Some subjects like

history, literature, theory and art are rich source of transmitting values because they provide the

contents through which students can encounter worthy models, especially in the classics-the great

works that have endured over time. Values are real existents. Evil is not real existent. The values of

human life are what they are largely because there are individual persons to possess and enjoy them.

The individual person can realize value by actively relating parts and wholes.

Epistemology of Idealism

Idealists epistemology emphasizes the recognition or reminiscence of a priori ideas that are

already lodged deep in our mind and are there before we are conscious of them. The ultimate

knowledge is the knowledge on spirituality. Idealism and critical realism are like in their treatment of

perception to some extent. Some idealists support direct experience of the self.

Surrounding world is important to experience the self. Reality to be a logically unified total

system, a Universal mind

IDEALISM AS A PHILOSOPHYOF EDUCATION:

In general, idealists have shown a great concern for education, and many have written

extensively about it. Plato made education the core of his utopian state in The Republic, and

Augustine also gave extensive attention to the need for Christians to become aware of the importance

of education. Kant and Hegel wrote about education or referred to it a great deal in their writings,

and both made their living as teachers. More recent idealists such as A. Bronson Alcott, William

Torrey Harris, Herman Horne, William Hocking, Giovanni Gentile, and J. Donald Butler have tried

systematically to apply idealist principles to the theory and practice of education. Perhaps one of the

most notable idealist educators in the nineteenth century was Bronson Alcott. An American

transcendentalist whose ideas were a mixture of the philosophies of Plato, Plotinus, Kant, Hegel,

Carlyle, and Emerson, he frequently contributed writings to the transcendentalist periodical The

Dial.

RELIGIOUS IDEALISM:

Idealism has exerted considerable influence on religion. For example, Judaism and

Christianity include many beliefs that fit into idealist thinking. In Judaism and Christianity, the idea

of one God as pure Spirit and the Universal Good can be readily recognized as compatible with this

philosophy. When Alexander the Great spread Greek culture around the Mediterranean world,

there was also a proliferation of Greek schools, which contributed to the spread of Greek (Hellenistic)

philosophical ideas, including idealism. Many writers of the New Testament were also influenced by

Greek culture and philosophy and incorporated ideas of these into their own thinking. Paul, who wrote

a considerable portion of the New Testament, was born Saul of Tarsus when Tarsus was a city

heavily influenced by Hellenistic culture and thought; one can find a great deal of idealism in Paul’s

writings, stemming from both Jewish and Greek

traditions. Likewise, Muhammad and Islamic thought also reflect Greek ideas with idealistic

implications.