Philosophers 1 Socrates o Wisest person is one who admits he knows nothing o Questions people in authority or who have high reputations o Dialogue helps discover the truth from within us o An educated person is one who knows his her limitations o is realistic about their intelligence o can identify flaws in their reasoning o The Socratic Method constant questioning for critical thinking leads to knowledge o asking and answering questions talking to those with opposing beliefs o learn through yourself and others o Unexamined life is not worth living o purpose of human life is for personal and spiritual growth and we do this through self examination and reflection o Called a midwife and gadfly o Method was controversial at the time and he was killed o Idealism o Truth and wisdom lie with the gods 2 Plato o Debate to find the truth dialectical process o method for resolving disagreement between people with different points of view o Allegory of the cave we look at things and think they are the real thing but they are only o people believe what they see shadows but it is the educator s job to teach what is real o Theory of Forms objective standards to decide what is real and what isn t representations of the real thing and expose new ideas o what is the idea of something o idea vs a representation of an idea o Educational hierarchy wanted society stratified based on educational level o republican society utopia o how to solve society s problems philosopher kings most educated wise and all knowing then protectors then worker bees o goal of education was to identify and guide a few gifted few to the truth and to sort and socialize those less intellectually gifted into lesser roles in life o From belief to true knowledge o Idealism o Truth is within us o Improve society o deductive reasoning general to specific o thinking and reasoning 3 Aristotle o Observation and analysis will lead to the truth o Knowledge through observation o There is an absolute truth that comes from nature we must look outward to find it o Intellectual and moral virtue leads to actualization o Humans are unique because they can ask questions and seek answers o Human essence is to contemplate and question o Humans must understand the world and their role in it o Achieve happiness by fulfilling our essence o learning to become virtuous is a necessary part of becoming educated o used inductive reasoning and realism o reasoning and contemplating the way one arrives at happiness o students were called peripatics because he taught by walking around o we have to strive to be the best humans we can be o The golden mean will help form good habits everything in moderation leads to virtue act with reason 4 John Locke o Tabula rasa child can be molded into a good citizen o Individuals are born as blank slates without built in mental content o their knowledge comes from experience and perception o need to learn from society society makes the man o 4 elements of education o Virtue most important worship God and treat others with respect o Wisdom handle affairs business affairs in a fair prudent way o Breeding ability to handle yourself in social situations o Learning learn from experience if we have above three o Experiences how we are educated o Teacher is authority o Social contract give up liberty for good of society o Need to form good habits when we are young to be good wise virtuous people even if we do not understand it at the time because we will be easier to make meaning of it when older o Parents should teach by example o Education outward learning 5 Jean Jacques Rousseau o Self reliance should learn on your own through necessity and senses o Negative education we learn through experience and follow nature o Child should learn from nature before he enters formal education o Humans are born good and get corrupted by society o Arts and sciences create unnatural evil boundaries o Progress puts restraints on freedom o Increased knowledge takes away natural innocence and primitiveness o Men and women are different o First one to be child centered o Women are subservient and should be taught to please men o Don t present kids with stuff too early because they won t understand it o Wanted to properly educate future generations to reform corrupt society o Proposed education system aimed at making a good citizen 6 Catharine Macaulay o Proper education should promote genderless virtues o Benevolence goal of education o The more you give the happier you ll be o Promote happiness in others o Virtue over vice o Good education fosters reason and benevolence o Integrate masculine and feminine traits o Men and women are the same but influenced by society o There is one human essence so all people should have same education o Everyone should be more equal o Everyone has both masculine and feminine qualities o Believed in having a well rounded education o Learn through experience and example 7 Thomas Jefferson o Leaders should be properly educated virtuous intellectuals men of character o Should remain accountable to the people they serve o Influence over government must be shared by all people everyone should participate in authority to avoid private desires for wealth o Only educated people can create maintain government to safeguard liberty o People are the ultimate guarders of their own liberties o Education preserves freedom and it is the government s responsibility to educate children o Separation of church and state o State should neither promote nor impede the free exercise of religion o Advocates reading history to recognize tyranny and the life you want o Everyone should be taught reading writing common arithmetic o Wait to teach children religion because their judgments are not mature yet o Education is more than a familial responsibility must be a societal responsibility 8 Horace Mann o Thought education was the great equalizer o Education can create new treasures and new wealth o Education gives each man the independence and the means by which he can resist the selfishness of other men prevents men from becoming poor o One class should not hold the wealth and education while the other is ignorant o advocated for the common school as a means of providing all children with the same common knowledge industrialized nation o wanted to common schools to change future generations and cure the ills of the new o Educating children equally was the first way to improve society because their minds are open and willing to accept new