Article

REALISM

Realism in philosophy is related to things which are known or perceived. Realistic philosophy dates back to Aristotle who believed that the world around us is the source of all facts, and the facts are obtained from the real world and not by inspiration yet by observation and experience, which was rejected by idealism. realism has emerged to show that the mind is not a repertoire of facts in itself, but exist outside mind and must be acquired by man himself. It also recommend that dealing with educational institutions should be realistic.

Education and Realism

Realists believe that acquiring knowledge at school of which gaining skills, making activities, and obtaining experience should be related to the community they live in so that passing from school life to the community wouldn’t be suddenly changed.

Basic   principles of realistic philosophy:

Realistic philosophy believes that facts already exist, and the role of man to search for it. It also allows man to discover roles and natural principles governing this world. In addition to that, this philosophy considers that human beings are social in nature, and that they can’t live alone in the society. And the most important principle is that truth exists in nature, not in human mind.

Role of students

According to realists, students should be able to analyze and justify whatever the situation is. In addition to that, be mentally and physically adapted to society and the surroundings, understand the world according to physical and cultural elements.

Role of teacher

A teacher should be well educated and versed with the customs of beliefs and rights and duties of people, and the trends. He also must have full mastery of the knowledge of present life. In addition to that, teachers should define simple rules, teach subjects in proper orders, and to find out the interest of the child and to teach accordingly.

 Methods and Curriculum

Curriculum should be organized, separate, and systematically arranged. This method is based on facts, analysis, and questioning, also emphasizes on critical reasoning through observation. In addition to that, realistic method of teaching should support scientific research and development. Education should proceed from simple to complex and from concrete to abstract. This method enhances learning through direct or indirect experiences: field trips, films, audio-visual aids, computer technology and library. Children should be given positive rewards whenever they accomplish tasks or do something right. (https://www.slideshare.net/annvitug/philosophy-of-realism-in-education).

Pragmatism

Pragmatic philosophy started by the Greek philosopher Heraclius, but the spread of this philosophy was coupled with name of the American philosopher John Dewey. It considers that everything must be experimented in order to prove it, therefore it represents a new progressive trend in philosophical thoughts.

Basic principles of pragmatic philosophy

Among the basic principles of pragmatic philosophy are those which emphasize that the individual is part of society and has a certain role in it. Adding to that, man has a neutral nature, since he is neither good nor bad but he has the willingness to be this or that, depending on the type of education reveived. Other principle is that knowing the divine self and how the universe exists is impossible.

Role of students

Regarding the role of student, pragmatist sees that students should collaborate with others, able to solve problem by self, and producing new methods for solving them. Pragmatists prefer students to have a well developed personality with the ability to communicate socially and self proof.

Role of teachers

Pragmatists ensure that teachers should suggest problems and lead students to find ways to solve them,  also teach them how to think and work. What is important that building educational attitudes on problems to better understand the surrounding.

Methods and curriculum

Pragmatists do not advocate a fixed curriculum in advance, yet it should be evolved according the requirement of situations. Thus pragmatists claim to flexible curriculum so that the nature of the learner has to be taken into consideration. Pragmatists try to include activities from daily life into the curriculum. It emphasizes only utilitarian aspect therefore, neglect subjects like poetry and art. Learning by doing is one of the basic methods of teaching in pragmatism. It is applied by encouraging students to learn through self-effort , not by reading books, but by actual doing things. Also including real life situations with topics learned in class. The learner is given a real and purposeful activity to carry out, by doing so he acquires principles, skills, and methods. Thus the learner obtain knowledge by experiences gained from tasks and activities.

Al Farabi educational philosophy

 Al farabi is considered one of the largest Muslim philosophers, and his contemporaries called him “ the second teacher ’’ because of his great interest in work of Aristotle “ the first teacher ’’ , and its interpretation. One of his characteristics is that he tried to reconcile between the philosophy of Aristotle and that of Plato from one hand, and between religion and philosophy from the other hand. (http://www.mawhopon.net/?p=4333). Regarding education, he considered it as one of the most important  social phenomena. The aim of this education to prepare individuals into perfection since they are prepared to this. He combined learning with practical action and he considered that applications are important to understand ideas. Al farabi considered that the teacher should have a good character and seeks truth in all conditions. For educating the people, virtuous people shall be employed and trained in the logical arts. In his opinion. The teaching profession should be adopted voluntarily without any obligation and should be able to demonstrate.  (Rauf, Ahmad, & Iqbal, 2013)

Al farabi was the first Muslim philosopher who classified the sciences and learning. For al farabi, learning must start with the languages and its structures. The foundation for all other kinds of knowledge is because of mastery of common language. Al farabi was well aware of importance of language. Next to language comes logic, which is the instrument of sciences and their methodology. It gives sound reflection to science. It is also closely related to language. The Arabic word for” logic’’ is mantiq which include the verbal expression of intellectual process. This is why, in al- Farabi’s opinion, language comes before rules to enrich the mind. (Rauf, Ahmad, & Iqbal, 2013)

Averroes educational philosophy

He is one of the great philosophers in the Arab-Islamic civilization, and a Muslim scientific figure specialized in more than one major, he is a philosopher, jurist, doctor, astronomer, judge, and Arab Andalusian Muslim physicit.

Averroes sees that there is no confliction between religion and philosophy, he also believed in the eternity of universe, and that the soul is divided into two parts; one is personal, and the other is divine. He also believed that all people are equal since the soul is perishable. In addition to that, he claimed to have two kinds of truth knowledge, the first is based on religion that cannot be subjected to scrutiny, and the second is based on philosophy. His moral views are based on the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle, and he agreed with Plato in the four basic virtues: justice, courage, wisdom, and chastity.

Ibn rushd identifies three methods to knowledge. The method of logical demonstrations and only philosophers are capable of doing it. The second was dialectic (discussion) used by theologians. And finally the art of speech (used by sophists). (khan, 1998)

Reflection

As a reflection to these two philosophies, the pragmatic philosophy has emerged without goals since it has paid too much attention to adaptation issues and it encourages the youth to run after their desires and behind the social activities whereas the academic, mental, and serious studies were neglected. Modern education has prepared the teacher on teaching methods while not given the necessary to prepare in the subject of education that he teaches. In addition to that, the focus on social adaptation and educational materials may lead to a lack of scientific success.

When pragmatism confined the truth to experience, crippled in providing something about the total truth that is the orbit of human interest in the past and present.

Pragmatism focused on the present of the human, although history teaches many things. Also this philosophy has excess focus on the child and reduces the role of teacher and consider him as a prompt neglecting by this the teacher’s maturity, knowledge, and wisdom.

Regarding realism, realistic education did not concern the student and his tendencies and desires, believing they are only emergency situations and can be changed. But the facts and practical fundamentals of the curriculum are essential because they are immutable.

Realistic philosophy was based on dividing the world into image and material, and neglected the spiritual side of the human. It also aimed to adapt to the physical environment without the spiritual one.

In addition to that, it consider that there are facts that can not reach the human mind and thus the mind is deficient.

References

(n.d.). Retrieved october 13, 2019, from http://www.mawhopon.net/?p=4333.

(n.d.). Retrieved 10 15, 2019, from https://www.slideshare.net/annvitug/philosophy-of-realism-in-education.

Awadi, H. (2013, may 15). pragmatism&realism. philosophy of education.

khan, D. (1998, october 21). Ibn Rushd the King Philosopher.

Rauf, D., Ahmad, D., & Iqbal, D. (2013). AL FARABI'S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION. 1.