EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 https://doi.org/10.54481/ecosoen.2022.3-4.12 UDC: 37.06, 376 EVALUATION OF EDUCATION IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF HOLISTIC APPROACH EVALUAREA EDUCAȚIEI ÎN LUMEA CONTEMPORANĂ DIN PERSPECTIVA ABORDĂRII HOLISTICE SAHINOGLU Seyfullah, Ph.D, Istanbul University, Turkey (ORCID: 0000-0002-4675-2916) SAHINOGLU Seyfullah, doctor, Universitatea din Istambul, Turcia (ORCID: 0000-0002-4675-2916) Annotation: The main purpose of education is generally expressed as raising strong, visionary and qualified generations who will transfer the social and cultural heritage from generation to generation. In today's world, where global problems have the same effect even in the farthest corners of the world, establishing and maintaining a quality education system has become a phenomenon that almost all societies dream of. In multi-religious and multi-cultural societies with individuals who belong to different religions, languages, sects, races, genders and ethnic origins having different beliefs, morals and thoughts, it is an extremely important issue to be able to form and develop a sustainable common life skill. Nowadays, from an educational perspective this issue is accepted as "an indispensable situation and an indisputable fact". There is no doubt that the emphasize on the holistic approach, which has inspired so many effective and popular education systems around the world in terms of the scientific competence, gives a special meaning to the original value of the subject. The holistic approach according to scope, adequacy and conformity criteria reveals the basic universal principles of education thanks to its innovative tendencies and attitudes, and thus makes significant contributions to the realization of the qualified education. Adnotare: Scopul principal al educației, în general, este exprimat ca creșterea unor generații puternice, cu viziuni pentru perspectivă și calificate, care vor transfera moștenirea socială și culturală din generație în generație. În lumea contemporană, unde problemele globale au același efect chiar și în cele mai îndepărtate colțuri ale globului, stabilirea și menținerea unui sistem educațional de calitate a devenit un fenomen la care visează aproape toate societățile. În societățile multi-religioase și multi-culturale cu indivizi care aparțin unor religii, limbi, secte, rase, genuri și origini etnice diferite, având credințe, moravuri și gânduri diferite, este o problemă extrem de importantă capacitatea de a forma și perpetua o dezvoltare durabilă a abilităților comune de viață. În zilele noastre, din perspectivă educațională, această problemă este acceptată ca „o situație indispensabilă și un fapt incontestabil”. Fără îndoială că accentul pus pe abordarea holistică, care a inspirat atâtea sisteme de învățământ eficiente și populare din întreaga lume în ceea ce privește competența științifică, dă o semnificație deosebită valorii inițiale a materiei. Abordarea holistică în funcție de criteriile de amploare, adecvare și conformitate dezvăluie principiile universale de bază ale educației datorită tendințelor și atitudinilor sale inovatoare și, astfel, aduce contribuții semnificative la realizarea educației calificate. Keywords: education, system, holistic, phenomenon, approach. Cuvinte-cheie: educație, sistem, holistic, fenomen, abordare. 92 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 Introduction Due to the problems that arise for various reasons from time to time throughout the world, the quality of education has decreased, and serious vicious circles have been experienced in terms of quality and quantity. Many nations and societies have faced with the problem of providing the educational tools and materials necessary for an ideal education system, as well as other basic and complementary needs such as space, curriculum, methods and teachers. However, thanks to the curiosity and desire to learn, human beings have been able to make the expected move in both theoretical and practical fields and have been able to engage in different searches with a big hope and desire for a strong revival in terms of finding new solutions, approaches and models each time. Edgar Morin, who underlines that the only thing needed to get rid of the problems the world is challenging today is ‘a thought reform and that this can only be achieved through education’, he especially emphasizes that the reform in question is 'paradigmatic' in nature. Stating that important concepts such as context, whole, multidimensionality and complexity cannot be adequately grasped due to shallow human knowledge, he draws attention to the incompatibility that has begun to be seen in the multidimensional, global and even planetary forms with which knowledge is identified. Stressing that generous and regular investments in knowledge and education are the only factors needed by people who want to cope with global problems, Morin claims that seven knowledges will play a dominant and decisive role in the education of the future. In his assessment in this respect, he underlines that human beings and their basic virtues and competencies have begun to disappear, and that the main reason behind this is the "paradigmatic blindness" that humanity is exposed to, especially when it cannot develop a holistic perspective [21, p. 15-16]. The earth, today at a first glance resembles and recalls a global village. So, the problems tending to be common started to make it necessary to identify and implement new approaches and perspectives for a fast and efficient solution for human's benefit. For example, the following quote from the introductory part of Ron Miller's book, one of the leading theorists of the holistic approach, shows the great extent of the moral and value corruption in today's America. Moreover, these statements and determinations are expressed in the same way by educators, philosophers and scientists in almost every parts of the world. “In specific ways, American culture has failed to live up to its own ideals.Some of these failures are blatant, and are, by now, widely acknowledged.Slavery was accepted in the compromises that formed the Constitution, and racism has remained a stubborn disease of the American spirit.Women—over half the population—were excluded from political and economic power for much of our history. And recent generations of historians have documented how truly unjustly large numbers of human beings — such as indigenous people, Asian and non-Protestant European immigrants, and unskilled workers — have been treated in this country. Clearly, enough opportunity and hope existed (and still exist), in comparison to many other parts of the world, to continue drawing millions of immigrants to this land, but we can no longer ignore the human suffering and cultural consequences of the frequent and flagrant betrayal of democratic values throughout our history. The educational dissidents whom I call ‘holistic’ educators were concerned about these failures of American democracy, but they are of interest primarily because they also perceived more subtle cultural flaws. As educators, they recognized that American culture rests on an implicit image of the human being and implicit assumptions about the human relationship to nature and the cosmos that prevent the expansion and evolution of human capacities. They recognized that entire dimensions of the personality —aesthetic, expressive, and spiritual dimensions—are chronically undernourished, if not actively suppressed, by schooling and other childrearing practices. In various ways, they pointed out that wholeness is a vitally important value for human happiness and fulfillment, and desperately needs to be reclaimed. Indeed, they have repeatedly argued that the more blatant problems of American democracy are directly related to, if not rooted in, these more subtle, epistemological and spiritual problems” [19, p. 7]. 93 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 Ron Miller also points out that in America, where there is a great turmoil in educational field, social officials who are looking for an effective solution have adopted the perception of students with high economic productivity as a basic and common goal while redesigning education. He reveals the subjective and imposing attitudes of those who have the right and power in schooling and education as they criticize some other alternative education models such as the “holistic approach” that wants to shape the student in different patterns. Miller mentions an urgent and important complaint by the country's leading politicians, corporate executives, journalists, academics and foundations at that period. These people heavily criticize and even blame the school system and administrations at that time for not raising up good workers and citizens. In addition, those making these critics expect students to have more excellence, more accountability and higher test scores. Thereupon, administrators and legislators stepped into enact a more disciplined school policy and educational practice with a more comprehensive curriculum for this purpose. In this context, the Federal government has started a study for national educational standards by re-defining the national educational targets. Miller states that public education was then under attack from dissatisfied taxpayers, free-market advocates and religious groups, and that alternative choices such as 'homeschooling' had turned into a mass movement from an insignificant and mostly illegal perception. Miller specifically stresses out that all these innovative views and suggestions are ignored and rejected by the authorized bodies that lead, manage and shape the country's education policy. For him, there are a lot of political and ideological interest groups struggling to take control of education in America. Those groups, of course share some basic assumptions about the meaning and purpose of education in modern society. According to them, why schools exist is to transfer or pass on a certain set of knowledge and values to young people. They even claim that the society or the state has the right and obligation to control children's minds and abilities by directing them to professions that they think beneficial to the society. Miller thinks that these intolerant different interest groups, who have lost their ability to focus on themselves, are severely divided among themselves and disagree about what knowledge and values should be conveyed, which activities are most beneficial, and which skills are most useful and essential for economic success. They also avoid to be engaged in any types of discussion on the basic assumptions. Due to this conflict which is incompatible with any democratic principle, humanitarian and conscientious attitude, all kinds of innovative ideas, thoughts and predictions such as holistic approach have been subjected to serious criticism. Protecting and increasing the productivity of students who produce economic gain and value has been defended as the most basic educational goal [19, p. 1]. These problems, which Miller expressed for America, have begun to threaten all humanity on a larger scale. As a matter of fact, problems such as nuclear armament, biological wars, environmental pollution, hunger and drought, waste of resources, women's rights, unemployment and income injustice have become ever-growing threats to all nations of the world. If we add to this the rapidly increasing unbalanced population, irregular migration and immigrants, global epidemic cases, food and information security issues, it will be better understood how serious and vital these issues are in front of humanity. In fact, the main purpose of this study is to state and claim that these issues, which have almost become a 'problem phenomenon' in front of people, should be solved immediately by making use of the power of education. The most important thing to solve these mega problems is to have an accurate and high quality education system. This will only be possible with an effective and comprehensive education approach. A person who grows up in such an education model will easily attain the ability to face with global problems. Contrary to the modern understanding of education, which aims to raise uniform individuals based on economic efficiency, the main purpose here is to raise virtuous, respectable individuals who adopt universal principles and values. In other words, a person full of love, respect, compassion, self-awareness and a sense of social justice; will be able to have a real sense of responsibility towards nature, the earth and the universe. 94 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 Thanks to the global collective consciousness which is accepted as a rising value; societies, nations and states have started to solve problems jointly by signing cooperation agreements on a bilateral, regional or global scale. Because people try to maintain their position in the world and to have a better standard of living on a social and national scale. They want to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way in the ordinary course of life and avoid difficulties and problems. This is the most distinctive feature of man. Being always ahead in education and training is accepted as an important criterion of contemporary development and progress in societies. In addition, it is seen as a vital mission to transfer the scientific, socio-cultural and economic gains obtained as a result of a quality education to future generations with the hope of carrying them forward. What is meant by quality education here; it is a holistic education model that gives a real definition of all these problems, clarifies them satisfactorily, and solves them with a comprehensive and effective approach. In another explanation of the meaning and nature of holism, Edgar Morin deals with the relationship between the part and the whole and emphasizes the concept of multidimensionality. He states that human beings have biological, spiritual, emotional and mental characteristics in a multidimensional structure consisting of complex units such as society, and society also has social, political, economic and religious dimensions. He explains the multidimensionality relation of a rationally logical knowledge as follows: “Because the part is inseparable from the whole, the parts cannot be separated from each other. For example, the economic dimension is in constant interaction with all other human dimensions; moreover, economy embodies needs, desires and human passions in hologram fashion that goes beyond mere economic interests” [21, p. 17]. Naturally, society and nations wanted to prevent the degeneration, social attrition and collapse that caused the loss of individual and social identity by integrating their education systems into such a full, deep-rooted and effective approach at a time when permanent human values were on the verge of being forgotten. In this context, for example, since the holistic approach has an ideal method in teaching religion, which is accepted as the highest value by many nations and states, with all its foundations, principles, values and institutions, many scientific studies have been carried out on the subject. Perhaps the most important and comprehensive of these is a study [26] conducted in an ecumenical context, organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC), in which the impact and contribution of the holistic approach in the teaching of Christian religion and principles are investigated and questioned. At the end of this study carried out by the World Council of Churches Education and Ecumenical Formation Commission within the framework of holistic education; it has been decided to support and defend all principles, values and practices with holistic content at every opportunity, as it provides the opportunity and ground for the best and most accurate understanding and explanation of the basic issues of Christianity. In brief, every country and state should justify the need for an alternative method or model, especially in the field of education, and identify a more effective and comprehensive method or model that will fully meet the new goals and expectations that arise in parallel with developments. Because it is obvious that narrrow, local and limited approaches obviously fall short of finding solutions to the educational problems caused by a new type of multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-religious interaction that emerged with such easy and frequent use of communication channels. Therefore, it can be said that education policies should be redesigned based on a more suitable method or model. It is clear that a holistic education model has a valid and sufficient method, tactic or strategy in solving the problems frequently encountered in education programs around the world. In other words, a holistic approach will be adopted for the development of rational techniques and methods in education and training processes. 1. What is Holism? ‘Holism’ is a philosophical view that argues that the whole is more meaningful, important and valuable than the sum of its parts. The concept of ‘holistic’ also indicates the importance of evaluating 95 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 something or someone as a whole, not a part [14, p. 744]. The discourses and expressions of the holistic approach have started to be used frequently in all areas of life. In this context, it is seen that many concepts related to the word ‘holistic’ are used actively and widely both in the main scientific disciplines and in various professional fields. ‘Holism’ in education and psychology dictionaries is defined as ‘the common name of the approaches that advocate the view that the whole is more than the parts that compose it’. Accordingly, the whole has a structure that cannot be understood only by analyzing the component parts. In this context, the first meaning that social holism evokes is the fact that the individual is an important element or part in the social institutions to which he belongs. The word ‘holism’, which is also widely used in the field of psychology and psychiatry, is known as an approach pioneered by Adolf Meyer and Kurt Goltstein. Here, man represents a spiritual, biological, social and cultural whole that cannot be fully explained by his subjective characteristics [3, p. 1033]. ‘Holism’ in philosophy dictionaries is a concept with an ideological content and is a philosophy of wholeness that is close to the natalist theory of evolution. It makes an idealistic interpretation that a whole should never be understood as the sum of its parts. The world is subject to a creative evolution process, and new wholes are created by this holistic process. In this evolutionary process, the forms of matter are constantly increasing and renewing themselves. Holistic process absolutely rejects the law of conservation of matter advocating the view that ‘nothing can be created from nothing and cannot be destroyed while it exists.’ Taking the matter further, holists claim that the wholeness factor is not material and knowable, but has a mystical nature [10, p. 215]. The etymological root of the word ‘holism’ is based on the Greek Word ‘holos’ which means ‘all, whole and total’. According to Jan Christiaan Smuts, who is known as the first user of the word, ‘holism’ is derived from ‘olos’ meaning ‘whole’ in Greek. This word ‘olos’ is accepted to be the origin of ‘hole, holistic, holism, hologram, catholic, all, whole’ and many other words. Holism indicates that it is impossible for any system of socio-economic, philosophical, educational, psychological, chemical and biological to be defined and understood by the parts or components that make up it. In the judgment that Aristotle summarizes as “The whole is greater and more than the sum of its parts” [1; 2], the whole does not acquire its functional importance and superiority with an ordinary qualification. In fact, the whole is in need of the parts that make up it, and it must duly fulfill the mission it has undertaken as the main goal. A holistic perspective emphasizes that the relationship between the whole and the part is mandatory, not optional. For this reason, it is said that the whole is much more important and valuable than the parts that compose it. Sociologically, holism states that societies are not simply unconscious masses of individuals. According to social holism, a person should be seen as a crucial element of social structure to which he belongs, keeping the fact constantly in mind that the societies are not only the ordinary crowdings. In a study comparing holism and individuality as different types of society, it was reported that the concept of holism has three different anthropological uses. It is seen that the concept of holism, which reflects a comprehensive system idea, is a term frequently used in scientific and economic fields. Some, claiming that the whole was not created or formed by chance, tried to explain holism with the concept of ‘holarchical’, which states that reality consists of intertwined wholes [29]. While holism argues that the universe is an undivided, interconnected whole, it states that this whole points to an all-encompassing creative source through many layers or contexts. In some other definitions that stand out with the emphasis and theme of finality, holism refers to an ultimate Truth or Absolute Being that provides the unity and uniqueness of all life [13, p. 23]. Although different definitions have been made in the historical process, the emphasis on wholeness, which constitutes the essence of holism, has never lost its importance and value and has continued to be the center of semantic concentration. The following definitions are some of the most commonly used in holistic studies: 96 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 1. Holism is a theory of the whole and the main issue is; it has a higher value in meaning and importance than any part or component that composes it. 2. Holism is known as practices within the scope of belief that are shaped on a theoretical basis emphasizing wholeness. 3. Holism is a philosophical view that can see and accept people with all their features such as body, mind and spirit. 4. Holism is a way of thinking that emphasizes the integrity of nature, first of all, in order to better understand the phenomenon ‘wholeness’. 5. Holism is a worldview that looks at the universe from a perspective in which everything is both interdependent and interconnected. According to those who interpret the concept of holism from an artistic point of view, the root of the word goes back to Greek and Egyptian civilizations. Holism, which is widely used in various scientific disciplines, has also found a meaningful response in philosophy, health, medicine and quantum physics, including theological fields [6]. Edgar Morin thinks that in order to recognize the parts, the whole must be reconstructed. Saying that he agrees with Marcel Mauss's view that ‘the whole must be rebuilt’, Morin also states that the whole has qualities and features that can never be found in parts [21, p.16-17]. Holism, also known as a ‘balanced mid-way’, is used today to express the integrity of matter and meaning. Holism has become a frequently preferred concept, especially in scientific settings, as it has a unique structure combining traditional and contemporary theories. While it was a more common concept in the medical literature for a period, it started to become widespread in foreign language teaching. In parallel with the increase in holistic-based techniques and methods, it has strengthened its influence and presence by easily integrating into the field of education. Since it gives an equal importance to the existing methods applied in education, it has started to be referred to as a ‘holistic approach’. 2. Holistic Education Holistic education compherensively monitors, guides, controls and analyzes the process of personal development at all cognitive and affective levels. The aim of holistic education is to take people to the best and most beautiful points of their lives with a real experience of emotion and excitement. In other words, it helps each person discover the inner potentiality and find true paths for self-development in intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative and spiritual aspects. To achieve this goal, it handles with all the stages at cognitive and affective levels thoroughly. It is certain that this can only be achieved by considering all the elements that make up the human being together. Abraham Maslow states that holistic education matures people in all aspects and allows them to always be at the highest level on the path to self-realization. Thus, human will be able to develop their spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, artistic, physical and creative potentiality [25, p. 3]. Ron Miller affirms that holistic education is not strictly a specific technique or method, but a paradigm or a set of fundamental assumptions or principles that can be applied in different ways. For him, holistic education is a crucial intellectual movement and the synthesis of several sound philosophical and pedagogical perspectives. Listed below are the philosophies, psychologies, theories, trends, and worldviews that essentially underpin holistic education. It should also be noted that articles and books are worth writing about each of these extremely valuable resources that foster a holistic approach: 1. Philosophies a. Perennial philosophy. b. Life philosophy. c. Integral philosophy. 97 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 2. Psychologies a. Transpersonal psychology. b. Gestalt psychology. 3. Theories a. Scientific theory. b. System theory. 4. Trends a. Globalist current. b. Feminism movement. 5. Worldviews a. Indigenous worldview. b. Ecological worldview. Those who think that the holistic education framework is large and broad enough to include many different views and approaches argue that all of them are based on the principle of ‘interconnectedness’. The basic principle of holistic education is the principle of ‘wholeness’, which argues that everything in the universe is connected with everything else. Everything that exists is related in terms of ‘interdependence’ and ‘meaning’. The whole is something that is more than the sum of its parts. This means that the whole consists of associative patterns that are not found in the parts. Therefore, a phenomenon and event can never be understood in isolation [22, p. 44-46]. From this point of view, holistic education wants to take the person to the highest level where human development takes place by considering all aspects including cognitive and affective areas. It enables the individual to display the personal characteristics known as ‘best’ in his area of interest and social environment, while aiming for the most comprehensive human development possible. Thus, the capacities that together make up the human being are realized fully and simultaneously [81, p. 21]. In such an educational atmosphere, the student positions himself as an active, participatory and critical learner rather than an empty vessel filled with heaps of information, and takes care to stay in this perspective. Students who take such a stance become more resistant to various local and global scenarios in an ever-changing world. Those who deal with the issue in this context, in a sense, define holistic education. Accordingly, holistic education must accept the multiple dimensions of the human personality – physical, intellectual, aesthetic, emotional and spiritual – and lead the individual to be fully integrated into living on a harmonious planet [27, p. 227]. A comprehensive definition made by Ron Miller is quite useful and remarkable in this respect; ‘Holistic education is based on the premise that each individual finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through their commitment to society, the natural world, and spiritual values such as compassion and peace. Holistic education expects young people to have a passionate love of learning as well as a sincere and deep respect for life. Of course, this must happen through direct involvement in the environment, not through an academic curriculum that packs the world into teaching packages. Holistic education essentially contains a sense of wonder. Emphasizing cosmic education, Montessori claims that if a young person feels that he is an active factor that has an important place in the unity of the universe, learning will take place in the most natural way, almost magically and invitingly. A holistic educator believes in the existence and benefits of many different learning ways and methods to achieve this goal. He opposes the ‘one best way’ requirement and attaches equal importance and value to all of them. He is also well aware of the fact that in certain situations, a method that is suitable for some children may not be a good solution for other children due to different social and historical reasons. The main skill of holistic education lies in meeting the different learning needs of human beings who are constantly developing [17]. 98 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 The holistic way of thinking defines the child as a subject of education with special and elegant words, emphasizing that his intelligence and ability are too complex to be calculated with standard test scores, and that the perception of being an ordinary worker in the future will be considered as unfair and disrespect to him. It prefers to be inclusive and integrative rather than making meaningless and worthless definitions about people who have the potential to have a deep and rich meaning and experience, by limiting their activities as if they are confined to a narrow framework. I t is seen that holistic education owes its only power to its perception of the human being as a whole, its efforts to produce solutions to all kinds of urgent needs and demands, and its determination to struggle against problems with a strong belief without showing weakness. 3. The Basic Values and Concepts in Holistic Education 3.1. The Basic Values Since education is a functional process that creates desired behaviors in the individual, personal development is largely completed in the triangle of family, school and environment. For this reason, it is possible to find traces of many values, each of which reflects an important personality trait, in the behavior of the individual. In fact, in all education systems, values that have conceptual equivalents have a very important place. Values such as relationships, integrity, the desire to understand and learn, compassion, loyalty, and belief in self-worth play an important role in maintaining behavioral efficiency. Moreover, these values are generally given to the students in a planned manner through relationships at all levels. Because values, which cover all the social, cultural, economic and scientific elements of a nation and consist of material and spiritual elements, are in an active and continuous interaction with belief, education, family, society and close environment. 3.2. The Basic Concepts Especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, the educational methods and some techniques, tactics and strategies developed and put into practice by the pioneers of holistic education, who entered a new era in institutionalization, really show great differences. Among these names, who made a breakthrough in the history of education with their pioneering works, and who ensured keeping the universal consciousness always focused on the good and the truth thanks to their humancentered educational approaches; Jean Jacques Rousseau (the Naturalist and Liberal Education), Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (the Contemporary Primary School), Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel (the Kindergarten Movement), Amos Bronson Alcott ( the Concept of Spiritual Education, John Dewey (the Progressive Education Movement), Rudolf Steiner (the Waldorf Schools), Maria Montessori (Montessori Schools), Alexander Sutherland Neill ( Summurhill or Freedom Schools), Leo Tolstoy (Yasnaya Polyana School or Anarchist School Model), Camphill Movement, Sudbury Valley School, Forest School, Krishnamurti Schools and Reggio Emilia Approach. For example, Montessori proposed a ‘ready environment’ model that allows children to learn at their own pace despite their readiness for certain emotional and intellectual stimuli, and often includes special materials that they can use independently. Rudolf Steiner has designed the Waldorf approach, which is based on intuitively understanding and comprehending the spiritual need that arises at every stage of personal development, which his followers describe as ‘intuitive foresight, foresight and knowing the futur’. Therefore, children in Waldorf schools are classified by age and spend most of their time learning new things in group activities meticulously prepared and implemented by teachers who have an intuitive understanding of children's personal characteristics and immediate needs. As can be seen, Waldorf schools strongly oppose the realization of literacy, especially in children under the age of 7, and focus on the development of imagination and artistic expression, while Montessori education emphasizes empirical learning by focusing on real objects in the environment and encourages the realization of literacy at an early age. On the contrary, some holistic approaches (e.g., Quaker schools or 'neo-humanist' education based on the teachings of Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, an Indian Tantric guru) embrace meditation, periods of quiet reflection, and 99 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 daily life accounting or yoga and other focusing practices. Other holistic approaches, such as Reggio Emilia, which is the first name that comes to mind when talking about the early childhood education system, attach great importance to artistic expression and creativity. On the other hand, Krishnamurti advised against such methods, stating that a loving, open and non-authoritarian relationship between people would pave the way for real learning. He even stated that this view, which was agreed upon by many parents and radical educators, who opposed the rigidly managed schools at that time and joined the 'unschooled' or 'out-of-school' education movements and established 'collective learning centers' in different regions, would turn into a vigorous movement. In this context, it would be very useful to take a look at these basic concepts that add a special value and meaning to holistic education. 3.2.1. Spirituality or Human Spirituality The concept of ‘spirituality’, in fact, started to be talked about more frequently after Montessori's claim and discourse that there is a ‘spiritual embryo’ developing according to a divine plan within every human being. In this context, it was especially emphasized that the most urgent and important task of teachers is to remove all obstacles to this development as much as possible [20, p. 30-49]. For this reason, the concept of spirituality is known as the most fundamental factor that actually constitutes the essence of holistic education and distinguishes it from all other alternative education approaches [22, p. 46]. Arguing that holistic education tries to address individual development in all aspects including intellectual, emotional, physical, social, aesthetic and spiritual, Jack Miller claims that the first five principles are predominantly covered in the progressive and humanistic education curriculum, but the spiritual dimension is neglected [16, p. 2]. In this context, it will be very useful to understand Dewey's perception of spirituality. Surprisingly, Dewey identified the student's spirit as an important component of the educational process. By defining spiritual experience, he stated that spirituality is not just an element that reflects human experience, but rather it corresponds to ‘thought experience’, which is accepted to be one of the most important factors in the education process and curriculum [12, p. 146]. According to contemporary holistic educators, the child is born with some potentials that arise naturally when the time and place comes during the development process. These potentials are bestowed upon him from creation. For them, the role of education is to allow the child's selfdisclosure and development to occur gradually and naturally, so that these potentials can be unleashed. From this point of view, Plato defines the reality of human and universe as two ultimate beings in the context of soul and body. According to Plato, who argues that man is a spiritual being associated with the universal life principle, the mind including all knowledge and wisdom, needs a correct guide to reveal itself. In this context, the role of education is only to reveal this inner knowledge [15, p. 2]. Rousseau, who has a strong and deep faith that human beings are inherently good, claims that the child is absolutely good by nature and that his heart will naturally catch human virtue as long as he stays away from faults and evils, prejudiced thoughts and harmful habits and is protected. He puts the same emphasis as Froebel and Pestalozzi on revealing the inner potentials inherent in the child through appropriate education and guidance [24, p. 2-4]. As a matter of fact, using a more religious terminology, Froebel sees people as beings equipped with sacred qualities and tendencies and thus reflecting a divine will, while he believes that education is a tool that reveals the divine aspect within the person and enables him to reach pure consciousness. According to him, the purpose of education is to encourage and guide the individual to become a conscious, thinking and perceiving person so that he becomes the pure and perfect image of the divine inner self. Moreover, education should show people the ways and meanings of achieving this goal [9, p.2]. With a similar approach, Tolstoy argues that the real meaning of human life is shaped by religious understandings. He thinks that everything in the world develops towards perfection, and 100 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 even that all humanity develops and becomes perfect just like a human being. According to Tolstoy, the perfection of religion means making it easier to understand and explain all kinds of hidden thoughts. Explaining and illuminating the dark spots of religious values and truths has been successfully done and applied by the great thinkers of humanity from ancient times to the present. He stated that religion ultimately has high truths in nature and must be purified from all the ugly and ambiguous elements that naturally circulate over it like a dark cloud. He even specifically stated that this is both an essential duty and one of the most beautiful and beneficial things that every human can do [28, p. 46-47]. Pestalozzi, in his philosophy of education, contends that the inner self of the child contains a unique inner power and states that education should always start from the child and be based on an act of love. Because without love, he thinks, the inner forces in the child will never arise naturally. Therefore, the role of the educator is to prevent any external influences that tend to interfere and disrupt the child's natural process development [23]. 3.2.2. Respect for Life and Nature In holistic education, a very special attention is paid to the relationship of people with the natural world. In the Enlightenment Period, where the mechanistic perspective was dominant, nature was seen as an area that should be controlled by taking over and establishing absolute dominance over it. In this way, all the resources that nature offers generously to human beings will be determined and used in line with the endless ambitions and desires of people and societies. Contemporary holistic educators, who strongly oppose this view and thought, deal with and try to understand the natural world and the life in it with deep and great respect [7, p.245]. Therefore, all learning processes in a holistic system take place in a global context that requires great attention. Holistic educators also make a special effort to strengthen global awareness and respect for nature due to the increasing negative effects of environmental crises, which have a very high cost of living, and in this context, they give their priority to the understanding of education. Ron Miller reports that, unlike modern analytical, quantitative and control projects, holistic educators have a deep respect for nature and life to be a constructive dissident voice in education. This means high respect for the wisdom of creation in diversity, spontaneity and organic growth. Moreover, he puts forward that the most meaningful and magnificent aspect of human experience goes far beyond a grasp of utilitarian reason and economic development [18, p.22]. 3.2.3. Interconnectedness Every living organism in the universe is considered part of a complex web of life. Because they form deep and strong bonds with each other, acting with a sense of mutual need to grow, develop and maintain their lives. When a phenomenon avoids separation and disconnection in its relationship with another phenomenon and prefers a closeness with a natural course, this relationship naturally gains meaning and value. Therefore, a holistic view considers and evaluates these phenomena with the logic of a broad set of relations, rather than categorizing them with a mere emphasis on difference [11, p. 56-64]. Contemporary holistic educators strive to develop the perception and scope of wholeness, interconnectedness, and integration in all areas of the curriculum. In the education system they foresee, all young people, especially students, are well aware of the unity and interconnectedness vision of the universe and can also comprehend the interdependence between the phenomenas. They can also have a collective consciousness that all citizens should live in mutual peace, security and peace in the world, which is a global village. Holistic educators point out that learning occurs naturally and inevitably through one's interaction with the world, establishing different connections and relationships, and thus constructing new meanings. Above all, they claim that intelligence, thinking and learning are inseparable processes and should be recognized as part of the unique, dynamic, versatile and functional capacity embedded in human consciousness [4, p.29, 47]. 101 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 3.2.4. Wholeness As a basic principle in holistic education, the existence of the principle of wholeness, especially in educational institutions, and the necessity of a purposeful policy for the realization of this were emphasized. Because with wholeness, each academic discipline offers a different perspective as a contribution to the rich, complex and integrated structure of life. Holistic education use effectively and constructively the newly emerged alternative views regarding reality and the multiple methods used to access knowledge. Human development needs guidance and support not only intellectually and professionally, but also physically, socially, morally, aesthetically, creatively and spiritually - away from bigotry and conservatism. In addition to experiential reality, holistic education takes into account the numerical mystery of life and the universe. Holism is based on the assumption that everything in the universe is an interconnected and dependent integrated whole. Moreover, this assumption of unity is directly opposed to the paradigm of separation and fragmentation prevailing in the contemporary world [26, p. 84]. Ron Miller states that there are ‘five levels of wholeness’ [16, p. 2] that are crucial to holistic education, as illustrated below: a. The Whole Man in Every Way b. Wholeness in Group and Society c. Social Wholeness d. A Whole Planet e. Holistic Universe Conclusions It is very difficult to give an easy general definition because there is no single source, leading advocate, or main form of expression of the holistic education movement. According to a definition that many holistic educators agree on, holistic education adopts a broad and accepted new perspective on being human, more satisfying than traditional education, when dealing with educational issues. Some advocates argue that the views central to holistic education are not new and should not be time-related. Those who confirm that these are mostly used with concept of ‘wholeness’, which represents the religious value judgments of humanity, argue that the holistic views and ideas are basically inspired by pioneers such as Rousseau, Emerson, Pestalozzi, Froebel and recently Krishnamurti, Steiner, Montessori, Jung, Maslow, Rogers, Paul Goodman, John Holt, Ivan Illich and Paulo Freire. Holistic education, with its current meaning and scope, first emerged in North America in the mid-1980s and started to be accepted as a viable field of study. This new educational movement emerged as a response and reaction to the mainstream education worldview, which was popular at the time and commonly known as the Mechanical or Cartesian-Newtonian worldview. Holistic education has chosen to challenge the fragmentary and reductionist assumptions that exist in the mainstream education and culture system, rather than doing some necessary work to create an education model. In other words, holistic education is the very basic worldviews or paradigms that provide permanent improvements by interfering with the core structure of education. In a sense, holistic education aims to instill a global vision of conscience, love and intelligence in people in order to restore the moral and spiritual personality traits that have been neglected by the suppression of mainstream education philosophy and worldview. From this point of view, holistic education tries to find a new way of life for a person who is stuck between the contradictions of the scientist and industrial society who claims to be modern and the Newtonian-Cartesian paradigm. For example, while mechanical education produces a fragmented and disjointed scientific awareness in this process, it imposes a serious limitation on students' abilities and causes them to encounter greater problems in their lives. Holistic education includes a feature that embraces both the problems and needs of an emerging new culture. It aims to provide a complete and integrated education that takes care of the 102 EcoSoEn, Scientific Journal “B” Category _______________________________________________________________________________ Economics, Social and Engineering Sciences Year 5, Nr.3-4/2022 intellectual, emotional, physical, social, aesthetic and spiritual needs of people. In this context, holistic education, whose mission is to educate people to live responsibly in a sustainable cultural environment, undoubtedly strives to raise universally conscious people with a vision of peace, love and intelligence in the twenty-first century. Holistic education includes many different philosophical tendencies and pedagogical practices. In this respect, it represents an eclectic understanding that describes a more spiritual worldview and encourages its development, rather than materialism, through its experiences and acquisitions that include dynamic and holistic views. In this context, holistic education is a comprehensive movement that deals not only with basic human skills, but also with life experience. The educational experience in question encourages a more balanced development of different aspects in the individual, primarily intellectual, physical, spiritual, emotional, social and aesthetic. Moreover, it focuses on the relationship between the individual and other people, the natural environment, the inner and outer world, emotion and reason, and different disciplines of knowledge or different ways of knowing. Bibliography Aristoteles. Metafizik - 980a. Trans. Ahmet Arslan. İstanbul: Sosyal Yayınları, 1996. Aristoteles. Metaphysics. Trans. William David Ross. Kansas: Digireads.com Publishing, 2018. Bakırcıoğlu Rasim. Ansiklopedik Eğitim ve Psikoloji Sözlüğü. Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık, 2012. Clark, Edward T. Designing and Implementing an Integrated Curriculum: A Student-Centered Approach. Brandon, VT: Holistic Education Press, 1997. 5. 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