Why the Philosophy of Education?

Abstract

It is customary for those working in education to refer to research undertaken in other fields to solve the problems they face. Education is not a closed discipline that is untouched and unaffected by the findings made in neighboring fields of inquiry. Rather, studies in psychology and sociology contribute to the advancement of teaching and learning. Given how subjects outside education are aiding the quality of learning, the trend of borrowing and making extensive use of research conducted outside the parameters of education is bound to continue. Interdisciplinary research is not, in other words, a temporary phase that will sooner or later fade away. Though very few involved in education question the value of incorporating the insights offered by such fields as psychology and history, many have serious doubts concerning the importance of philosophy to education. In fact, it is not at all unusual for teachers to conceive philosophy as an impractical, speculative pursuit that has no important bearing on what happens inside the classroom. Philosophy, however, has an important role to play in education. It is not a trivial pursuit that can be discarded as frivolous and pretentious by those seeking to expand the minds of those under their tutelage. As this study hopes to show, it can help unveil some of the deep, inbuilt assumptions teaching practices, curricular aims, and learning activities make about the metaphysical nature of human beings.