By

Muhammad Riaz
Assistant Professor
 Introduction
• Progress of human civilization is the product of education,
but the answer to every educational question is ultimately
influenced by our philosophy of life.
• Philosophy wants to understand man in relation to the
whole universe nature and God. Philosophy deals with the
nature of human mind and personality, and with the ways
in which man and his institutions can be under stood.
• It aim set fundamental understanding of things the
problem of human conduct, the assumptions that under lie
religious or scientific beliefs, the tool sand methods of
thinking, or any issue that arises in any field of human
activity.
 What is Philosophy?

Philo Sophia

Philo means "love” and Sophia means “wisdom“

Philosophy is the love of wisdom
 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?
• What is the mind?
• What is art?
• Is the world really as it appears to us?
• What can we know?
• …and much, much more

Questioning more & more to get closer to the truth

We analyze and criticize existing arguments
We construct our own arguments
The skills are:
• Critical thinking,
• Argument skills,
• Communication,
• Reasoning,
• Analysis,
• Problem solving…
Which allow you to:
Justify your opinions
Spot a bad argument, no matter what the topic is...
Explain to people why they are wrong and you are
right
Philosophy basically teaches you to think!
 Definitions of Philosophy
A beginner in philosophy is worried to find that
different philosophers have given different
definitions of philosophy. While some
philosophers have laid emphasis on psychological
facts, others have given more importance to
values.
1.According to great Greek Philosopher Plato,
“Philosophy is a tiring attempt of thinking
consistently.”
2.According to John Dewey, “Philosophy means
critical reviewing of familiar things.”
3.According to Windelband, philosophy is" the
critical science of universal values."
Definitions continued….
Philosophy is essentially a spirit or method of
approaching experience rather than a body of
conclusions about experience." Edgar S.
Brightman
 "Philosophy is general theory of criticism.”
(C. J. Ducasse)
Philosophy, like science, consists of theories
of insights arrived at as a result of systematic
reflection." —Joseph A. Leighton
"Philosophy is concerned with everything as
a universal science." Herbert Spencer
Scope of Philosophy
(1)Field of Philosophical Sciences
The scope of philosophy includes different
philosophical sciences such as
metaphysics, epistemology, logic,
axiology, aesthetics, ethics, philosophy of
religion, political philosophy, philosophy
of education, etc. All these sciences are
important parts of the field of philosophy.
 Scope of Philosophy
(2) Field of Philosophy as Comprehensive Science
Philosophy is the science of sciences, the mother
of all sciences. From this point of view, its scope
includes the criticism and synthesis of the
postulates and conclusions of the physical and
social sciences.
(3) Subject Matter of Philosophy
The scope of philosophy clarifies its subject
matter. Its subject matter includes the
conclusions and postulates of all the physical
and social sciences besides their general
problems.
 Branches of Philosophy
1. Epistemology: (search for knowledge)
Greek word episteme, meaning “knowledge.”
It discusses philosophically truth, falsehood,
validity of knowledge, nature of knowledge, knower
and known etc.
There are three central questions in this field:
 (1) What are the sources of knowledge? Where
does genuine knowledge come from or how do we
know? This is the question of origins.
(2) What is the nature of knowledge? Is there a real
world outside the mind, and if so can we know it?
This is the question of appearance versus reality.
(3) Is our knowledge valid?
2. Metaphysics : the study of existence…reality of
existence..
 The question of metaphysics is:
 what is reality?
 is real?
 Is reality some kind of “thing”.
 Is it one or is it many?
 If it is one, then how is it related to many things around us?
 Can ultimate reality be grasped by five senses, or is it
supernatural?
Cosmogony: the study of creation.. how, why, who,
what, )
Cosmology: is the world one or many..)
Ontology…the study of ultimate reality…one or many??if
many then what is the relation of these many
elements..)
Philosophy of self…what is self? What is its relationship
with body?)
Eschatology; The discussion of the condition of the soul
• 3. Axiology: this branch philosophically
studies Values. 3 branches
i) Ethics…..discuss the criteria of right and
good.
ii) Aesthetics.. nature and criteria of beauty.
iii) Logic studies truth: Includes the methods of
judgment, types of proposition, hypothesis,
definition, comparison, division etc.
4. Philosophy of Sciences: philosophical
examination of the postulates and conclusions
of different sciences.
5. Philosophy of social sciences:
Philosophy of education.. Concerned
with the aim of education and basic
philosophical problems in the field..
Social philosophy… philosophical basis
of social process and social institutions.
The following questions reflect the concerns:
Why should individuals live in society?
What social ideals of liberty, rights, justice,
equality and responsibility are desirable?
Political philosophy.. the form of government and
state and other basic problems arising in the
political field
Why should anyone obey any government? Why
should some individuals or groups have political
power over others?
What criteria are to be used in determining who
should have political power?
What criteria are to be used in determining the
scope of political power, and what rights or
freedoms should be immune from political or legal
control?
To what positive goals should political power be
directed, and what are the criteria for determining
Philosophy of history…nature of
historical process and its purpose.
Philosophy of Economics….the aim of
man’s economic activities & problems
arising in the economic field
6. Semantic
concerned with the determination of the
meanings of different words used in
different languages
Relationship of education and
various area of national life and
various components of the system of
education:
One of the most important contributions of the
philosophy of education to the cause of education is
the provision of criteria for deciding the relationship of
state and education, economic system and education,
curriculum, school organization and management,
discipline etc.
The criteria of judgment everywhere are determined
by philosophy; therefore, philosophy of education
provides the criteria for critical evaluation and
Aims and Functions of Philosophy of
Education
To Account for the Trite (lacking
originality) Nature of Man
Identification and Justification of a
Comprehensive World View
To Guide in the Development of a Broad
and True concept of Education
To Identify and Justify a Comprehensive
Educational Program
To Identify and Justify the Basic
Principles of Teaching
To Identify and Justify the Basic
Principles of Education Evaluation
To have Students Secure the Ability in
Tackling Critical Issues and Problems of
Education
To Guide Students so as to Develop Their
Personal Philosophies of Education
Relationship of Education and Philosophy

Plato defined
Education as a life-long process starting,
"from the first years of childhood and lasting to
the very end of the life."
Education is the process of development
Development means the continuous progress
of mind and body.
Knowledge of the environment by which he is
surrounded.
Role of Philosophy in Education Policy and
Practice
Both philosophy and education are related to
each other.
Without proper guidance and supervision
education cannot be a successful process of
achievement.
Spencer remarked—"True education is
practicable only by a true philosophy"
"Philosophy and education are like the two
sides of the same coin, present different views
of the same thing, and that one is implied by
the other."(Ross)
 Relationship between Philosophy and
Education
Philosophy is dependent on education due to
following reasons:
(1)Education is the Dynamic Side of
Philosophy
Philosophy is the thought or plan side and
education is the application or practical side
(1)Education is a means to achieve the Goal
Herbart said:
"Education has no time to make holiday till all the
philosophical questions are once for all cleared
up.
 Philosophy and Aims of Education

1.Philosophy and Aims of Education

2.Philosophy and The Curriculum
3.Philosophy and Teacher
4.Philosophy and Methods of Teaching
FOUR GENERAL PHILOSOPHIES

Idealism

Realism

Pragmatism

Existentialism
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES

Perennialism

Essentialism

Progressivism

Reconstructionism/Critical Theory