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Naturalism AS A School OF Philosophy
Philosophical Foundations of Education (EDM-1001)
Aligarh Muslim University
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NATURALISM AS A SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY
INTRODUCTION
Naturalism emerged as a theory of education in the nineteenth century. It was a reaction to humanism and mediaeval scholarship, both of which placed a high value on book learning. This school of thought believed that social curricula were to blame, and that a drastic shift in goal and method toward more natural lines was required.
NATURALISM'S MEANING
Naturalism begins with the explanation of various colours, as it is an old concept in western philosophical thought. It is the philosophical position taken by individuals who approach philosophy from a purely scientific perspective, according to Rusk. Natural laws are used to explain phenomena in naturalism. Nature is the ultimate reality, according to this worldview. It has said that matter, not mind or spirit, is the ultimate reality, as dictated by the Idealism ideology. It just denies the spiritual world's existence. The system of natural laws and man regulate the material universe in general. There is nothing outside of nature, behind nature, or apart from nature.
We should learn about naturalism's proponents while studying it. The main proponents of this philosophical idea include Bacon, Thomas Hobbes, Rousseau, Herbert Spencer, Nunn, Hurley, W. E. Hocking, and James Ward.
"Naturalism is the ideology that separates nature from God, subordinates’ spirit to matter, and establishes unchanging laws as paramount," writes James Ward.
"Naturalism denies the existence of anything beyond nature, beyond nature, beyond nature, and other than nature, such as supernatural or other worldly," Hocking added.
As a result, naturalism indicates that nature is a self-sufficient entity that is complete by herself and governed by herself.
They only believe in the realm of experimentation and experimentation, not in the world of spirituality.
Naturalism's Characteristics
The following are the main characteristics of Naturalistic Philosophy:
Naturalism holds that nature is the ultimate reality. Everything has a beginning.
All things come from matter and will eventually be reduced to it.
They advocated the viewpoint that the mind is the activity of the brain, and the brain is matter.
Natural laws are unchanging, and they control the entire cosmos. Science reveals the mysteries of nature; thus, only information acquired from science is true.
Our senses are the conduits for true information. Because matter is within the grasp of human senses, the ultimate truth can be discovered through them.
Divine inspiration, revelation, prayer strength, soul power, and the other realm are all deceptive concepts that deceive the human intellect.
Nature's Threefold Meaning
Nature, according to Rousseau, has the three distinct meanings listed below.
Nature as a source of endowment: primitive man's instinct
In human life, which can be called nature, emotions and unsophisticated judgement are regarded to be trustworthy and reliable guides. According to Rousseau, education should be tailored to the needs of the individual kid. The natural dispositions of a child are referred to as nature. The education of a child should be based on his or her inherent abilities, interests, aptitudes, instincts, and inclinations, among other things.
Negative education: Nature's second meaning is a negative one.
one. Society, according to Rousseau, is not natural. It is the result of a fictitious contract. He went on to say, "What is it that is it that is it that is it that is it that
There is no such thing as an extra-terrestrial creature, soul, or supreme force. Divine inspiration, meditation, and other similar practises deceive the human mind.
NATURALISM'S EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
Naturalism, like other ideas, has influenced education. In fact, naturalism might be considered a revolutionary trend in the history of educational thought. In terms of naturalism in education, history and philosophy are nearly deafeningly mute. Naturalism is still widely practised in today's educational system. Rousseau was a forerunner in the movement to incorporate naturalistic concepts into education. His beliefs on natural education and the natural kid were represented in his classic book "Emile." We might also bring up the names of Adams and Herbert Spencer in this regard. In his book "Education: Intellectual, Moral, and Physical," Herbert Spencer authored four chapters on naturalism in education. As a result, naturalism has made an appearance in the educational arena.
We've already talked about metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology, so we'll talk about naturalism in education with those ideas in mind.
Naturalistic Education Principles
"Everything is good when it comes from the hands of the author of nature," said Rousseau, "but everything degenerates when it comes from the hands of man." Class rooms, text books, time tables, curriculum, and examination systems, among other things, have no place in naturalism's educational system. The necessity of a child's natural development is emphasised here. The renowned slogan here is "Back to Nature." The basic principles of the naturalistic education system are as follows.
Naturalism holds that matter is the ultimate reality. Everything
All things originate from matter, and all things are ultimately reduced to matter. Matter is constantly present, yet it evolves over time.
The mind, according to this concept, can be described as the
It's all about how the brain works and how the brain works. It does not contain any spiritual entities for us to examine.
The mind is defined in terms of its cognitive activity. Experience
Our mental activity includes things like imagination, reasoning, and problem solving.
Naturalism is always a proponent of science and experimentation.
Science reveals the mysteries of nature, and only knowledge acquired from science is true.
It asserts that the human mind will work through experiences.
the five senses True knowledge is derived solely from human senses, not from spiritual power, as idealists claim.
This ideology rejects the concept of spirituality. Concepts
Divine inspiration, soul power, and prayer strength are all deceptive and deceive the mind.
This school of thought holds that the mind and its processes may be examined.
by means of the senses Only one's sense-experiences may be relied upon for knowledge.
Psychology is a branch of science that investigates and explains human behaviour.
Naturalism is a philosophy that rejects the existence of pre-conceived and pre- determined life values. Man determines the values of life through his interactions with reality and its demands.
This philosophy emphasises the importance of the person. The biological potentialities and prospects of man can be interpreted in terms of his individuality.
Education is life itself, not a means of preparing a youngster for an unknown future that imposes a slew of restrictions in exchange for a distant happiness that he may never experience. As a result, a definite and defined course of study is not at all suitable for student education. The naturalists do not have a set curriculum for the child to follow. Education is a natural process, not a man- made one. It is the result of internal growth rather than external accretion. It does not arise as a result of an external force, but rather as a result of the operation of innate impulses and desires. In general, there are two stages to a naturalistic curriculum. There are two stages: early and late.
They supported sense training at an early period because sense organs are the portals to all forms of information. Montessori schools, for example, provide sensory education through "Didactic Apparatus" and Kindergarten schools provide sensory education through "Gift and Occupation."
According to naturalistic ideas, disciplines such as nature studies, agriculture, gardening, arts and crafts, Botany, Zoology, Geology, and Geography should be included in the curriculum at a later time.
Rousseau attempted to shift the focus away from the curriculum and onto the child. "The school must be conceived of principally not as a place where the young are disciplined in specific sorts of activity, namely, those that are of tremendous and most permanent significance in the wider world," Percy Nunn said, borrowing this idea. Rousseau viewed curriculum as a series of activities and experiences rather than a set of information to be memorised. His curriculum is designed to prepare the youngster for school rather than to educate him.
Spencer, on the other hand, believes that curriculum should be based on the content of life activities that can assist a person in living a "full life." These are the activities:
Physical education, cleanliness, physiology, and other forms of direct self- preservation are examples.
Agriculture, crafts, industrial arts, physical and biological sciences are all examples of economic efficiency.
Child psychology and home science are two aspects of family life.
History, economics, sociology, and political science are examples of civic activities.
Literature, art, music, dance, drawing, and painting are examples of leisure activities.
Naturalism and Instructional Methods
Naturalism has been an outspoken opponent of the traditional teaching technique. Education, according to Rousseau, is the process of living. Furthermore, other naturalists believe that our old traditional as well as bookish educational system is one of the hurdles to a child's natural development. Some of the naturalists' recommended teaching approaches.
The term "heuristic method" refers to the process of discovering or discovering something. According
This approach of teaching should be employed while teaching scientific and mathematics courses, according to naturalism. The teacher should create an environment in which the students are able to discover the truth.
Naturalism opposes the chalk-and-talk technique of learning through direct experience. They pushed for learning through direct experiences with things or through self-activity. "Give your scholar no verbal lectures; he should be taught solely by experience," Rousseau says.
Method of play: Play allows the youngster to fully express themselves.
As a result, the child should be educated through play, especially in the early stages of life.
Naturalists clearly and emphatically advocate for self-government.
The concept of self-government has been prescribed psychologically. As a result, children should be taught to be self-governing and self-ruling, as this will allow them to manage their own problems and learn various qualities such as how to be a good social member, citizen, or leader.
The following points can be made from a summary of naturalism's viewpoints on the job of the teacher: The teacher should not interfere with the pupils' self-activity and self-learning. He or she should assist and lead the child if he or she is unable to do so. From behind the screen, a teacher should be a vigilant observer of the child's educational progress. The teacher is responsible for creating a natural environment for the child's self- learning and self-education. Instead of being a teacher, a teacher should simply act as a director or superintendent. Teachers must be professionally trained in order to play their responsible duty more effectively.
NATURALISM'S VALUE IN EDUCATION IN AN EMERGING INDIAN
SOCIETY
The value of naturalism in teaching is undeniable. Naturalism is relevant in India's current educational system for the following reasons, as it is regarded a modern school of thought.
Child-cantered education: Naturalists have argued for child-cantered education. Education in which the child is not educated for the sake of education, but rather educated for the sake of education. The concept of pianocentric education was coined by Sir John Adams. The child should be raised in an environment that encourages the development of his inherent goodness and natural sense of beauty.
Educational psychological trend: In education, there is a psychological tendency that is highly relevant for educating children in modern Indian schools as well. The relevance of natural growth was stressed by emphasising the fact of the child's nature. It has been proven that mental processes in children, such as thinking, reasoning, problem solving, recalling, recognition, and learning, are triggered by similar activity in adults. As a result, naturalists emphasised the importance of psychology in education.
Educational freedom for the child:
Another component of naturalism is that education must provide the child with the freedom to choose what it wants to study, play, and even how it wants to behave. This liberty should be unrestricted by any external constraints.
- Use of play as a natural teaching method:
Childhood was regarded as a period of play. Play is one of the most effective ways to engage in positive activities. It is an important creative education medium. As a result, naturalists have placed a strong emphasis on the importance of play values, which modern Indian educators accept without reservation.
- The Teacher as an Observer: Naturalism saw the teacher as an observer of the child's development rather than a source of information, ideas, or character moulders. The teacher must create a pleasurable environment in which the youngster can learn in a natural way.
Naturalism AS A School OF Philosophy
Course: Philosophical Foundations of Education (EDM-1001)
University: Aligarh Muslim University
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