Republic of the Philippines

LEYTE NORMAL UNIVERSITY

Name: DARYL YEPES PATANAO, MAT-SOCSCI - Student

REFLECTION PAPER

How philosophers Alfred North Whitehead, John Dewey and Bertrand Russell did

became significant figures in the philosophy of education? What are their views and

contributions on the aims of education?

Alfred North Whitehead’s “educated man” is the man both of culture and of

expertise. Because of his expertise the educated man is productively involved; because

of culture, his involvement has depth. Whitehead’s essay can also considered a polemic

against what he considers the scourge of education today: inert ideas. Inert ideas are

the data, information, even know-how passed on to the student, committed to memory,

reviewed for examination and left to accumulate in one senseless heap somewhere in

the corners of one’s mind.

Alfred North Whitehead presupposes his two admonitions: “Do not teach too

many subjects” and “What you teach, teach thoroughly”. It is a very valuable lesson that

what makes for good education is not some lengthy list of required subjects or courses

(at two or three hours a week) but the genius with which the dedicated teacher leads the
students to see how all that is taught hangs together in a meaningful whole and refers to

nothing less than the concerns of life, of daily living, itself.

Science, says John Dewey, is the only way of learning about man and about the

world. In fact such statement cannot be sustained by means of scientific methodology.

In short, such a statement is not a scientific statement, according to the common

acceptance of “science”.

The proper concern of philosophy, asserts Dewey, is with values, with the ends

for the sake of which man acts. And it is precisely by education to knowledge obtained

from science is combined with enduring dispositions and attitudes into a significant

response to life. Education then, says Dewey, is the outstanding means of the

integration of knowledge and values.

One of the chief “situations” of society to which education must respond in the

challenge of democracy. Elsewhere John Dewey insists that democracy does not “come

to pass” in person’s minds. The ways of democracy are the result of education.

Democracy is basically the arrangement under which we are asked what we want, what

our needs are and what our troubles are. This then is also a responsibility, and Dewey

sees it to be the very heart of education that each has the right and the duty to form

some conviction and to express it, and to count as importantly as the other.

There is a theory of education which claims that the purpose of education is to

provide opportunities for the individual’s growth and to remove hampering influences. It

is what Bertrand Russell calls a “negative theory of education” because it advocates a

minimum of impositions and leaves the educand as much latitude as he wants for
discovery, curiosity, and investigation. It is basically a thesis Bertrand Russell shares. In

fact he maintains that where coercion is the tone of education, resentment and hatred

find their way very easily into the child and surface in so many undesirable forms. When

Bertrand Russell discusses the contrast between the education of the individual and the

education of the citizen he insists that where the individual is left free to inquire, to

discover, to ask and to question, there genius is bred.

I firmly believed about Alfred North Whitehead’s view about the “educated man”

that he or she must be the man who has both the culture and expertise. Culture reflects

one’s identity and expertise represents one’s knowledge and skills. In our society

nowadays, it is very important that you must know how to respect and value the culture

of every group of people or even a culture of a country. You must know how to

understand and value first your own culture before the culture of others. In that way you

would be able to represent your own culture and be more expert of the things you

learned and practiced.

Another thing that I like from the aims of Alfred North Whitehead is his two

admonitions: “Do not teach too many subjects” and “What you teach, teach thoroughly”.

Education is the acquisition of the art of the utilization of knowledge. The result of

teaching small parts of a large number of subjects is the passive reception of

disconnected ideas, not illumined with any spark of vitality. Let the main ideas which are

introduced into a child’s education be few and important, and let them be thrown into

every combination possible. The child should make them his own, and should

understand their application here and now in the circumstances of his actual life. From

the very beginning of his education, the child should experience the joy of discovery.
The discovery which he has to make, is that general ideas give an understanding of that

stream of events which pours through his life, which is his life. In general, we should not

teach too many subjects nor put too much burden to our students. Instead, let them

explore the world of education because in that way they were able discovery important

things that will help them to become knowledgeable ones. Education does not only

mean acquiring new knowledge and storing it in our mind but it goes beyond of what we

expect. Education is somehow putting into actions of the thing we have learned or I

should say applying or utilizing it to real world situations.

Bertrand Russell’s Negative Theory of education is another important theory in

the foundations of education which claims that, the purpose of education is to provide

opportunities for the individual’s growth and to remove hampering influences. Meaning,

a learner is free to discover and learn new things based on his curiosity and he can do it

through a series of investigation. Knowledge should be about appeasing curiosity. A

student is curious about a subject, so they want to know more; they want to find the

answer. Russell stated that, the purpose of the teaching should be, from the student’s

point of view, partly to satisfy his curiosity for himself. Initiative and individual work give

the student the opportunity of discovery, and thus afford the sense of mental adventure

far more often and more keenly than is possible where everything is taught in class.

This theory become a child-centered rather than teacher-centered. The learner is

responsible for his own learning and he is free from the intervention of educators.

Educators in this manner only act as facilitators of learning. Students in this theory of

Russell becomes more active learners rather than passive learners. It is very important

especially nowadays that we are implementing the K to 12 curriculum, wherein,

knowledgeable and skilled ones so that they will be at par with the other students all

over the world.

Bertrand Russell addresses the subject of education in regards to the subject of

a human being as an individual versus a human being as a citizen. The education of

human beings is almost directly linked to their use in society because human beings are

society’s tools. Russell emphasizes the point that “the education which results from

regarding a child as an individual is very different from that which results from regarding

him as a future citizen”. Although this is true, society may benefit from its citizens first

understanding their individual self before focusing on their citizenship. Human beings

function not only as citizens, but also as individuals. They use the education of their

individual self to function and improve their role as citizen.

The problem that occurs however, and the problem which is associated with

Rusell’s goals of education, is that a human being as an individual often conflicts with a

human being as a citizen. Russell states that as an individual, human beings use

knowledge for personal reasons to try to discover truth through investigation. In other

words, they think for themselves and are devoid of outside unscientific influences.

However, human beings as citizens behave in all means for the good society.

The world is developing into a massive civilization that is dependent upon

cooperation. Cooperation cannot exist if every individual is for himself. Russell believes

that human being’s education as an individual, which will think and reason, is far more

significant than the human being’s education as a citizen.

somewhat true and relevant in purpose. I agree with him when he says that, “science is

the only way of learning about man and about the world”. Because as learners we do

inquiry, observation and experiment in order to find answer and solution to our queries

in life. John Dewey asserts that the proper concern of philosophy is with values, with

these ends for the sake of which man acts. And it is precisely by education that the

knowledge obtained from science is combined with enduring disposition and attitudes

into significant response to life. Education, then says Dewey, serves as the outstanding

means of integration of knowledge and values.

Democracy and education is one of the notable ideas of John Dewey. I affirm in

his idea about democracy that it is not just a political system but an ethical ideal with

active informed participation by the citizens. With these, if democracy is to work it

required informed, knowledgeable and wise citizens and, therefore, education has a

moral purpose. Classroom teachers and schools have a responsibility to nurture

character as well as teach knowledge and skills to their students. In this manner,

education prepares students for an uncertain future, and therefore, a high priority should

be given to developing effective habits and the ability to adapt and learn how to learn.

Generally speaking, the ideas of the philosophers Alfred North Whitehead,

Bertrand Russell, and John Dewey had greatly contributed on the aims of education.

They become significant figures in the field of education because of their notable ideas.

I strongly agree that their ideas about aims of education are beneficial and important to

all. I believe that by knowing their ideas about the aims of education will make me

knowledgeable enough in the course of study about the foundations of education.

Aquino, Ranhillo Callangan, Ph.D. “A Philosophy of Education”. pp. 15-21

https://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Educ/Educmell.htm

http://www.anthonyflood.com/whiteheadeducation.htm

https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2548/Whitehead-Alfred-North-1861-
1947.html

https://www.opuslibros.org/Index_libros/Recensiones_1/whitehea_aim.htm

https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1393&context=eandc

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/education/bertrand-russell-view-on-education/69148

https://sol.du.ac.in/mod/book/view.php?id=1448&chapterid=1324