Philosophy Matrices Template
(The names beside each philosophy are just for reference to help you connect the philosophy with specific philosophers.)
| Traditional Philosophies | |||||||
| IDEALISM (Plato) | |||||||
| Metaphysics | Epistemology | Axiology | Learner’s Nature | Teacher’s Role | Curricular Focus | Methodology | Criticisms |
| Reality is spiritual, intellectual, and universal. An unchanging world of perfect ideals of truth and beauty | Reminiscence. Knowing is recalling latent ideas from the mind | Values are unchanging, based on goodness and beauty | Striving to achieve fullness of human nature.
Spiritual and intellectual journey |
Personify culture and reality. Assist in spiritual and intellectual self-development | “whatness of education”
Human history and literature |
Self-examination
Lectures and discussions |
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| REALISM (Aristotle) | |||||||
| Metaphysics | Epistemology | Axiology | Learner’s Nature | Teacher’s Role | Curricular Focus | Methodology | Criticisms |
| Natural phenomena are organized by inanimate to animate.
An objective order of reality. Matter-Form Hypothesis |
Rationally investigate natural and social reality. Formulate theories of what the world contains
Sensation and abstraction
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Eudaimonia.
Moral and ethical virtues. Prudent choices. Perfecting human intellect |
Develop a sense of practical skill, applying knowledge and virtue to make decisions in life. Seeking to grow in maturity of human knowledge | Exemplify virtue. Be a specialist in skills and subjects taught.
Enable learner to achieve their potential
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Liberal arts and science; grammar, literature, mathematics, poetry, philosophy, and natural sciences | ||
| NEO-SCHOLASTICISM (Thomas Aquinas) | |||||||
| Metaphysics | Epistemology | Axiology | Learner’s Nature | Teacher’s Role | Curricular Focus | Methodology | Criticisms |
| The universe and life were created by God. The soul lives eternally in heaven
We are rational creatures distinguished by intellect |
Natural process of knowing is enhanced by cooperating with supernatural grace.
The universe functions purposefully, rather than by chance |
Religious and theological studies reinforced by habits and rituals of religion. Knowledge does not lead to morality | Effective communicator, possessing knowledge or skill
Parents are primary educator |
Forming Christlike individuals.
Total process of human development |
Verbal process of words and phrases to demonstrate a skill to be learned.
Begins with what is known to what is new Biblical |
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| Modern Philosophies | |||||||
| PRAGMATISM (William James, John Dewey) | |||||||
| Metaphysics | Epistemology | Axiology | Learner’s Nature | Teacher’s Role | Curricular Focus | Methodology | Criticisms |
| Truth is a tentative assertion based on human experience | Knowledge is based on experience. Pereceptions of the world are unique to each person | Values come from human response to environmental and cultural situations | Self-directed and self-disciplined | Guides a situation rather than direct it.
Allow for errors |
Growth; more experience, problems, and resolutions to those problems
Social relationships |
Saw Dewey and other pragmatists as undermining the true role of philosophy.
An attack on the concept that “humans are rational inhabitants of a purposeful universe” |
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| EXISTENTIALISM (Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Sartre, Heidegger, etc.) | |||||||
| Metaphysics | Epistemology | Axiology | Learner’s Nature | Teacher’s Role | Curricular Focus | Methodology | Criticisms |
| Knowing is subjective, personal, and individualized, not objective and standarized | Truth is a personal. Taking what is known and making it your own | Living is a process of evaluation and construction | Self-expressive
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Stimulate awareness for the learner
Create situations to get students to express subjectivity |
Givens (natural and physical sciences, mathematics, and social sciences) and Open-areas (humanities, literature, fine and expressive arts)
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Undermines ethics, denying fixed principles | |
| Contemporary Educational Theories for Transmission | |||||||
| PERENNIALISM (Adler, Hutchins, William Bennett, Allan Bloom, etc.) | |||||||
| Metaphysics | Epistemology | Axiology | Learner’s Nature | Teacher’s Role | Curricular Focus | Methodology | Criticisms |
| Truth and values are universal
Humans are defined by inherent rational nature |
Best reliable knowledge is found in liberal arts and sciences. What we can know is out there; through our intellect and reasoning powers, we can acquire knowledge | Education is to inform about what reality is and how it works, develop and cultivate reasoning powers, its about truth and is the same everywhere, based on knowledge contained in the liberal arts and sciences, and it should cultivate choices based on knowledge | Self-introductory
Able to understand, analyze, and appreciate the classics |
Have knowledge and an understanding of liberal arts and sciences
Engages the students and introducing them to topics Skilled in Socratic Method |
Cultural skills and knowledge that educated have needed across time.
Learned disciplines (mathematics, history, literature, language, art, music, sciences)
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Develop rationality by exposing students to the works of Western civilization | Pragmatist: “marching backwards to the Middle Ages”, “knowledge is based on active and ongoing experience through interactions with the environment”
Progressive: “top-down theory of education (elementary and secondary schooling is set by colleges and universities) Postmodernist: claims to universiality are archaic classical thought. Great Books privileged the works of “white Europeans and ignored multiculturalism” |
| ESSENTIALISM (E.D. Hirsch) | |||||||
| Metaphysics | Epistemology | Axiology | Learner’s Nature | Teacher’s Role | Curricular Focus | Methodology | Criticisms |
| Education has essential characteristics | Antecedent knowledge found in liberal arts and sciences; represents what needs to be known to be intelligent | Education is to bring humans in contact with knowledge, transmitted through generations | Internalize the discipline of of learning
Use what is known and apply it to situations or problems |
Organizing a subject into teachable and learnable units based on students readiness
Teach basic skills |
Basic skills and learned disciplines | Use of knowledge developed and organized by scientists and scholars | Experimentalist: oppose antecedent knowledge, schools as exclusive academic institution, subjects as knowledge, and teaching methods in subject matter
Progressives: oppose tradition being core of knowledge and the neglect of students needs and interests |
| BEHAVIORISM (Skinner) | |||||||
| Metaphysics | Epistemology | Axiology | Learner’s Nature | Teacher’s Role | Curricular Focus | Methodology | Criticisms |
| Contemporary Educational Theories for Transformation | |||||||
| RECONSTRUCTIONISM (Counts) | |||||||
| Metaphysics | Epistemology | Axiology | Learner’s Nature | Teacher’s Role | Curricular Focus | Methodology | Criticisms |
| Bring about change and create a equitable and democratic society | Political, social, and economical issues | Group discussions and problem solving | |||||
| CRITICAL PEDAGOGY (Friere, Giroux, Noddings, Gloria Watkins [bell hooks], Peter McLaren, etc.)
This section might be a bit more challenging than the ones above. You are encouraged to supplement the textbook information with internet searches on the topic. |
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| Metaphysics | Epistemology | Axiology | Learner’s Nature | Teacher’s Role | Curricular Focus | Methodology | Criticisms |
| Question and challenge domination
Undermine beleifs and practices related to it |
Truth = power
Comes from education and critical thinking |
Democracy and social injustice | Understand freedoms
Show interest in subject matter |
Facilitate inform students on current events and provide tools for critical thinking | Events relevant at the time of teaching | Lectures, videos, and stories
Discussions
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| CONSTRUCTIVISM (Piaget, Vygotsky, Constance Kamii, etc.)
This section might be a bit more challenging than the ones above. You are encouraged to supplement the textbook information with internet searches on the topic. |