DEEL 1
1. Describe and discuss tensions among the general aims of education.
First we need a conceptual clarification on the word “education”. For whom? For what? What do you
need? What do you want to achieve? (p. 78, nr. 2) Etc. Some characteristics are essential, no matter
what perspective you have. Such as: economic, social, teacher and the state. Education must involve
an aspect under which things are done which is both intentional and reasonably specific (Peters p. 56).
But what is desirable? Is it worth-while, what is the use of it? Community point of view vs teacher
(p.57) and economic what are the costs?
Than what about the teacher, how objective is the teacher. He/she was educated once, remember.
From what perspective are you looking? Peters says: what is essential to education must involve an
aspect under which things are done which is both intentional and reasonably specific. The teacher has
to decide, but than we have the problem of priorities.
Social point of view: All education is a form of socialisation like it involves public traditions,
language and forms of thought. But be aware, from who’s perspective you answer this. The role of the
teacher is just one. But beware of “gentling the masses” Peters calls it (p. 57).
Economic point of view: tendency to assimilate education to a sort of instrumental process. Costs,
value, process of training (p. 58)
Aims: asking questions about the aims of education is a way of getting people to get clear about and
focus their attention on what is worthwhile achieving. It is not to ask for the production of ends
extrinsic to education (p.58) Opinion Peters!
Conclusion: First education depends on the content and type. The content of education is about
priorities. 1) Education relates to some sort of process in which a desirable state of mind develops. 2)
Education is thought of as intentional. 3) Education is to create a desirable state of mind. One tension
is about social interests (legitimate aims of the state) vs individual interests. The other tension is about
intrinsic goods (always needed (basic) education) vs instrumental goods (usefull, as in what do you
want to achieve yourself). (p. 79)
2. Discuss leisure and the role of music in Aristotle.
Leisure (p. 77) is according to Aristotle necessary for both the state and the individual. “for peace is
the end of war and leisure of toil”. Leisure is necessary. Leisure consists of philosophy, like courage
and endurance for business. Three excellences: philosophy, justice and temperance. They should be
practiced all three not just one of them. The end of the state should be the same education for all, the
state will benefit from that (p. 78). But what to do when at leisure? The customary branches of
education are (in the days of Aristotle!) reading, writing, gymnastics and drawing and no longer
music. Aristotle wants it back in the education program (note that this is an ideal state, in the days of
Aristotle people educated there kids themselves most of the time). The state should provide it.
Reading, writing and drawings are useful in life and gymnastics is related to courage. Music is
apparently considered as not useful. Of course these branches of education are important in life, you
need them to do business, but some branches should be studied just because they are to be valued for
their own sake, they have a value just because it is evident they have an intellectual enjoyment in
leisure. And again leisure is needed to realize a good state and good individuals. The first principle of
all action is leisure (p. 79) and leisure gives pleasure and happiness. Music should be given not in a
mechanical way (like useful or necessary) but liberal or noble (p. 79) To be always seeking after the
,useful does not become free and exalted souls. It should be listened to and be play by the youth itself.
They should enjoy the performances of others, so only than they can become good judges of
themselves as over others. Music has the power of forming the character and should therefore be
introduced into the education of the youth. It should be taught in a way that the youth will become
good performers and critics(p. 82).
3. Describe and discuss the role of the individual in Aristotle’s polis (state).
Education should be regulated by law and should be an affair of the state (p. 78). The citizen should
be moulded to suit the form of government under which he lives. Note that each government has a
peculiar character which originally formed and which continues to preserve it. So the character of
democracy creates democracy, and the character of oligarchy creates oligarchy. The individual doesn’t
belong to himself, for they all belong to the state. The individual is a part of the state and the care of
each part is inseparable from the care of the whole. So the role of the individual is “onderworpen aan
de rest”…. But the individual must not be placed in a position of force, “mechanical”, it makes the
body and mind of the freeman less fit. So the individual is partly liberal and partly illiberal.
4. Why should the family not be abolished according to Aristotle?
family should not be abolished. Learning family virtues serves as a foundation. Bonds of kinship can
nourish ‘civic’ bonds.
Het individu en de vorming daarvan staat centraal. Om de doelen zo goed mogelijk te realiseren moet
een individu gevormd worden, zodat het aansluit bij een gezonde staat en een positieve inbreng
vervuld. Het karakter van de staat is een democratie waarbij elk unieke burger een rol vervult. De
vorming van deze burger gebeurt in het gezin. Daarom speelt het gezin een cruciale rol, omdat deze
de functie vervult om een zelfstandig individu op te laten groeien met normen en waarden die
aansluiten bij de desbetreffende democratische samenleving. Het gezin draagt dus bij aan de vorming
van de democratische staat om kinderen voor te bereiden op het burgerschap. Aristoteles stelde dat de
mens geen aangeboren ideeen heeft, maar dat redeneren centraal staat op basis van zintuigelijke
ervaringen. De mens is vormbaar hierdoor speelt educatie een belangrijke rol en de beinvloeding van
naasten (familie).
- Aristoteles vindt dat familie verwantschap stimuleerd, deze relaties zijn ook essentieel voor
burgerschap. Hierbij is in zekere zin ook verwantschap nodig. Dit maakt de samenleving
sterker en dat het functioneert als een grote familie.
5. Why is 'education' a form of domination/ oppression according to Freire?
Education is a form of domination because there is always a relationship, inside or outside the school,
of teacher-student. And the ones that espouse the cause of liberation are themselves surrounded and
influenced by the ones that taught them and they were the generation of the banking concept. (p. 71).
So there is a paradox that the ones who wanted to change the system, uses that same system to liberate
the students in their thinking and understanding the world around them. There will always be a certain
level of domination because there is the ideological intent that is put in the education and they want
the students to adapt that ideology.
6. Describe and discuss ‘banking education’.
, Banking education oppresses the students. It is a form of dehumanisation. Education becomes an act
of depositing in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor. The students
are passive, like containers to be filled. There is no communication, no creativity. The conscience is
put to sleep. The teacher knows everything and the students are supposed to know nothing. The
students just records, memorizes and repeats the things the teacher has said or explained. It is a very
dominant relationship, were by the teacher is like the all knowing “god” and the student is like the
ignorant, little child who knows nothing. The students are absolutely not stimulated to think about
there life’s, world, etc.
7. Drawing upon the writing of Freire, defend the aims of 'revolutionary education'.
The aims of revolutionary education are: 1)problem-solving education which means through
communication can human life hold meaning. There is a constant unveiling of reality. Critical
consciousness. The teacher is student and the student is teacher. Revolutionary. There is cooperation
between them. The teacher is not only narrative and cognitive (like in banking education), but always
cognitive (p. 72 and 73). 2)situational, which means that there is a learning situation between teacher
and student, with respect and understanding for each other. A dialogical relationship (p. 72.)
3)practice of freedom in this process, arguments based on authority are no longer valid. In order to
function authority must be on the side of freedom, not against it. Men teach each other, mediated by
the world around them. Denies that man is abstract, isolated, independent and unattached to the world.
4) becoming some-one/being somebody students are beings in the process of becoming as unfinished
reality they are aware of their incompletion (p. 73 and 74), 5) humanization, like respect, dignity
towards each other.
To defend the aims is in our society not so difficult. We are used to express our opinion, to ask
questions, to have dialogue, we know that we are not independent and unattached to the world around
us.
8. Critique the differences between technical and liberal education in Dewey.
Mechanische/technical educatie. Mensen worden getraind in het verkrijgen van de capaciteit om
dingen te doen, bijv. voor het gebruiken van gereedschap. Er wordt een technische vaardigheid
aangeleerd en heel vaak geoefend. Er komt geen denken aan de pas, alleen maar doen.
Liberale educatie. De intelligentie wordt getraind om te weten. Hoe meer mentaal iets is, hoe meer
onafhankelijk het is. (Voorbeeld van muziek spelen, er is een verschil tussen een slaaf die muziek
speelt, en een professional die muziek speelt).
Het grote verschil is dat bij de technische educatie er gericht is op een praktische handeling. De
liberale educatie is gericht op een rationele handeling. Allereerst is er een kritiekpunt aan te brengen
op de technische educatie, om deze handeling uit te voeren is het een noodzaak om te weten waarvoor
je het doet en welke gevolgen er noodzakelijk zijn. Hierdoor zijn de liberale aspecten van educatie
niet geheel uit te sluiten. Bij de liberale educatie wordt er getraind om te weten, praktische educatie
kan er ook voor zorgen dat je meer rationele kennis vergaard (effect van de zwaartekracht). Het
grootste kritiekpunt bij beide is wanneer je een optimale educatie wilt realiseren, het een noodzaak is
om gebruik te maken van de andere educatie.
Een voorbeeld: Kan er gezegd worden dat iemand een gloeilamp kan veranderen minder kennis heeft
van elektriciteit dan een elektricien? Misschien heeft de persoon die een gloeilamp kan verwisselen