PHILOSOPHIC INVENTORY

FOR ROBERT SMITH EDU 201-1001

PHILOSOPHIC INVENTORY RESULTS

Essentialism

13

Behaviorism

10

Progressivism

18

Existentialism

25

Perennialism

20

Reconstructionism

15

Results

Essentialism
Perennialism

Behaviorism
Progressivism

Existentialism
Reconstructionism

EXISTENTIALISM
THE EXISTENTIALIST MOVEMENT IN EDUCATION IS BASED ON AN INTELLECTUAL ATTITUDE THAT
PHILOSOPHERS TERM EXISTENTIALISM.
EXISTENTIALISM REJECTS THE EXISTENCE OF ANY SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE, AUTHORITATIVE TRUTH ABOUT
METAPHYSICS, EPISTEMOLOGY, AND ETHICS. INSTEAD, INDIVIDUALS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
DETERMINING FOR THEMSELVES WHAT IS "TRUE" OR "FALSE," "RIGHT" OR "WRONG," "BEAUTIFUL" OR
"UGLY." FOR THE EXISTENTIALIST, THERE EXISTS NO UNIVERSAL FORM OF HUMAN NATURE; EACH OF US
HAS THE FREE WILL TO DEVELOP AS WE SEE FIT.
THE TEACHER'S ROLE IS TO HELP STUDENTS DEFINE THEIR OWN ESSENCE BY EXPOSING THEM TO
VARIOUS PATHS THEY MAY TAKE IN LIFE AND CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY MAY FREELY
CHOOSE THEIR OWN PREFERRED WAY. SINCE FEELING IS NOT DIVORCED FROM REASON IN DECISION
MAKING, THE EXISTENTIALIST DEMANDS THE EDUCATION OF THE WHOLE PERSON, NOT JUST THE MIND.

EXISTENTIALISM AND BEHAVIORISM

EXISTENTIALISM SUITS ME BEST BECAUSE I HAVE WHAT I LIKE
TO BELIEVE IS AN OPEN AND ENLIGHTENED MIND. I HAVE
ALWAYS BEEN A LEADER OF LOGIC. THIS DOESNT REALLY
SURPRISE ME AT ALL BECAUSE ALL OF MY LIFE I HAVE LIVED
IN THE GRAY AREA WITH THE BELIEF THAT EVERYTHING IS
A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE. FOR EXAMPLE WHILE YOU
LOSING YOUR JOB MAY BE BAD FOR YOU, IT WOULD LIKELY BE
GOOD FOR SOMEONE WHOS BEEN WAITING ALL OF THEIR
LIFE FOR YOUR JOB. AN EVEN MORE COMPLICATED EXAMPLE
TO THIS, HOWEVER, IS IN TIMES OF LIFE OR DEATH THERE IS
NO RIGHT OR WRONG. THERE IS ONLY LIFE OR DEATH.
MEANING THAT WHEN THERE IS A FIGHT BETWEEN YOU AND
ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, REGARDLESS OF HOW IT BEGAN, IF A
GUN IS INVOLVED WHO WOULD YOU RATHER BE? THE
PERSON IN FRONT OF THE GUN OR THE ONE BEHIND IT?

BEHAVIORISM IS OBVIOUSLY THE WEAKEST FOR ME

BECAUSE I DONT NOW, NOR HAVE I EVER BELIEVED
WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, I DIDNT HAVE A CHOICE.
EVERYONE HAS A CHOICE, IT MAY BE BETWEEN TWO
REALLY CRAPPY CHOICES BUT STILL YOU HAVE A CHOICE.
FURTHERMORE I BELIEVE THAT BEHAVIORISM MAY JUST
HELP CONTINUED IGNORANCE OF PEOPLE. I WILL DO
EVERYTHING PERSONALLY IN MY POWER TO MAKE SURE
THAT I PRODUCE LEADERS, NOT SHEEP, AND NOT PEOPLE
THAT THINK THAT THEY ARE LIMITED BY THEIR OWN
CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ONLY LIMITS THAT WE HAVE ARE
THOSE THAT WE PLACE UPON OURSELVES. DONT LIKE
YOUR CHOICES? THEN OPEN YOUR MIND AND CREATE A
NEW CHOICE.