Chapter 1: Introduction

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Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to:

 define what is philosophy
 identify the branches of philosophy
 explain the importance of studying philosophy
 explain what is philosophy of education
 relate the Malaysian Philosophy of Education to educational practice

Chapter 1:
Introduction

Chapter 2:
Chapter Overview Early Perspectives on Curriculum

1.1 What is philosophy? Chapter 3:

1.2 Branches of philosophy Confucius & Mencius
1.3 Why study philosophy?
Chapter 4:
1.4 What is the philosophy of Al-Farabi & Ibnu Sina
education?
1.5 Malaysian Philosophy of Chapter 5:
Education Socrates, Plato & Aristotle

Summary Chapter 6:
Key Terms Jean Rousseau, John Locke & Frederick Froebel
References
Chapter 7:
Paulo Freire & Ivan Illich

Chapter 8:
Rabindranath Tagore & Vivekananda

Chapter 9:
21st Century Skills

This chapter discusses what is philosophy and the branches of philosophy such as
metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and logic. In each of these branches of philosophy,
philosophers ask different questions; but on many issues there is overlap in the branches
of philosophy. Also discussed are the benefits of studying philosophy and its
relationship to many different job types and careers. The final part of the chapter
discusses briefly philosophy of education and areas of concern of individuals explore in
educational philosophy.
Chapter 1: Introduction 2

1.1 What is Philosophy?

Most people find it difficult to define it what is philosophy as there is no

single definition that can be readily accepted without some controversy. Perhaps that
is why it is called philosophy! The word “philosophy” means “love of wisdom” which
comes from the Greek word philos meaning friendship or love) and sophia meaning
wisdom. Some people say philosophy is too abstract and even controversial.
Philosophers themselves can't agree on any answer. Sure, the name "philosophy"
means "love of wisdom", but what's that? There has been a long and glorious history
of people called philosophers, but they talk about all kinds of topics in all kinds of
ways. It is not clear what, if anything, they have in common that makes them all
philosophers. The following are some dictionary definitions”

 Dictionary.com defines philosophy as the rational

investigation of the truths and principles of being,
knowledge, or conduct.

 American Heritage Dictionary defines philosophy

as the investigation of the nature, causes, or
principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on
logical reasoning rather than empirical methods.

 Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines philosophy as

the analysis of the grounds of and concepts
expressing fundamental beliefs such as reality and values.

According to Professor Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (2008) philosophy asks the

question “How it all fits together”?. For example, if you want to learn about the
human body, take a course in physics or biology. If you want to learn about the
human mind, take a course in psychology. But if you want to learn about how the
mind and body are related, or how biology is related to psychology, then philosophy
is for you!

It has been remarked that you can study

anything under the name of philosophy. Philosophy Philosophic study means
encompasses many subfields such as philosophy of the habit of always seeing
law, of economics, of biology, of physics, of an alternative.
mathematics, of psychology, of art, of music, of -William James
literature, and so on. Any and all of these topics can
be studied in a philosophical way when one asks how they are related to each other in
an overall world view.
Chapter 1: Introduction 3

Generally, philosophers deal with

speculative issues that are not subject to
All men by nature desire to know... investigation through experimental tests.
It is owing to their wonder that men Hence, philosophy is more conceptual than
both now begin and at first began to science. However, like scientists,
philosophize. philosophers formulate hypotheses which
-Aristotle they attempt to answer though reasoning
and evidence. This differentiates philosophy
from poetry and mysticism, despite it not being a science.

There is an attempt to divide philosophy according to geographical region. The

broadest classification is dividing philosophy into the Western tradition and Eastern
tradition. In this course, we will examine both these traditions though the division
may be relatively arbitrary. Regardless of tradition, philosophers are always engaged
in asking questions, finding answers to these question on many basic issues involving
life.

1.1 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) What is philosophy?
b) Why do you think there is no definition of philosophy
that is accepted by all people?
c) What do you understand by „to philosophise‟?

1.2 Branches of Philosophy

The four main branches of philosophy are logic, epistemology, metaphysics, and
ethics:

 Metaphysics is the study of the nature of things focusing on what exists in the
world, what it is like and how it is ordered. Among the questions asked are”

o What is a person?
o What makes a person the same through time?
o Do people have minds? How do brains generate minds?
o How is the mind related to the body?
o Do people have free will?
o What is truth?
o What is beauty?
Chapter 1: Introduction 4

 Epistemology is the study of knowledge itself and its origin. It is primarily

concerned with what we can know about the world and how we come to know
it. Typical questions of concern in epistemology are:

o What is knowledge?
o Do we know anything at all?
o How do we know what we know?
o Can we be justified in claiming to know certain things?

 Ethics is the study of the nature of right and

wrong, and good and evil, forming the
foundations of morality, and the fine details
of moral conduct. For example, a moral
philosopher may ask whether or not a rape
victim should have the right to get an
abortion. Ethics is concerned with what we
ought to do and what it would be best to do.
The questions asked are:

o What is good? What makes actions or people good?

o What is right? What makes actions right?
o Is morality objective or subjective?
o How should I treat others?

 Logic is the exploration of the structure of argument and the extraction of

knowledge from evidence. Logic is one of the primary tools philosophers use
in their inquiries; the precision of logic helps them to cope with the subtlety of
philosophical problems and the often misleading nature of conversational
language. Logicians ask such questions as:

o What constitutes "good" or "bad" reasoning?

o How do we determine whether a given piece of reasoning is good or
bad?

Some philosophers may be involved in a 5th branch of philosophy which is

researching the works of other philosophers. These philosophers see great value in the
texts of thinkers as far back as the ancient Greeks, and study these texts both for their
philosophical insight and enjoyment. The aim is to understand the way in which
people have answered such questions in the past. In studying the history of philosophy
one explores the ideas of such Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Kant, Rousseau, al-Farabi,
Tagore and others.

As you can already tell, the different branches of philosophy overlap one another. For
example, a philosopher who is trying to figure out whether people ought to give
everything they can spare to the poor is asking an ethical question. In asking this
question, he might wonder whether or not standards of right and wrong are built into
Chapter 1: Introduction 5

the fabric of the universe, which is a metaphysical question. If he claims that people
are justified in answering that question either way, he is making an epistemological
claim. At all steps of his reasoning, he will want to employ logic to ensure that he is
minimising the chance of making an error in reasoning. He may very well look to
some of the ethical writings of past philosophers to see how the most powerful
thinkers who came before him reasoned about the issue; i.e. giving to the poor.

Aspects of each branch of philosophy can be studied in isolation, but philosophical

questions have a way of leading to other philosophical questions, to the point that a
full investigation of any particular problem is likely eventually to involve almost the
whole of the philosophical enterprise.

Philosophical questions arise in almost every disciplines. For example, the issue of
ethics is of concern in disciplines such as economics, science, law, business and so
forth. This is why philosophy also encompassed such areas as:

 Philosophy of Law  Philosophy of History

 Philosophy of Economics  Philosophy of Language
 Philosophy of Science  Philosophy of Feminism
 Philosophy of Education  Philosophy of Politics

1.2 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) Discuss the difference between metaphysics, ethics,
epistemology and logic?
c) “Most disciplines are involved in philosophical issues”
Explain.

1.3 Why Study Philosophy?

Since studying philosophy will not directly result in an ability to programme a

computer, manage a company, or diagnose and treat a disease, perhaps one might
wonder why it is worth studying at all? The answer is simple. While the study of
philosophy does not provide one with a particular set of "skills for a trade," the
lifelong benefits it inculcates are virtually limitless. Here are just a few. The study of
philosophy enhances one‟s ability in the following areas (Thomas, 2008):
Chapter 1: Introduction 6

 Problem Solving Skills:

Philosophy is about asking difficult
questions and developing answers which can
be reasonably and rationally defended
against hard, sceptical questioning. You
need to learn how to analyse concepts,
definitions and arguments in a way that is
conducive towards developing solutions for
particular problems. You will be more sure
about your beliefs that are reasonable,
consistent and well-founded because they
have been examined systematically and carefully.

 Communication Skills:
A person who excels at communicating in the field of philosophy can also
excel at communication in other areas. When debating on an issue, you need
to express your ideas clearly and precisely, both in speaking and in writing.
Far too many problems in debates about many issues can be traced to
imprecise terminology, unclear concepts, and other issues that would be
overcome if people were better at communicating what they are thinking.

 Self-Knowledge:
It isn't just a matter of better communication with others that is helped by the
study of philosophy — understanding yourself is improved. The very nature of
philosophy is such that you get a better picture of what your beliefs simply by
working through your beliefs in a careful and systematic fashion.

 Persuasive Skills:
The reason for developing problem solving and communication skills is not
simply to gain a better understanding of the world, but also to get others to
agree with that understanding. Good persuasive skills are thus important in the
field of philosophy because a person needs to defend her own views and to
offer insightful critiques of the views of others. It is obvious that it would be
difficult to persuade others on an issue if one lacks the skill for
communicating and explaining their positions.

These skills are essential in most jobs or careers. These skills can be readily
transferred to a wide variety of fields, not to mention things we do every day.
Anything which requires careful thinking, systematic reasoning, and an ability to ask
and address difficult questions will benefit from a background in philosophy.

Philosophy is not something for „eggheads‟ in universities. In fact philosophy is for

everyone. All of us engage in philosophy in one form or another because we are
„philosophising creatures‟ (Vuletic, 2006). Philosophy is about gaining a better
understanding of ourselves and our world. Since that is what humans naturally desire,
humans quite readily engage in philosophical speculation and questioning. Each of us
has some sort of philosophy and already "does" philosophy when we think about and
address issues which are fundamental to questions about life, meaning, society and
morality. We may never arrive at any final answers, but in many ways it is the
journey which is most important, not the destination.
Chapter 1: Introduction 7

Philosophy enables us to understand. Can one be happy if one goes through life
without questioning anything?. Philosophical inquiry, on the other hand, can be
disquieting, offering no guarantee that your hard work will yield the conclusions you
hope for. Even worse, philosophy gives you no guarantee that your investigations will
yield any conclusion at all: at the end of the day, you may find yourself not only
minus the certainties with which you began, but also with nothing else to put in their
place. If you do philosophy, you may well have to learn to live with perpetual
uncertainty, while others, in their ignorance, happily profess perfect knowledge of
things they do not understand at all. But it is clear who has the better life: far better to
understand, even if the main thing you understand is the limit of your own knowledge.

1.3 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) What are the benefits of studying philosophy?
b) “Can one be happy if one goes through life without
questioning anything? What do you think?

1.4 What is Philosophy of Education?

Throughout the ages, various thinkers have been preoccupied with the most important
question in education; “What should humans learn to live successfully in society?”.
Many philosophers directly and indirectly dwelled on education. Hence, philosophy
of education has been described as the application of philosophical methods to the
theory and practice of education. Among the topics investigated in the philosophy of
education are the nature of learning, especially in children; the purpose of education,
particularly the question of whether the chief goal of educators should be imparting
knowledge, developing intellectual independence, or instilling moral or political
values (Britannica.com. 2006).

The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2005) describes philosophy of education as the

inquiry into the ideas that dominate educational theory and policy. The central
questions are what it is worthwhile or necessary to teach, and what are the best ways
of doing it. The answers to these questions have differed depending on different views
about human nature. For example, some philosophers viewed the human mind as an
empty pot that needs filling up while others disagree with his view of the human
mind, suggesting that humans have prior knowledge.

Philosophy of education is the study of the purpose, process, nature and ideals of
education. This can be within the context of education as a societal institution or more
broadly as the process of human existential growth, i.e. how it is that our
Chapter 1: Introduction 8

understanding of the world is continually

transformed (be it from facts, social customs, The education of the
experiences, or even our own emotions). individual, in addition to
promoting his own innate
Philosophy of Education deals with how children abilities, would attempt to
should be educated, what they should be educated develop in him a sense of
in, and what the ultimate purpose of education responsibility for his
should be for society. This is an often neglected fellow-men in place of the
field of philosophy and, when it is addressed, it glorification of power and
tends to only be in educational programmes success in our present
designed to train teachers In this context, it is a part society. (Albert Einstein,
of pedagogy, which is learning how to teach. For 1949, On Education)
some philosopher, the philosophy of education can
often be tightly integrated with theology and religious indoctrination in order to instill
religious values, doctrines, and commitment at a young age.

Philosophy of education is concerned with the following questions: Do we want our

children to be educated for democracy or consumerism? Should children learn by rote
memorization or through creative problem solving? Does school exist to teach values
or skills for use in the job market? Because these decisions will affect the course of
society for decades to come, the questions asked are as important as those found in
any other branch.

1.4 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) What is philosophy of education?

b) Discuss with other students your philosophy of
education.

1.5 Malaysian Philosophy of Education

Chapter 1: Introduction 9

a) Background

The Razak (1956) and Rahman Talib Reportx (1960) became the basis for
developing the system and the National Education Policy as stipulated in the
Education Act 1961. All three documents emphasise national unity as a key goal. In
addition, efforts must also be implemented to promote cultural, social, economic and
political development.. Progress in these aspects is intended to accelerate and
strengthen the ambition to create national unity
The efforts to bring about unity became most urgent wtih the tragedy of May
13, 1969. The Government introduced the New Economic Policy which aims to
eliminate poverty and identification of race with occupation. In addition the was
Rukunnegara drafted which outlined the five pillars guiding individuals in the
country.
In the field of education, a Cabinet committee was established in 1974 to
review the implementation of the national education policy. In the report of this
committee, the goal of unity was emphasised. In addition, this report also expanded
the national education goals to include

“ …… producing individuals who are united, disciplined and

trained”.
(source: Laporan Jawatankuasa Kabinet, 1979. h: 1).

In short, the goal of education is to produce good citizens who are good, united,
disciplined and trained. The report further describes the characteristics of a good
citizen. These features are:

 determination, willingness and readiness to live together in unity and peace

and subscribe to the values important to be citizens of Malaysia;

 respect and comply with the law and regulations, are willing to work or seek
perfection, respect for individual rights, practice good manners and not
infringe on others, respect and engage in constructive remedition of situations,
and willing to serve the country;

 can participate effectively in national development activities

For the successful evolution of disciplined and ethical citizens, the Cabinet
Committee Report recommends that non-Muslim students are taught Moral Education
and Ethics. Islamic Education should be improved and strengthened. Modifications
are to be made to the curriculum, in an effort to produce citizens who can give make
contributions to the country.
In line with the development of a world society, Malaysian society is
experiencing rapid changes. Hence the education system should accept the challenge,
as the development of society is directly associated with the education system. In this
context the Cabinet Committee Report explained

For the sake of national development, the manpower needs

should not only be seen in terms of numbers, types of
knowledge and expertise, but should also be viewed in terms
Chapter 1: Introduction 10

of the values enhanced. They should be honest and dedicated

to their work. They not only should efficient but also need to
think and to either personally or as a group. according to the
standards of moral character.

Taking into account the above statements and declarations, the country's education
system must be mobilized to meet and fulfill this aim.

b) Philosophy and Aims of the National Education

Though not stated explicitly in the national education system, its intent and goals are
reflected in the Razak Report, Abdul Rahman Talib Report, the Education Act 1961
and the Cabinet Committee Report 1979. In the context of national development,
national education system is linked with the principles of the Rukunegara. The
National Philosophy of Education (NPE) was formulated only in 1987 and has
become the most important statement guiding the goal of education in Malaysia. The
National Education Philosophy dipernyatakan as follows:

“Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further

developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and
integrated manner so as to produce individuals intellectually,
spiritually emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious,
based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such as effort is
designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable,
competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are
responsible and capable of achieving a high level of personal
well-being, as well as being able to contribute to the betterment
of the family, society and the nation at large”.
- Ministry of Education Malaysia,
1987
Chapter 1: Introduction 11

c) Explanation of the National Philosophy of Education

 “Education is an on-going effort”

A well-planned education system is able to equip students with the knowledge
and skills that will prepare them to adapt to changing situations throughout
their lives.

 “Developing the potential of individuals”

Learners are endowed with different capabilities, talent and potential and it is
the role of education to develop these potentials. Education should seek to
provide opportunities that will nurture these talents and capabilities.

 “Balanced and harmonious”

Balanced means individuals who not only possess knowledge and skills but
also have high moral values, emotionally and physically well-balanced and
have a firm belief in God.

 “Firm belief in and devotion to God”

Belief in God translates to the universal core values of gratitude,
compassion/empathy, cooperation, courage, moderation, diligence, freedom,
honesty/integrity, justice, rationality, self-reliance, love, self-respect, public-
spiritedness, humility and modesty.

 “Possess high moral standards”

Citizens who know good from bad and understand the consequences of bad
behaviour. Citizens who are spiritual, believe and practice the universal values
in daily lives.

“Contribute to the betterment of the family, society and the nation”

Citizens who subscribe to the Rukun Negara and willing to defend the
constitution, are patriotic, tolerant and love their country.

4. Conclusion
The National Philosophy of Education is central to the education system in
this country. This philosophy was formulated with the awareness that the country
must have a direction and goals to faciliate planning an effective and efficient
education system. In line with the Rukunnegara, philosophy of education also
emphasses the principles of faith and devotion to God which is the thrust of the
National Philosophy of Education.
This educational philosophy seeks to produce individuals who are balanced
and harmonious. They should also be reflective, knowledgeable, virtuous, spiritual,
clean and healthy, both mentally and physically and contribute to one‟s religion, the
Malaysian community and nation.
Chapter 1: Introduction 12

1.5 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) Explain the content of the national philsophy of
education.
b) To extent has the education succeeded in producing
individuals in line with the national philsophy of
education?

KEY WORDS

Philosophy Love for wisdom Philosophise

Epistemology Universal Holistic person
Ethics Systematic Metaphysics
Logic Philosophy of education Philosophical inquiry

Summary

 The word “philosophy” means “love of wisdom” which comes from the Greek
word philos meaning friendship or love) and sophia meaning wisdom.

 Generally, philosophers deal with speculative issues that are not subject to
investigation through experimental tests.

 Metaphysics is the study of the nature of things focusing on what exists in the
world, what it is like and how it is ordered.

 Logic is the exploration of the structure of argument and the extraction of

knowledge from evidence.

 Ethics is the study of the nature of right and wrong, and good and evil,
forming the foundations of morality, and the fine details of moral conduct.

 Hence, philosophy of education has been described as the application of

philosophical methods to the theory and practice of education.
Chapter 1: Introduction 13

 Though not stated explicitly in the national education system, its intent and
goals are reflected in the Razak Report, Abdul Rahman Talib Report, the
Education Act 1961 and the Cabinet Committee Report 1979.

 This educational philosophy seeks to produce individuals who are balanced

and harmonious.

REFERENCES

Philosophy Dictionary. The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Copyright © 1994,

1996, 2005 by Oxford University Press

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. (2006) Chicago. Illinois.

http://corporate.britannica.com/about/index.html

Sinnott-Armstrong, W. (2008). What is Philosophy? Department of Philosophy.

Dartmouth College. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~phil/whatis/wsa.html

Thomas, W. (2008). Why Does Anyone Need a Philosophy? The Atlas Society.
Washington. DC.

Vuletic, M. (2006). The Nature of Philosophy. What is Philosophy?

http://www.vuletic.com/hume/ph/philosophy.html#f6