Select Language : English | Hindi | Gujarati
Etymologically, Philosophy is derived from the Greek words "Philos (love)" and "Sophia" (of wisdom), which means "love of wisdom".
Plato in his book "Republic" reflected that 'philosophy is that love of knowledge which makes a man wise and love wisely' and also wrote he who has a taste for every sort of knowledge and who is curious to learn and is not satisfied may be just termed as a philosopher'.
According to Karl Marx,
"Philosophy is the interpretation of the world in order to change it."
According to J.S. Ross,
"Philosophy and education are like the two sides of the same coin; the one is implied by the other; the former is the contemplative side of life, while the latter is the active side."
According to Aristotle,
"Philosophy is a science which discovers the real nature of supernatural elements."
According to Radhakrishnan,
"Philosophy is a view of life. It gives a direction to life, and offers a design for living."
According to Herbert Spencer,
"Philosophy is concerned with everything as a universal science."
Based on the above definitions, it can be analyzed that:
1. Philosophy is born out of special circumstances, specific experiences and situations. Therefore, different persons had different philosophies of life in accordance with the specific situations and circumstances wherein they spent their lives.
2. Philosophy has a deep pursuit for knowledge and it provides shape and analyses the knowledge base of every discipline.
3. Scientific enquiry is the base of philosophy. Science deals with realities of life and nature, i.e., plant, animal, or human. These realities are thebase to generate knowledge and experiences for the child and further to form their philosophy.
4. A philosopher is a person who in one way or the other way search for truth and realities.
5. Human being undergoes with various experiences throughout their life, from birth to death, such experiences provide them with new knowledge and makes the individual a philosopher.
BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY
There are different branches of philosophy which deals with knowledge, reality, values, etc. The various branches of philosophy are discussed below.
METAPHYSICS
Metaphysics is the 'science of what is beyond the physical'. It discusses the ultimate reality which is beyond the physical world. Metaphysics is derived from two words, 'Meta' means 'after" and 'physics' means 'science'. So, 'Metaphysics' is 'after science' which is abstract in nature and may be little spiritual to realize.
Metaphysics can also be understood as a 'theory of reality'; and it involves speculation about the nature of existence.
It provides answers to the following questions:
- Is there a spiritual realm of existence or is reality material?
- What is the origin of the universe?
- Do we create our own purpose or is it inherently purposeful by its own design?
So, metaphysics deals with the nature of reality and accordingly draw conclusions.
EPISTEMOLOGY
Epistemology is defined as 'theory of knowledge'. It is a branch of philosophy which investigates the nature, origin, methods, and processes of acquiring knowledge. In other words, the worthiness and nature of knowledge, methods of acquiring knowledge, etc., fall under epistemology.
So, this branch of philosophy provides answers to important questions, such as:
- How do we know?
- What do we know?
- What processes of knowing?
- Do we base our knowledge of the world and society?
Thus, epistemology addresses the cognitive aspect of the domain.
AXIOLOGY
'Axiology' is another branch of philosophy which is defined as 'theory of principles or values' and deals with the affective domain of knowledge. Its sub-division is aesthetic and ethics. Aesthetic deals with the study of values in the realm of beauty and art; and ethics refer to the philosophical study of moral conduct and values. This branch affects the educational perspectives such as discipline, school environment, student-teacher relationships, etc.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATION
Philosophy is the theoretical part of developing knowledge; and education is the action and practical part to implement that knowledge among the students.
Philosophy determines the aims of human life and education helps in achieving those aims. Both philosophy and education are interdependently related to each other.
According to M. K. Gandhi, "By education I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in the child andman-body, mind and spirit." Education is a life-long process, which initiates the person into the way of life.
According to J.S. Ross,
"Philosophy and education are like the two sides of the same coin; the one is implied by the other; the former is the contemplative side of life, while the latter is the active side".
Philosophy is the thinking process of life and education is the functional part to materialize the thinking process.
Therefore, it is important to understand interrelationship between philosophy and the educational objectives, system, and teaching methods.
PHILOSOPHY AND AIMS OF EDUCATION
Aims of education are related to the aims of life and never go beyond the philosophy of one's life. Thus, when aims or goals of life change, so does changes the aims of education accordingly.
Education prepares the individuals and their related skills to engage themselves in world of work and earn for their livelihood.
PHILOSOPHY AND CURRICULUM
School curriculum links students' life with the courses and content transacted which has a direct link with our societal practices and community expectations.
Thus, as philosophy determines the aims of education, which further determines the curriculum and accordingly school activities and experiences are designed.
PHILOSOPHY AND METHODS OF TEACHING
The idealist school of thought prefers traditional methods such as lecture method' whereas, the naturalist school emphasizes self-study method.
The pragmatic school emphasizes problem- solving, activity, and project methods for teaching.
PHILOSOPHY AND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS AND LEARNERS
A teacher is not only a curriculum imparter but a philosopher in true sense. A teacher directly influences the learners through their knowledge and personality.