Was fashioned by the philosophers Francis Bacon (1561–1626) and John Locke (1632–1704). Locke conjectured that everything we know comes from experience and from reflecting on that experience. We are not born with any innate or preconceived ideas, but rather are a blank slate. Bacon attempted to change the structure of

In Christianity was founded by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1275). Aquinas presumed that God is pure reasoning, which is the truth of all things. He believed the sole purpose of existence is to reunite the soul with God.

Suggests that matter is real and that it is separate from our perceptions. You may not see it, hear it, or feel it, but it nevertheless exists. Education cultivates the capacity to reason, which allows for proper choices. Aristotle asserted that ideas could exist without matter, but matter cannot exist

Is the notion that the world exists regarding matter, separate from the world of ideas and independent of it. Aristotle (384 BC–322 BC), the father of realism, was a student of Plato and adapted his philosophies from that of his teacher. Considering that both men were from the same small

Can be defined literally as work. A more precise definition is that, using our ideas with a predefined purpose, we base actions on those ideas to determine whether or not the purpose can be achieved through them. During this process, we encounter consequences, which are of varying desirability. Pragmatists believe

Describes the school of thought arising mainly from oppositional and radical movements in contemporary society. The advent of the Industrial Revolution brought about major societal changes, as well as several social inequalities that were previously unheard of. Although the advances in science and technology continue to shape the world as

Go beyond focusing on the student and focus instead on a group or a population. Society-centered philosophies focus on educating a group of people—whether a minority group or the world as a whole—rather than a curriculum or a student. The objective is to improve society as a whole.

Focus more on training individual students. These philosophies place more emphasis on the individuality of students and helping them to realize their potential. A student-centered classroom may be less rigid or structured, less concerned about past teaching practices and drilling academics, and more focused on training students for success in

Are those that transfer knowledge from one generation of teachers to the next. In teacher-centered philosophies, the teacher’s role is to impart a respect for authority, determination, a strong work ethic, compassion for others, and sensibility. Teachers and schools succeed when students prove, typically through taking tests, that they have

Refer to the sets of beliefs commonly held by educators on how and what should be taught. Educational philosophies are based on branches of philosophy that developed over the course of human history. These branches of philosophy were adapted and specialized into theories, which were then adapted into theories that