Foundations of

Education
Semester#1
By: SALEHA KHAN
M.Phil. Education Policy &
Development
Lecture # 2
Lecture # 2 Outline
1. What is Philosophy?
2. Origin and History of Philosophy
3. Definition of Philosophy
4. Study of Philosophy
5. Branches of Philosophy
a) Metaphysical
b) Epistemology
c) Axiology
d) Aesthetics
e) Ethics
6. Educational Philosophy
7. Relationship between Philosophy & Education
1. What is Philosophy?
 Philosophy is about:
 Finding answers to serious questions about
ourselves and about the world we live in:
 What is morally right and wrong? And why?
 What is a good life?
 Does God exist?
 Why is there evil in the world?
 Can miracles happen?
 Is there life after death?
 …and much, much more

 Questioning existing knowledge and intuitions to

get closer to the truth
2. Origin and History of
Philosophy
 “Philien/ Philo”= love +
“Sophia/Sophos”= wisdom
 Literal Meaning: “love for
wisdom”
 The term was probably
coined by Pythagoras.

 What is wisdom?
o Knowledge about universe
(Pythagoras)
3. Definition of Philosophy
 Philosophy – Rational attempt of
understanding the facts of the world outside.
 Philosophy refers to knowledge concerned
with the discovery of truth.
 Philosophy is to formulate, understand, and
answer fundamental questions.
 Philosophy is an endeavor of discovering the
secrets of the universe in an integrated
manner.
4. Study of Philosophy
 Philosophy is the general study of values, ethics,
logical thinking and theoretical speculation about
the nature or reality and reason.
 Philosophy is the study of knowledge, reality and
human nature.
 Philosophy is the study of clarifying our ideas in the
light of wisdom.

 Philosophy searches for knowledge through:

 Questions
 Search for fundamental and abstract truth
5. BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
 There are 5 main branches of Philosophy:
1. Epistemology
2. Metaphysics
3. Axiology
4. Aesthetics
5. Ethics
a). Epistemology
 Epistemology is the study of
“KNOWLEDGE”. It deals with the process
by which we can know that something is
TRUE.
 It addresses questions such as:
 What is knowledge?
 What is difference between knowledge
and opinion?
b). Metaphysics
 Metaphysics is the study of “REALITY”
 More specifically it is the study of reality that is
beyond the scientific or mathematical
 realms.
 The term “metaphysics” itself literally means
“beyond the physical.”
 The metaphysical issues most discussed are:
 the existence of God,
 the soul
 the afterlife.
c). Axiology
 Axiology is the study of VALUES and how those
values come about in a society.
 It may be used as the collective term for ethics
and aesthetics—philosophical fields that depend
crucially on notions of ‘value’.
 Axiology is very much concerned with values.
 Axiology tells people about the good and evil.
 It addresses questions such as:
 What is value?
 What is good?
 Are values permanent or temporary?
d). Aesthetics
Aesthetics is the study of art and beauty. It
attempts to address such issues as:
 What is art?
 What is the relationship between beauty
and art?
 Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?
e) Ethics
Ethics is the study of moral value, right and
wrong. Ethics is involved with placing value
to personal actions, decisions, and relations.
Important ethical issues today include
abortion, sexual morality, the death penalty,
pornography, and the environment.
6. Philosophy of Education
 Philosophy of Education is the Study of
purpose, process, nature and ideals of
Education.
 Philosophy of education is concerned
with the solution of problems within the
educational settings.
 When general philosophy generates
bonds with educational activities, it turns
into Philosophy of education.
 7. Relationship between
Philosophy & Education
 Philosophy & Aims of Education: Education in every
society is directed for specific aims and objectives.
That aims and objectives are set by a philosophical
approach. For example the aims of our education
system are to develop socially and morally sound
person.
 Philisophy & Curriculum: Every educational system is
based upon specific teaching methodologies and
the curriculum. What should be the teaching
methodology? And what kind of teacher should
be? And what kind of curriculum be taught to the
students? All the answers are given by philosophy.
Here, education is dependent on philosophy for
guidance in various of areas.
Relationship between
Philosophy & Education (Cont.)
 PHILOSOPHY AND METHODS OF TEACHING
Effective teaching is essential for education
students. A teaching method comprises the
principles and methods used by teachers to
enable student learning. These strategies are
determined partly on subject matter to be
taught and partly by the nature of the learner.
 PHILOSOPHY AND ROLE OF TEACHER
philosophers of education aim to assist teachers
in clarifying their beliefs about teaching in
general.
Relationship between
Philosophy & Education (Cont.)
 PHILOSOPHY AND EVALUATION
priority for evaluation is learning rather than
finding definitive measures of attribution
ASSIGNMENT
FIND OUT ALL THE NEWS
REGARDING
EDUCATION IN
DIFFERENT NEWSPAPERS
THIS WEEK AND PASTE IT
ON A PAPER.