Reflection Paper - Gist

Leonardo Z. Camboja Jr.

BEE-2

December 10, 2012, MWF – 5:30 – 6:30 PM

Dr. Olga C. Alonsabe, Ph.D.

Reflection Paper – Gist

Instruction: Give the gist of each philosophy. Cite those thoughts with which you agree and also those with which you disagree. (Gist - that is intended, signified or essential part of the idea.)

Christians Philosophy

The basic tenets of Christian philosophy are rational because they are held by average, rational men and women. But surely Christianity must still run into an epistemological problem—how does the Christian “know” without clashing with science and experience? How can the knowledge we gain through faith in Biblical revelation compare to knowledge gained by a scientific investigation of the universe?

Christian philosophy does not reject reason or tests for truth. Christianity says the New Testament is true because its truths can be tested. Christians do not ask non-believers to put their faith in a revelation of old wives’ tales or fables, but instead to consider certain historical evidences that reason itself can employ as an attorney building a case uses evidences in the law to determine questions of fact. Christian epistemology is based on special revelation, which in turn is based on history, the law of evidence, and the science of archaeology.

Gist:  It’s true, that Christians philosophy does not rely on what has the biblical scholar wrote about our faith existence but base on facts presented supported by evidences gathered through researches. Our faith was ascended by our ancestors and parent. We are nurtures by our good actions. Christian doctrine emphasizes the true faith by embracing good deeds to other people as an image and likeness of Jesus Christ. We can do these all things in loving His people without racial discrimination “loving someone loves Jesus”.

Confucianism

Confucius said heaven and the afterlife were beyond human capacity to understand, and one should therefore concentrate instead on doing the right thing in this life. The earliest records from his students indicate that he did not provide many moral precepts; rather he taught an attitude toward one's fellow humans of respect, particularly respect for one's parents, teachers, and elders. He also encouraged his students to learn from everyone they encountered and to honor others' cultural norms.

Gist: Confucianism taught good values towards other people, human respect especially the elders and parent. Integrating this philosophy in teaching will be a great help for children to be a productive person someday. Our parents are the good example of the children to learn the good values. It can be applied this principle, the Golden rule: “Do not do others what you do not like others to do to you.”

Paolo Freire’s Philosophy

Freire's revolutionary pedagogy starts from a deep love for, and humility before, poor and oppressed people and a respect for their "common sense," which constitutes knowledge no less important than the scientific knowledge of the professional. Freire conceived of authentic teaching as enacting a clear authority, rather than being authoritarian. The teacher, in his conception, is not neutral, but intervenes in the educational situation in order to help the student to overcome those aspects of his or her social constructs that are paralyzing, and to learn to think critically. In a similar fashion, Freire validated and affirmed the experiences of the oppressed without automatically legitimizing or validating their content.

Banking education. Freire criticized prevailing forms of education as reducing students to the status of passive objects to be acted upon by the teacher. In this traditional form of education it is the job of the teacher to deposit in the minds of the students, considered to be empty in an absolute ignorance, the bits of information that constitute knowledge. Teaching and learning as a process of inquiry in which the child must invent and reinvent the world.

Gist: Freire’s philosophy focus on teacher behavior to their children on how to collaborate the empty minds of the children. The role of the teachers is to deposit lessons to the minds of the young children. Considered to empty is an absolute ignorance. It is true according to the Childhood Council that at first 1-3 months in the school children do not teach lessons but observe, knowing their weaknesses, their talents etc. Let them used their fine and gross motor skills to unleash the individual capacities. Exploring social responsibility in preparation for task maturation. Child realizes their mistake in time of experiencing difficulties and hardship. The child actions are the basis of taking into the natural behavior, consequences will follows if is not good result. By allowing the child to do his/her will they can manifest their thought. Learning behind their actions, those actions they will learn.

Rousseau’s philosophy

Education is not concerned with particular techniques of imparting information and concepts, but rather with developing the pupil’s character and moral sense, so that he may learn to practice self-mastery and remain virtuous even in the unnatural and imperfect society in which he will have to live. The hypothetical boy, Émile, is to be raised in the countryside, which, Rousseau believes, is a more natural and healthy environment than the city, under the guardianship of a tutor who will guide him through various learning experiences arranged by the tutor. Today we would call this the disciplinary method of "natural consequences" since, like modern psychologists. Rousseau felt that children learn right and wrong through experiencing the consequences of their acts rather than through physical punishment. The tutor will make sure that no harm results to Émile through his learning experiences.

ROUSSEAU believes that: -Everything is good as it comes from nature -Child shouldn’t be taught the principles of truth and virtue -Child should be guarded against evil +ve education tends to form the mind prematurely and instruct the child about duties -ve education tends to perfect the organs that are the instruments of knowledge and endeavors to process the way for reasons, by the proper exercises of senses.

Gist:  Yes, it’s true that the “education tends to form the mind prematurely and instructs the child about duties.” Developing the mind of the children through standard teaching of good values; the child from 0-6 years old were the crucial stages that their mind should be filled-up with needed learning and moral values. Just like a pail of knowledge that was illustrated by Bruner in his constructivism theory. Nurturing child from conception until his birth is the great factor to produce a healthier and better child for better future in our society today. This is how our learning emphasized by our teaching towards our pupils. Training while the child is young is easy to bend when it comes to mistakes. Discipline can be manageable by their parents.

Rationalism

Rationalism holds, in contrast to empiricism, that it is reason, not experience that is most important for our acquisition of knowledge. There are three distinct types of knowledge that the rationalist might put forward as supporting his view and undermining that of the empiricist.

First, the rationalist might argue that we possess at least some innate knowledge. We are not born, as the empiricist John Locke thought, with minds like blanks slates onto which experience writes items of knowledge. Rather, even before we experience the world there are some things that we know. We at least possess some basic instincts; arguably, we also possess some innate concepts, such as a faculty for language.

Second, the rationalist might argue that there are some truths that, though not known innately, can be worked out independent of experience of the world. These might be truths of logic or mathematics, or ethical truths. We can know the law of the excluded middle, answers to sums, and the difference between right and wrong, without having to base that knowledge in experience.

Third, the rationalist might argue that there are some truths that, though grounded in part in experience, cannot be derived from experience alone. Aesthetic truths, and truths about causation, for instance, seem too many to be of this kind. Two people may observe the same object, yet reach contradictory views as to its beauty or ugliness. This shows that aesthetic qualities are not presented to us by our senses, but rather are overlaid onto experience by reason. Similarly, we do not observe causation, we merely see one event followed by another; it is the mind, not the world, that provides us with the idea that the former event causes the latter. Gist: “Education tends to perfect the organs that are the instrument of knowledge and endeavors to process the way for reason, by the proper exercises of senses.” Sending the child to school would the process to acquired knowledge in order to complete their learning and adding more patterned structure that would enhance. What do you observed your child during first day of school? Maybe a lots of sharing and testimonies rise-up; perhaps other would say, nice achievement for my child, many more experiences that the parents could not express happiness when in comes to child education. This time, all the senses are used in different activities that the teachers do during session, two hours is a great experience of the child while inside the classroom.

Empiricism

Empiricism is the theory that experience is of primary importance in giving us knowledge of the world. Whatever we learn, according to empiricists, we learn through perception. Knowledge without experience, with the possible exception of trivial semantic and logical truths, is impossible.

Classical empiricism is characterized by a rejection of innate, in-born knowledge or concepts. John Locke, well known as an empiricist, wrote of the mind being a tabula rasa, a “blank slate”, when we enter the world. At birth we know nothing; it is only subsequently that the mind is furnished with information by experience.

In its most radical forms, empiricism holds that all of our knowledge is derived from the senses. This position leads naturally to the verifications principle that the meaning of statements is inextricably tied to the experiences that would confirm them. According to this principle, it is only if it is possible to empirically test a claim that the claim has meaning. As all of our information comes from our senses, it is impossible for us to talk about that which we have not experienced. Statements that are not tied to our experiences are therefore meaningless.

This principle, which was associated with a now unpopular position called logical positivism, renders religious and ethical claims literally nonsensical. No observations could confirm religious or ethical claims, therefore those claims are meaningless. Radical empiricism thus requires the abandonment of religious and ethical discourse and belief.

Gist: According to John Locke, the mind being a tabula rasa, a “blank tablet”, when we enter the world. At birth we know nothing; it is only subsequently that the mind is furnished with information by experience. Agree. Why? Because after getting birth the mother that’s the time the mother implanted gradually the mind of the child by caring and nurturing until they grow. Experiences of the child are at hand of the mother with the help of the family.

Pragmatism (Experientialism)

For pragmatists, only those things that are experienced or observed are real. In this late 19th century American philosophy, the focus is on the reality of experience. Unlike the Realists and Rationalists, Pragmatists believe that reality is constantly changing and that we learn best through applying our experiences and thoughts to problems, as they arise. The universe is dynamic and evolving, a "becoming" view of the world. There is no absolute and unchanging truth, but rather, truth is what works. Pragmatism is derived from the teaching of Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914), who believed that thought must produce action, rather than linger in the mind and lead to indecisiveness

Gist: that’s true, the earth is evolved and a lot of changes from population rise-up, technology based products, pollution everywhere, climate change, waste disposal problems, crimes and many more that the earth has. And because of this experiences people’s mind depend of the reality, materialistic in ways. Education is a real solution of our unchanging society to a better life without this realization until now we are behind; we are dreaming for unexpected things that might be happen and yet we do not do. We are always hoping for good but not in actions. 

Reconstructionism Theory

Social Reconstructionism is a philosophy that emphasizes the addressing of social questions and a quest to create a better society and worldwide democracy. Reconstructionist educators focus on a curriculum that highlights social reform as the aim of education. Theodore Brameld (1904-1987) was the founder of social Reconstructionism, in reaction against the realities of World War II. He recognized the potential for either human annihilation through technology and human cruelty or the capacity to create a beneficent society using technology and human compassion. George Counts (1889-1974) recognized that education was the means of preparing people for creating this new social order.

Gist: I agree, the theory of George Counts: recognized that education was the means of preparing people for creating this new social order. Education is the vital means of social transformation; it caters all walk in life. Bringing the people to the world of education that transmit knowledge about peace and social justice we can reach peaceful community. Peace education is integrated by the college curriculum in order to learned the basic approach of how peace inculcate to the minds of every individual child within their classroom and adapt it to their respective community. This is the exact time to emphasize the important of peace education among the children because they are the future leaders of every small community which is the family and to the community at large.

Plato’s Philosophy

Ideas are available to us through thought, while phenomena are available to us through our senses.  So, naturally, thought is a vastly superior means to get to the truth.  This is what makes Plato a rationalist, as opposed to an empiricist, in epistemology.

Senses can only give you information about the ever-changing and imperfect world of phenomena, and so can only provide you with implications about ultimate reality, not reality itself.  Reason goes straight to the idea. You “remember,” or intuitively recognize the truth, as Socrates suggested in the dialog Meno.

According to Plato, the phenomenal world strives to become ideal, perfect, and complete.  Ideals are, in that sense, a motivating force.  In fact, he identifies the ideal with God and perfect goodness.  God creates the world out of material (raw material, matter) and shapes it according to his “plan” or “blueprint” -- ideas or the ideal.  If the world is not perfect, it is not because of God or the ideals, but because the raw materials were not perfect.  I think you can see why the early Christian church made Plato an honorary Christian, even though he died three and a half centuries before Christ! Begins in wonder."

"...(I)f you ask what is the good of education in general, the answer is easy; that education makes good men, and that good men act nobly."

Gist: really true, differentiate people those educated and none there are aspect to be consider why? Because there are some people educated but they are not; attitudes and behaviors are something to learn in our day-to-day activities, our social relationship to our family members, our neighbors, and our officemate. These people around us are our pattern to develop more good values even if you not educated or professional. Our parents taught us good manners and right characters when we are young, this will also our guide outside our home not even necessary to obtain high degree to be able to act nobly. What is important is we follow what is good for ourselves and good for our neighbors. Another thing I consider advantages of being educated are I know how to reflect, thinking the right and pleasant ways of handling situations, knows how weight decision making. In my upcoming years, if God allows me to be part of a noble profession as a teacher. I will let my experiences that I have learned inside and outside school will be my pattern to be good teacher. By participating parochial works will be my ladder into a better teacher someday.