IDEALISM

The observerAppearance of the world

Meaning of Idealism

• Idealism is born out of Plato’s “Theory of Ideas”• According to which the ultimate supremacy of ideas.• As a philosophical doctrine ,idealism recognizes ideas, feelings and ideals

more important than material objects and at the same time emphasizes that the human development should be according to moral, ethical and spiritual values so that he acquires the knowledge of unify in diversity.

• Acc to Idealism, the essential nature of man is spiritual which is reveled in mental, religious and aesthetic areas.

• Idealism emphasizes the study of man more and more because man is endowed with higher intellectual powers and show greater level of intelligence and discrimination and by his own moral and spiritual activities he has created

• Acc to Horne-”An Idealistic philosophy of education,then,is an account of man finding himself as an integral part of a universe of mind..”

Protagonist s

• Socrates.• Plato.• Descartes.• Spinoza.• Burkley.• Kant.• Fitche.• Schelling.• Hegel.• Green.• Gentile.• Vedas, Upanishads to the eastern scholars like SriAurobindo Ghosh.

Definition

• “Idealism holds that the ultimate reality is spiritualism.” -D.M.Dutta.• “Idealistic philosophy takes many and varied forms, but the postulate

underlying all this is that mind or spirit is the essential world stuff, that the true reality is a mental character.”

-J.S.Ross.• “Idealists point out that the mind that is the central in understanding

the world. To them nothing gives a greater sense of reality that the activity of mind engaged in trying to comprehence its world .For any thing to give a greater sense of reality would contradiction in terms because to know any thing more real than mind would itself be a conception mind.”

-Brubacher.

Growth of Idealism

• Its inception took from the very time man began to think.

• In west ,it was born out of the writing of Plato,Socrates,Aristitle and other philosophers.

• In India ,it was born out of the holy scripts Vedas,Purans,Upanishads.

• Since then ,it is developing in all the countries f the world in small or great measures.

Fundamental Principles Of Idealism

Full support to the principle of unity in

diversity

Two forms of the world

Ideas are more important than

words

Importance of man over nature

Faith of Spiritual Powers

Importance of Personality

development

Contd.• Two forms of the real world: Idealist believe that thee are two forms of the world i.e.

material & spiritual world, according to which spiritual world is real and ultimate .To know the real world is the reality of mind and soul i.e. is the self realization of the main aim of human life.”Idealism holds that the order of the world is due to the manifestation in space& time of an eternal and spiritual reality.”-Horne.

• Ideas are more important than the objects: Idealist have given more importance to idea rather than the objects.”Ideas are the ultimate cosmic significance. They are rather the essence or archetypes which form to cosmos. These ideas are eternal and unchanging”.-Plato.

• Importance of man over nature: Man(who us a thinker and can experi4nce about material phenomenon and laws)is more important then the object (nature).Since man is intelligent hence he can create his own world of virtues and his creativity.”The spirit or cultural environment is an environment of man’s own making, it is a product of man’s creative activity”-R.R.Rusk

• Faith in Spiritual Values: They believe in three values truth,beauty,goodness(undying and permanent).When people are in pursuit of these highest spiritual values they achieve their highest spiritual values.”Goodness,truth,and beauty are seen to be absolute reach existing in its own right and entirely desirable in itself.”-J.S.Ross.

Contd.

• Importance of Personality Development: Idealist give too much importance on the SELF of the individual and on the personality of the individual .

• According to them development of personality means achievement of perfections of an individual which can be also called as self-realization of self which can be achieved through the society through love,sympathy,fellow feeling, no discrimination on the basis of caste,creed,race etc.In short Idealism believes in the welfare of the whole community.”Thus, the grandeur and the worth of human life at its best are emphasized by Idealism. Human personality is of supreme value and constitutes the noblest work of God.”-J.S.Ross.

• Full support to the principle of unity in diversity: They believe in unity in diversity i.e the unifying factor is of supreme nature which can be called as the universal consciousness or divinity.

• Idealist call this power as power as God which is supreme,omnipresent,omnipotent.Realization of this supreme force is ones self is to attain divinity and the fullest extent of personality which may be called as spiritual fulfillment.

• ‘An Idealistic philosophy of education ,then is an account of man finding himself as an integral part of universe mind.”Prof.H.N.Horne.

Idealism in Education

• Credit goes to Plato & Frobel.

• According to them,”Ideaism pervades creation and it is an undying ,unlimited and ultimate force which reigns supreme over all mind and matter.”

• They all advocate its greatest importance in education and lay more emphasis on aims and principles of education than on methods, aids ,devices.

Aims of Education

To cultivate truth,beauty,goodnessSelf Realization OR

Exaltation of Personality

To ensure spiritual development

Conservation of inborn nature into spiritual nature.

Preparation for a holy life

Conservation,Promotion,and transmission of cultural heritage

Development of intelligence and rationality

Contd.

• Self Exhaltation:Idealist lay great stress on the exhaltation of the human personality i.e. is Self Realization which involves knowledge of the self.Acc. To Ross, "The aim of education especially associated with idealism is the exhaltation of personality or self realization, the making actual or real the highest potentialities of the self.”

Idealism and Curriculum• Curriculum should be concerned with the whole humanity

and its experiences.

• These experiences can be imbibed in two ways:• From the physical World.• From contacts with other fellow men.

• In an idealistic curriculum both the scientific as well as humanities should be included.

Acc. to Plato

INTELLECTUALLanguage, History,Literature,Maths,Geography, Science

AESTHETICArts

Poetry

MORALReligion

MetaphysicsEthics,etc

Acc to NUNN

• Physical,social,Moral,Religious.• Physical Culture,Sociology,Ethics,Religion

• Literary and Aesthetic.• Literature,Art,Music,Handicraft,History,• Geography,Science,Maths,etc

Acc to Ross