Me: Not so Idealist

Idealism has been influential in education for a considerable amount of time. It is considered a conservative philosophy because of its emphasis in preserving cultural traditions. The strengths of idealism include encouraging thinking and cognition, promoting cultural learning, and providing for character development of students.

As I have thoroughly read details about idealism in order to further understand my report on realism which is actually its conflicting philosophy. I have learned that idealist are those who for example on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it is also more nourishing.

In a classroom setting, we can say that idealism is being practiced if the teacher is considered valuable part of the educational process who strives to provide a comprehensive, systematic, and holistic approach to learning that stresses self-realization.

Nowadays, science has actually challenged idealism and brought about challenges to idealistic principles. Since science as we know it is based on hypothesis and tentativeness, but idealism promotes a finished and absolute universe waiting to be discovered. Idealism has often been linked with traditional religion. Sadly, with the weakening of religion among our young generations today has also led to the weakening of idealism as a philosophy. It has also been said that idealism leads to intellectual elitism. In the past, education was considered important for the upper classes of society, marking education as a luxury. Vocational and technical studies were considered good enough for the general public. 

As I see it, although idealistic education was considered bookish and that the character development aspect of the philosophy involved in it is somewhat irrelevant on the part of the learner. I still believe that this philosophy should always take its part inside the classroom in order to give importance to the students’ imaginations and sentiments. As a teacher, I strongly believe that it is still necessary that we inculcate the importance of ideals and values to our pupils.

The emphasis on the importance of knowledge and ideas in the idealist philosophy originally led me to believe that much of my thinking of education included idealistic tendencies. In fact, Francis Bacon’s quote that knowledge is power, which is posted as an inspirational quote inside my classroom, seems to agree with this premise. Because I believe strongly in project based education as a way to have students discover and learn new information, I also began to view the idealism in my thinking. However, as much as I value these things and continue to believe in the importance of continually gaining knowledge, the fact that I view science and technology as a valued part of all education, sets me apart from this philosophy. While the idealist considered science and technical studies good enough for the general public, I consider them an integral part of any education. However I do believe in the importance of teaching children to think, for not doing so results in children with book learning and no common sense.

Unconfusing Confucianism

Understanding Confucius’ Confucianism may be a bit confusing but his view of education was clear. Although based on reading his philosophy, he defined his thoughts in an abstract manner but then again he was consistent in stressing and promoting virtue as a basis in any educational process. And practicing virtue has a lot to do with the concept of self-discipline, he believed that a leader needed to exercise self-discipline in order to remain humble and treat his followers with compassion. Same thing can be applied in a classroom setting; a teacher also has to treat his students with compassion in order to obtain respect from them.

I could certainly say that Confucius’ teachings center on the importance of education in the formation of a person’s character as he held that “What you do not wish others should do unto you, do not do unto them” which rooted in the principle of basic respect for the inherent value of all human beings. And by stressing that kind of virtue, we can say that Confucius wants to create gentlemen who carry themselves with grace, speak correctly, and demonstrate integrity in all things. I believe that the reason behind his giving so much emphasis about values and virtues was because he finds himself in an age in which values are out of joint. Actions and behavior no longer correspond to the labels originally attached to them. He was able to observe a situation wherein rulers do not rule and subjects do not serve. This means that words and titles no longer mean what they once did. Moral education is important to Confucius because it is the means by which one can rectify this situation and restore meaning to language and values to society.

Nowadays, I believe that Confucius teaching is really helpful especially among us teachers; we should rule our classroom with virtue instead of imposing proper behavior with stiff law and rules. Because as I have experienced, being too rigid inside the classroom only causes fear instead of respect towards the teacher. We teachers must be just in dealing with our pupils. Classroom rules should not be one sided wherein teacher gets all the respect and recognition, pupils also deserves respect and recognition and not just the teachers as what is commonly practiced in many school settings nowadays.

Although during Confucius death he was convinced that his teachings had not made a significant impact but fortunately over series of studies based on his ideas and concepts, Confucius is now one of the world's most influential philosophers. Today, his philosophy continues to influence large groups of people across Asia and throughout the world. Countries that show the most significant imprint of Confucianism are China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Confucianism manifests itself in the way children defer to their elders and parents (filial piety) and in the hierarchical structure within offices among employees of different ages and levels of experience. Confucianism also plays a role in the expectations people place upon government and upon its legitimacy.

It is said that the most effective way to let a tradition die is to make it boring and forgettable in everyday life. And this is the state of Confucianism today when it is taught with no connection to history, and people's real lives, or with the modern ways of education. Therefore, I believe that if we want to save Confucianism from being forgotten, we must try to save it from the old way of teaching and managing. We must encourage free debate and creative thinking, and change the focus of learning from reciting the book to relating to real life meaning real people's real actions.