Kulliyah of Education

International Islamic University of Malaysia

(EDF 1001)

PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS

PREPARED BY :
MUHAMMAD AIMAN BIN A.RASHID 1621339
LUQMANULHAKIM MOHD NAZRI 1621155
MUHAMMAD AMIRUL HUSNI BIN JASMI 1620641

INSTRUCTOR :
Assoc Prof Dr Mohamad Johdi Salleh

The Definition of Philosophy

 Philosophy (from Greek , philosophia, literally "love of
wisdom") is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning
matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and
language. We can say that philosophy is an activity of thinking.
Traditionally, the term "philosophy" referred to any body of knowledge. In
this sense, philosophy is closely related to religion, mathematics, natural
science, education and politics. Newton's 1687 "Mathematical Principles of
Natural Philosophy" is classified in the 2000s as a book of physics; he used
the term "natural philosophy" because it used to encompass disciplines
that later became associated with sciences such as astronomy, medicine
and physics.

From the western perspectives, Aristotle said that Philosophy is

knowledge which covers the truth that contains physical skills, logics,
rhetoric, ethics, economics, political and aesthetics. While Plato stated
that Philosophy is knowledge that encourage to obtain the truth which is
genuine and noble. It studies on the reasons and fundamentals of the final
results of something.

From Islamic perspective, philosophy means hikmah. Hikmah (also

Hikmat, Arabic: , ikma, literally wisdom, philosophy; rationale,
underlying reason) is a concept in Islamic philosophy and law. Quran
mentioned the words of hikmah in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 269.

He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom
has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except
those of understanding.

According to Al-Farabi: philosophy is the science of the nature and

purpose of investigating the truths. In the light of the Qur'an and Hadith in
both of which the term hikmah has been used, Muslim authorities
belonging to different schools of thought have sought over the ages to
define the meaning of hikmah as well as falsafah, a term which entered
Arabic through the Greek translations of the second/eighth and third/ninth
centuries.

On the one hand what is called philosophy in English must be

sought in the context of Islamic civilization not only in the various schools
of Islamic philosophy but also in schools bearing other names, especially
kalam, ma`rifah, usul al-fiqh as well as the awa'il sciences, not to speak of
such subjects as grammar and history which developed particular
branches of philosophy.

On the other hand each school of thought sought to define what is

meant by hikmah or falsafah according to its own perspective and this
question has remained an important concern of various schools of Islamic
thought especially as far as the schools of Islamic philosophy are
concerned.

To make it short, philosophy studies the general and fundamental

nature of existence, knowledge, values, reasons, mind, language. It is also
related with a branch of knowledge in understanding the process of
human thinking. So, philosophy is a process of thinking to understand the
fundamental truths, the world where they live and their relationship. Ayn
Rand, a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and
screenwriter said :

.In the realm of cognition, the special science are the trees, but
philosophy is the soil which makes the forest possible.

The Development of Philosophy

Philosophy evolved in the Western through three major eras which

were ancient philosophy (Greco-Roman), medieval philosophy and modern
philosophy.

In ancient philosophy period which also called as the Greco-Roman

era, was mainly dominated by Greek philosophical schools such as
Platonic Academy whose founder was Plato (Socratess student) and also
Aristotle (Platos student) who founded the Peripatetic school. These two
were the most influential and powerful thinkers throughout this era. The
main concerns during this time were metaphysics, cosmology, nature of
the well-lived (eudaimonia), possibility of knowledge and nature of
reason. Greek philosophy was also being discussed by the Romans such
as Seneca and Cicero when the Roman Empire rose up.

Next is the medieval philosophy period which developed around 5th

to 16th Century after the fall of the Roman Empire. In this period, the
philosophy was prevailed by the Christianity. Therefore, it reflected Judeo-
Christian theological concerns, and at the same time retaining a continuity
with Greco-Roman thoughts. Existence and nature of God, nature of faith
and reason, metaphysics as well as problem of evil were the topics
covered during this era. The medieval philosophers were St. Augustine,
Thomas Aquinas, Boethius, Anselm and Roger Bacon. As religion was also
the main concern in philosophy, these people viewed philosophy as an aid
to theology and hence their interpretation of the philosophy were along
with sacred scripture. The development of Scholasticism, a text critical
method based on close reading and disputation on the key texts which
developed in medieval universities, also occurred in this period. Apart
from that, the emergence of the Renaissance where the classic Greco-
Roman thought and on a robust humanism were increasingly discussed in
this era.

Last but not least, the early modern era started with two
philosophers which were Thomas Hobbes and Ren Descartes. With the
arising of the natural science, traditional structure of authorities, for
example, religion was being kept away and demolished. This also include
the scholastic thought and the Church. Modern philosophy is the period
which concerns with developing a secular and rational for knowledge.
Wider movement was made in 19th Century termed as the Enlightenment
and featuring great scholars such as Karl Marx who introduced the
Communism, Hegel a key figure in German idealism and the American
William James. In the next century, there is a split between analytic
philosophy and continental philosophy.

The development of philosophy also took place from the Islamic

perspective. Islam is a comprehensive religion. Hence, Islam interprets
philosophy as a systematic investigation of problems which connected
with life, the universe, ethics and society. The ontogenesis of philosophy in
Islam began in the 2nd Century AH (early 9th Century CE), and lasted until
the 6th Century AH (late 12th Century CE) which remarked as the Islamic
Golden Age. The philosophy started with al-Kindi and ended with Averroes
(Ibn Rushd). As a result of the death of Averroes, the growth of philosophy
seemed to decline significantly. However, it persisted for much longer in
the Eastern countries such as Persia and India. There were two terms
being discussed separately which were Kalam and Falsafa. Kalam is mainly
dealt with the Islamic theological questions whereas Falsafa carries the
meaning of the interpretations of Aristotelianism and Neoplatonism. There
were some Muslim philosophers-theologians such as Avicenna (Ibn Sina)
who found the school of Avicennism and Averroes (Ibn Rushd) who found
the school of Averroism, were attempting to harmonize both trends.

3 Major Western Philosophy School

There are many types of philosophy. They were Western Philosophy
which is the main proponent, Eastern Philosophy and Islamic Philosophy.
But the Western Philosophy is chose as the main sources of research.
Western Philosophy is divided into 3 major divisions which were idealism,
realism and pragmatism.

First and foremost is idealism. What is idealism? Idealism is the

practice of forming or pursuing ideals, especially unrealistically. Any of
various systems of thoughts in which the objects of knowledge are held to
be in some way dependant on the act of mind is also idealism. For
example, a student tries to figure out a solution on how he can solve the
mathematical problem. He can thick, whether to divide, multiply, add or
subtract in order to find the correct answer.
 There are a few leaders of idealism who contribute a lot in the
forming of this type of philosophy. They are Socrates (469-399BC), Plato
(427-347BC), St. Augustine (350-4300), Descartes (1596-1650), Berkeley
(1685-1753) and Kant (1724-1804). Socrates is regarded as the father of
philosophy as he was the first, main character to stick in this kind of field.
He believed that we learned through questioning which called as the
Socratic Method. He did write nothing about his views. Yet, what we know
of his views was written by his followers, most notably Plato. Plato was a
student of Socrates. He was known as the father of idealism. He operated
a school named the 'Academy'. He stated that the state must take an
active role in educational matters. The curriculum must lead bright
students from a concern data toward abstract thinking. The students with
little ability for abstraction should go into military, business and industry
as they cannot contribute in the field of thinking and philosophy. Next is
Augustine who encouraged the use of summaries. He believed that
teachers should teach through persuasion and by leading perfect lives.
Teachers should not expect to include their worldly stores through
teaching. The 'stick' and 'fist' were needed to keep students in line since
people were wicked because of Prophet Adam.

Then, the education aim of idealism is to develop the mind of the

thinkers. Idealism is to be used to search for true ideas which can benefit
others and it also can develop our character to a higher level. Apart from
that, it aims for self-realization which realises people about who they are.
The true education is concerned with ideas rather than matter so that
people can live with honesty in their daily life. Lastly, the idealist wants to
give students a broad understanding of the world in which they live.

Second division in Western Philosophy School is realism. What is

realism? Realism is the attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is
and being prepared to deal with it accordingly. It is also the quality or fact
of representing a person, thing or situation accurately or in a way that is
true to life. The doctrine that matter as the subject of perception has real
existence and is neither reducible to universal mind or spirit nor
dependant on a perceiving agent. For example, a student realise that he is
a huge problem in which he did not finished his homework, so he need to
face it by finishing them.

There are a few leaders of realism who contribute a lot in this kind of
field. They are Aristotle (384-322BC), Thomas Aquinos (1225-1274),
Francis Bacon (1561-1626) and John Locks (1632-1704). One of the
famous quotes from Aristotle is, 'educating the mind without educating
the heart is no education at all'.

Third and the last division of Western Philosophy is pragmatism.

What is pragmatism? Pragmatism is a pragmatic attitude or policy. It is
also an approach that assesses the truth of meaning of theories of beliefs
in terms of the success of their practical application. The leaders of
pragmatism who contribute a lot in their respective field are Auguste
Conte (1798-1857). He was not a pragmatist but he emphasized using
science to solve social problems. Apart from that, Charles Darwin (1809-
1882) stated that reality is not found in 'being', but in 'becoming'. He also
stated that reality is open-ended, in process, with no fixed end.

Pragmatism and education, both are related to each other. It is

stated that education should be prepared for life. Problem solving is
important, therefore we must use real life situation to solve it. Then,
teaching methods should be varied and flexible with time and conditions.
Education also should be oriented actionly not verbally only. The needs
and interests of students should be considered as they still developing.
Teachers must vary the curriculum and a broad education is more
desirable in this current era.

Major Philosophies of Education in US

 Philosophy of education may be defined as the application of the
fundamental principles of a philosophy of life to the work of education. It
offers a definite set of principles and establishes a definite set of aims and
objectives. Every nation and country has their own principle of education.
But the main source is in United State. Major Philosophies of Education in
US is divided into five categories that are essentialism, perennialism,
progressivism, social reconstructionism and existentialism.

First and foremost is essentialism. It focuses on teaching the

essential elements of academic and moral knowledge which are the basic
needs of students and teachers. They believe that teachers should embed
traditional moral values and virtues because intellectual knowledge
student need to be a model citizens. It is also acts as a supplement so
that the students could be useful towards themselves, family, friends,
society and country.

Next is perennialism. It focuses on the universal truths that have

withstood the test of time. Perennialists urge students to read the Great
Books and develop their understanding of the philosophical concepts that
underlie human knowledge. The Great Books are divided into chapters in
which the total numbers of books are more than ten.

Then the third major Philosophies of Education in US is

progressivism. It based largely on the belief that lessons must be relevant
to the students in order for them to learn. The curriculum of progressivist
school is built based on the personal experiences, interests and needs of
the students. They implemented active learning towards students such as
experimentation and discovery learning rather than massive learning.

Fourth is social recontructionism. It is separated from progressivism

because they desired more direct and immediate attention to societal ills.
Their interested are to combining study and social action. For example,
study group session. They believe that education can and should go hand
in hand to prevent social problems. For example, students gather in a
group consists of at least two or three students and they discuss about
their studies.
 Last but not least, the other major Philosophies of Education in US is
the existentialism. It derived from a powerful belief in human free will and
the need for individuals in shaping their own futures. Existentialists
students control their own education and they are encouraged to
understand and appreciate their own uniqueness.

What is the relation of these philosophies to the school practices?

First and foremost, essentialism and perennialism, both give

teachers the power to choose the curriculum. They can choose whether to
make a class session in the classroom or outside the classroom. They can
organize activities such as school day or construct any classroom
activities which they think related to studies.

Next are progressivism, social reconstructionism and existentialism.

They view the learners as the central focus of the classroom activities.
Teachers serve as guides and facilitators to the students. It is actually the
typo of teaching method whish was already implemented in nowadays
schools.

Divisions of Philosophy

Philosophy can be divided into five elements which are

epistemology, metaphysics, axiology and logics. The first one is the
epistemology which means the theory of knowledge. This is because it is
derived from the two Greek words which are episteme (knowledge) and
logos (theory of). To understand what epistemology is, is by looking at the
terms of two key questions; a) What is knowledge? and b) How do you
human beings acquire knowledge?. Epistemology deals with questions
which involves analyses of such concepts as belief, truth, and justification.

Metaphysics, which also known as ontology (reality), cosmology (the

universe), theology (God), is derived from the two Greek words which are
meta (after or beyond) and phusis (nature). It is a study which explains
the nature of being and the world (beyond nature). Moreover, it also deals
with the nature of reality which is beyond physical world. Next, the Greek
words axia (value) and logos (study of) form the term axiology. Literally, it
means the study of theory of value and quality.

Axiology can be divided into two parts which are ethics and
aesthetics. What is good, bad, right, wrong, true and false are the
examples of ethics, which also known as moral philosophy. Meanwhile,
aesthetics includes the philosophy of art (beauty or sensor) such as taste,
or anything related to art, and judgment. Last division of philosophy is the
logics. Logics is to study the principles of valid inference and correct
reasoning. For examples, deductive and inductive reasoning; formal and
informal, and symbolic logics. As mentioned before, logics, basically, there
are two main concerns fall under logics.

First, inductive logic. Inductive logic starts from the biggest part to
the smallest one, or it is called as top-down approach. Theory is the first
step, which is a more general, where we come up with a theory about the
subject of our interest. Then, we go to more specific where we provide a
hypothesis we can test on. After that, we narrow down even further when
we make observations in order to address the hypothesis. This will lead us
to our final step which is the confirmation where we are able to test the
hypothesis with specific data. Conversely, deductive logic works the other
way around. We begin with an observation, then proceeds to pattern,
formulate hypotheses and at the end we develop some general
conclusions or theories. This is also called as bottom-up approach.

Definition of Education

Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of

knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Educational methods include
storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed research.
Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators, but
learners may also educate themselves. Education can take place in formal
or informal settings and any experience that has a formative effect on the
way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. The
methodology of teaching is called pedagogy.

Education also can be defined as the act or process of imparting or

acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and
judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for
mature life. We can also say that education is a process of learning and
teaching the young the knowledge and skills necessary for adult life.

Philosophy of Education

Philosophy of education can refer either to the application of

philosophy to the problem of education, examining definitions, goals and
chains of meaning used in education by teachers, administrators and
policymakers. In short, philosophy of education may be defined as the
application of the fundamental principles of a philosophy of life to the
work of education.

Philosophy of education offers a definite set of principles and

establishes a definite set of aims and objectives. It can also be understood
not as an academic discipline but as a normative educational theory that
unifies pedagogy, curriculum, learning theory, and the purpose of
education and is grounded in specific metaphysical, epistemological, and
axiological assumptions. These theories are also called educational
philosophies. For example, a teacher might be said to follow a perennialist
educational philosophy or to follow a perennialist philosophy of education.

Factors Affecting Philosophy of Education

There are few factors affecting the philosophy of education. They

are the existing knowledge, social ideas of the society (herd mentality),
interaction of influential groups, personal experiences, visual of education
leaders and individual temperament.

Functions of Philosophies of Education

 Philosophy of education performs various functions. First,
determining the aims of education. Philosophy of education provides
original ideas regarding all aspects of education particularly educational
aims. It is said that educational philosophy gives different views, but this
situation is not harmful, rather it helps in providing education according to
the need of society. The difference in view of philosophy of education
reflects the multiplicity and diversities of human life. Philosophy of
education guides the process of education by suggesting suitable aims
from the diversities of life and selecting the means accordingly.

Second, harmonizing old and new traditions in the field of education.

In the process of social development the old traditions become outdated
for the people. They are replaced by the new traditions. But this process
of replacement is not always smooth. It is faced with lots of opposition
from certain orthodox sections of the society. At the same time it must be
kept in mind that every 'old' is not outdated and every 'new' is not
perfect. Therefore, there is a need of co-coordinating the two in order to
maintain the harmony between both. This function can be performed by
philosophy of education.

Next, providing the educational planners, administrators and

educators with the progressive vision to achieve educational
development. Spencer has rightly pointed that only a true philosopher can
give a practical shape to education. Philosophy of education provides the
educational planners, administrators and educators with the right vision
which guides them to attain the educational goals efficiently.

The last function is preparing the young generation to face the

challenges of the modern time. Social commentators have given many
labels to the present period of history for some it is the information age
and for others it is postmodernity, later modernity, high modernity or even
the age of uncertainty. One more addition to this list may be that present
age is an age of Globalization as a phenomenon arrived on the economic
scene in the 1990 in India. This watchword has had its implications in the
social political, economic fabric of the country of which education is a
part. Philosophy of education is a guiding, steering and liberating force
that helps young people to and society at large to face the challenges of
the modern time.

Tools for doing Philosophy

Some common features of the methods that philosophers follow

(and discuss when discussing philosophical method) include methodic
doubt, argument and dialectic.

First, methodic doubt is a systematic process of being skeptical

about (or doubting) the truth of one's beliefs. Plato said that "philosophy
begins in wonder", a view which is echoed by Aristotle: "It was their
wonder, astonishment, that first led men to philosophize and still leads
them." Philosophizing may begin with some simple doubts about accepted
beliefs. The initial impulse to philosophize may arise from suspicion, for
example that we do not fully understand, and have not fully justified, even
our most basic beliefs about the world.

Then, we formulate questions and problems. Another element of

philosophical method is to formulate questions to be answered or
problems to be solved. The working assumption is that the more clearly
the question or problem is stated, the easier it is to identify critical issues.
A relatively small number of major philosophers prefer not to be quick, but
to spend more time trying to get extremely clear on what the problem is
all about.

Second tool is argument. It carries the meaning of an argument or

several arguments supporting the solution. A solution must be enunciated
through argument.

Another approach is to enunciate a theory, or to offer a definition or

analysis, which constitutes an attempt to solve a philosophical problem.
Sometimes a philosophical theory by itself can be stated quite briefly. All
the supporting philosophical text is offered by way of hedging,
explanation, and argument.
 Not all proposed solutions to philosophical problems consist of
definitions or generalizations. Sometimes what is called for is a certain
sort of explanation not a causal explanation, but an explanation for
example of how two different views, which seem to be contrary to one
another, can be held at the same time, consistently. One can call this a
philosophical explanation.

Lastly, dialectic ; present the solution and arguments for criticism by

other philosophers, and help them judge their own. An argument is a set
of statements, one of which (the conclusion), it is said or implied, follows
from the others (the premises). One might think of arguments as bundles
of reasons often not just a list, but logically interconnected statements
followed by the claim they are reasons for. The reasons are the
premises, the claim they support is the conclusion; together they make an
argument.

Philosophical arguments and justifications are another important

part of philosophical method. It is rare to find a philosopher, particularly in
the Western philosophical tradition, who lacks many arguments.
Philosophers are, or at least are expected to be, very good at giving
arguments. They constantly demand and offer arguments for different
claims they make. This therefore indicates that philosophy is a quest for
arguments.

A good argument a clear, organized, and sound statement of

reasons may ultimately cure the original doubts that motivated us to
take up philosophy. If one is willing to be satisfied without any good
supporting reasons, then a Western philosophical approach may not be
what one actually requires.
Positive and Negative Effects of Different Philosophies

There are pros as well as cons of having these contradistinctive of

philosophies. By having different philosophies, we have multiple solutions
and also teaches us to approach problems from a number of various
perspectives. Furthermore, our critical thinking skills will be improved and
have a better reasoning. This will lead us to think more critically and
logically. The diversity of the philosophy will benefit the students
spiritually, intellectually and morally.

However, there are some of the bad impacts when we have many
kinds of philosophy. First, people will believe in wrong conclusions as not
all philosophies or theories are eligible to be applied for certain
circumstances. Besides that, a person might be feeling superior to the
others and be ignorant when his ideas are put in the higher place. Next,
the abundance will lead to blind certainty as the theories of the
philosophers can be both true and false as it is from their own reasoning.
While people apply the philosophy in their lives, they will be narrow-
minded generation as there is a possibility of lacking in generating new
ideas.

One of the suggestions is the philosophy of education is the starting

point to the real world and also it can act as a guidance in our life. In the
Holy Quran, it has been mentioned by Allah SWT, as referred to Surah al-
Alaq verse 1 which clarifies the purpose of education for our life.

Read (Proclaim)! In the name of your Lord who created (everything)

Besides that, our (teachers) philosophy of education is reflected

upon our dealing with the students, administrators and parents. In fact,
always take Rasulullah PBUH as the best role model for us. Last but not
least, our attitude towards problems and life as whole has an underlying
philosophy.
Conclusion

In conclusion, philosophy inquiry is a central element in the

intellectual history of many civilizations such as the Empire Roman, the
Islam Golden Age and more. There are distinct fields covered in
philosophy, for example, metaphysics and logics. Besides that, one
particular subject is not necessarily discussed by only one philosopher. As
for example, the subject of doing work has been discussed by five
different scholars/philosophers from different background (Middle East,
Western, Islam, East Asia, Indian). Furthermore, philosophy of education
acts as a guidance in constructing a better Malaysian education system.
Last but not least, always be aware that there is no right or wrong in
philosophy as all the ideas and theories are come from individual
perspectives and reasoning where every person has different angle of
views.
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