Essay about Philosophy and Education From Elitism to...

Philosophy and Education: From Elitism to Democracy ABSTRACT: From its first appearance in western culture, philosophy has been considered able to build up reality, to educate people, and to disclose truth. Plato proposed philosophers as governors in life-long pursuit of philosophical learning. Socrates was the ideal paradigm of an educating philosopher: he tried to wake up human minds so that they could be aware of themselves and of the world, criticizing tradition and prejudices in a logically consistent perspective. A critical and dialogic approach—not by mere chance defined as Socratic—to problems has been considered until now the most profitable method of teaching. Socrates is a pioneer in discussing the question of a†¦show more content†¦Socrates is a pioneer in discussing the question of a philosophical paideia, as he defined his method maieutic. He was not an authoritarian teacher, but a spurring partner in the process of self-education. Moreover, he considered himself as the most learned and, at the sam e time, the wisest in Greece, just because he was conscious of his ignorance. Therefore, he understood, for the first time in our cultural tradition, that knowledge is an endless process rather than a product, within marked bounds. In conclusion,docta ignorantia has the following bases: i) the disposition to investigate; ii) the astonishment in front of the world and the unknown; iii) the consciousness that knowledge is not only a whole of notions (though always open), but also and meanly a qualitative process of inter-relations and interactions between knowing subject and known object. In the history of educational theories, these Socratic ideas have been persisting over the centuries, in spite of ideological differences of various thinkers. From this point of view, education was for Socrates and is still for us synonymous of an endless process of learning to learn. And learning to learn means - acquisition of a critical attitude; - improvement of aesthetical and cultural tastes; - ability to test logical consistency of concepts and judgements, comparing them; - investigation into unknown fields, withoutShow MoreRelatedEssay on Elitism in American Politics1590 Words   |  7 PagesElitism is the belief or philosophy that a particular group of persons with exceptional abilities, specialized training or experience, wealth, or other unique characteristics, are the people whose interpretations on different matters are to be taken most seriously. More simply, some believe these people are best fit to administer or whose understandings or actions are mostly likely to be beneficial and profitable. Otherwise, the term elitism could be used to pronounce a condition in which powerRead MoreThe Theories Of Power Within A State Essay2041 Words   |  9 PagesEmphasised are the various theories of power within a state. 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