Task 4: Reflection on IDEALISM

 1. How is idealism applied in our educational setting today?

IDEALISM is a philosophical doctrine that suggests ideas are the only reality. Meaning, this philosophical view claims that reality resides in the mind alone; mind is the essence of reality and that ideas are the only permanent reality. From these definitions, we can say that idealism gives primary emphasis on the use of the mind, brain, and thinking as the fountain from where ideas are formed. Our educational setting is also influence by this philosophical view. For idealism, curriculum should focus on broad concepts, abstract ones, rather than specific skills. There are some areas of our curriculum that are broad and abstract. These concepts are there to train learners to think and use their cognition.

Idealist education is not concerned primarily with turning out students with occupational and technical skills, rather give them a wider understanding of the world they live. In our educational system, students are trained to think through various methods. One of which is the use of Socratic method in teaching. In this method, teachers answer a question with another question to allow thinking and thought processing. When students are thinking, learning happens. As teachers, we have to let our students think, help them along the way to arrive at the right answers.

 

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2. What are the main features of idealism in education?

In idealism, the aim of education is directed toward the search for true ideas. Idealism also promotes character development because the search for truth demands personal discipline and steadfast character. It also places more emphasis on studies that are non-physical, abstract, and universal over physical and material studies. Idealism also gives more importance to the subjectivist approach to learning as oppose to a more objective one.

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3. Give instances/examples where idealism opposes realism.

a. Idealism is a philosophical doctrine that suggests ideas are the only reality. This contradicts to the view of realism which suggests that material objects are independent of the human mind and thus exist on their own.

b. For idealism, reality resides in the mind while for Realism, reality exist in the sensible world which can be known through experience.

c. Idealist associate reality with the mind and not with material things. For Realists, reality of any material exists in the external world independent of human mind which they call concrete reality.

d. Idealism is more subjective. Realism is more objective.

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