9892 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Categorical Imperative, Truism, Socratic Method
Idealism:
Strengths: envisioning, conceiving of what isnt yet/possibilities
Weaknesses: unfounded abstraction, fantastical illusion, conservative
Ideas are the only true reality, perfect and eternal. Idealists do not reject the material
world, but the material world is characterised by change, instability, and uncertainty;
thus, a natural starting point of understanding the world around us, we find knowledge
in ideas
Matter doesnt exist if the mind does not perceive it
Idealists believe in becoming the fullest you can be (self-actualisation)
Dualisms: mind and body are separate/stressed importance of mind over matter
Deductive: begins with an idea, theory, statement, and works down to find possible
solutions or conclusions)
Purpose of education should be to search for true ideas (focus on things of lasting value),
most important is to teach people to think
Educators need to maintain constant concern about the ultimate purpose of teaching
Holistic learning, not just focusing on practical/occupational studies or specialised
learning, depth in learning and learning of the past (curriculum to give broad
understanding of world)
Not just about being literate but being a good person, concern for developing morality
Incompatible with scientific thought/Importance of humanism and individuality
Forerunner to cognitive learning theory/constructivism (modern idealism)
Educators need to become as close to the form of the good as possible and should be the
kind of person we want our children to become
Informal method of dialectic: questioning & discussing, teacher shows alternate views
Plato: (Classical)
Best teaching and learning is through the dialectic:
o Examining one decision and the opposite to reach a synthesis (both sides of an
issue)
o Looking past your own perspective and is an ongoing process through history
o Vehicle to move from the material world to the world of ideas, the dialectic
crossed the line between ideas and matter
People should primarily concern themselves with the search for truth, they need to free
themselves from matter to advance toward the Good
Maths demonstrates that eternal truths are possible ie 2+2=4
Cave Allegory: there is a reality we are ignorant of, evil stemmed from ignorance
Socratic Method: Finding new information purely from rationalising
1. Find common sense statement (truism)
2. Find an exception
3. Nuance the statement to make it more truthful
4. Keep going in this way until the statement is truthful
Augustine: (Religious)
Senses are unreliable
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Document Summary
Matter doesn(cid:495)t exist if the mind does not perceive it. Ideas are the only true reality, perfect and eternal. Idealists do not reject the material world, but the material world is characterised by change, instability, and uncertainty; thus, a natural starting point of understanding the world around us, we find knowledge in ideas. Idealists believe in becoming the fullest you can be (self-actualisation) Dualisms: mind and body are separate/stressed importance of mind over matter. Deductive: begins with an idea, theory, statement, and works down to find possible solutions or conclusions) Purpose of education should be to search for true ideas (focus on things of lasting value), most important is to teach people to think. Educators need to maintain constant concern about the ultimate purpose of teaching. Holistic learning, not just focusing on practical/occupational studies or specialised learning, depth in learning and learning of the past (curriculum to give broad understanding of world)