PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Specific Foundation

General Foundation

By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to reflect on education in the light of philosophical conceptions of the meaning and purpose of human life to be acquainted with the philosophical analysis of educational aims and ideals to understand the relationship between education and the becoming of personality to understand the ethical dimensions of pedagogical relationship to be acquainted with the conceptual tools for critical assessment of the problematic educational practices

1 Introduction. The importance of philosophical reflection about education. Philosophy as a form of consciousness, as worldview and ideology. The examination of education in the context of the totality of human existence. 2. Philosophy of education as theory of educational aims. The importance and necessity of educational aims. Social ideal and educational aims. The perception of philosophy of education in the analytical philosophical tradition - critical remarks. 3. The preconditions of education. The specificity of human nature. Theories on human nature. The biological aspects of personality. The problem of biological reductionism. The measurement of intelligence and the quantitative perception of human abilities. 4. The relationship between parents and children. Edification and education. Discipline and freedom. Language learning as the primary appearance of education. 5. The essential side of education. Labour as the essence of social totality. Education as formation of man’s labour skills. The historical interrelation between labour and education. 6. Knowledge and education in conditions of alienated labour. The enslaving division of labor and the formation of the commodity “labor power”. Alienated labour and culture. The phenomenon of semi-education. Alienated labour and educational assessment. 7. Post-industrial trends of labour and the capitalist “knowledge society”. The development of the social character of labour and the perspectives of education. 8. Education in the light of emancipated labour. Mature labour as a creative cultural activity. Education as an all-round development of consciousness and personality. Critical examination of the perception of education in functionalism and “human capital” theory. The ideal of “liberal education” - the historical and social limits of the humanist philosophical tradition. 9. Man as a personality and the necessity of education. Education as formation of consciousness. Consciousness and personality. The educational dimension of the bond between knowledge and consciousness. The issue of the unity between natural sciences and humanities. The crisis of consciousness and the decline of personality. Critical examination of the postmodern perceptions of knowledge and education. 10. The formation of personality as the “end” of education. Types of personality and attitudes towards education. The ideal of the all-round developed personality. Development and pedagogy: the ideas of Rousseau, Dewey, Montessori, Hegel, Vygotsky. 11. Pedagogy as a relationship between personalities. The problem of authority and the “authoritative” dimension of education. The pedagogical relationship in front of technocratic challenges. The de-schooling theory of Ivan Illich. 12. Pedagogy as a relationship between personalities. The pedagogical ethos. Education and personality in the humanistic-existential tradition. Pedagogical implications of humanistic psychology. Paulo Freire’s theory of dialogic education and critical conscientization. 13. The liberal theory of man and the aims of education. The issue of individual’s autonomy. The liberal ideal of education for citizenship and democracy. The liberal perception of multiculturalism and intercultural education. 14. The aims of education and the contradictions of modern civilization. The post-modern depreciation of educational aims. Education in the light of the fundamental trends of social development. Education and social progress.

philosophy, education, consciousness, personality

06-01-2022