REFLECTION 

Advanced Philosophy of Education Educ 202 

Dr. Porfirio Ligaya  

Professor 

Allyza G. Magsino 
Student
 1. State and Illustrate your Philosophy in Life as an Educator

My philosophy of education is that all children are unique and must have a

stimulating educational environment where they can grow physically, mentally,

emotionally, and socially. It is my desire to create this type of atmosphere where

students can meet their full potential. Providing a safe environment where

students are invited to share their ideas and take risks is first and foremost ideal

teaching.

Based on the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, we believe that every child

is unique and has his or her own temperament and learning style. The child

brings this uniqueness into each new experience and takes an active role in the

process of learning through their engagement in classroom activities and

discussions. Children interact with peers, teachers, materials, and the

environment and relate each new piece of information to their already existing

view of the world. These relationships are the basis of learning and as children

explore and discover more about the world, these relationships become more

refined and sophisticated. And as an educator, it is a must for us to equip

ourselves with a variety of teaching methods to cater everyone’s talents and

capabilities. We should not be stagnant to the traditional way of teaching and

learning and implement the curriculum in a generalized manner and make the

content relevant to the students' lives.

Educators strive to promote optimal development in all aspects of a child’s

life. Our primary concern is to help each child develop a healthy self-concept,

confidence, curiosity, and motivation to learn, as well as the ability to establish

cooperative relationships with other children and adults. We believe that the

child’s social and emotional development should be given focus because all

aspects of learning hinge on emotional well-being. Exploring, discovering, and

interacting in one’s social world is just as critical to the learning process as is

exploring the physical environment. To this end we strive to establish

relationships with children and families that are characterized by cooperation,

mutual trust, affection, and respect for others’ autonomy.

When I chose to take Education as my course in college, that is when I

established this philosophy within me. I got inspired by my former teachers and

instructors to be in this teaching journey, so I decided to make myself an

inspiration also to others especially to my students. During my fourth year in

college, we had our practice teaching in which we were asked to choose a

specific school where we would be a practice teacher. It is a good opportunity to

prepare myself in the teaching field by learning other’s teaching strategies and

applying which would be the best. I became a teacher who is always after the

sake and best for my students. I was into checking and consulting which would

be appropriate for them and would meet their individual needs. It may be a

difficult task, but it was always fulfilling knowing that I was able to make them

learn. Up until my 2nd year of teaching in a private school, I realized a lot of

things to be considered to ensure that learning will take place in a conducive

environment either face to face or online. I can say that I have created a

welcoming, safe classroom atmosphere that is accessible to all students and that

celebrates differences.
 My philosophy of education is based on what I know and have

experienced at this point in my career. I am sure that my teaching philosophy will

change as I learn more as a young professional. That is one of the gifts of being

human; we can make mistakes, or learn something new, and make a change for

the better. I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.

 2. Explain your reasons why Man is considered a “rational being”.

Aristotle defined humans as rational animals. This definition separates

man from all other animals and makes them unique. What makes man different

from all other animals is man’s ability to reason. He is able to distinguish between

what is right or wrong, good or evil and he makes a choice for the distinction

made by the intellect. The ability of man to think and analyze is an innate

characteristic of humans.

As a rational being, he can take responsibility for his actions because he

knows out of reason and not instinct. Rational has more than one denotation and

for man to be rational they must fit all or most of them. It must also be

demonstrated that this definition applies only to humans and that no other

species is rational. Because man has some unique features that make him

sensible and unique exclusively to him, Aristotle's description of man is largely

true. Intelligence, the ability to comprehend, and the ability to pursue objectives

through deliberate action are all attributes that distinguish humans as rational.

Philosophers who think that only human beings are “rational” or have

“reason,” may believe something along these lines: Many animals may have the

capacity to think about their situations, and to be motivated to act intelligently in

those situations to get what they want and avoid what they don’t. But intelligence
is not the same as reason. Only human beings have the capacity to think about

their motivations themselves – about the potential reasons for their actions - and

to ask whether those potential reasons meet certain normative or evaluative

standards.

A man who can explain why one thing precedes the next thing and can

invent an appropriate conclusion, on the other hand, is wise according to

Aristotle. This is true because man can figure out the cause why something

happened based on our experience and prior knowledge on certain

circumstances. Though it is not limited only for one reason and still need to

consider other factors, but the mere fact that it is a justifiable reason portrays that

man has the capability to look into different perspectives. Suppose, for example,

that Edna tells us she plans to vote for a certain presidential candidate whom we

know to be racially prejudiced, unintelligent, ignorant of foreign policy, on the take

from lobbies, etc., and we ask her why. She says he is the nominee of the XYZ

party, and she always votes with the XYZ party. Edna is rational in the

descriptive sense: her action is based on a consideration that she takes to be

relevant, that the candidate has been nominated by her party. We may pose an

objection to her plan either by saying “that’s a bad reason to vote for him” or

“that’s no reason to vote for him.” If we say it’s “a bad reason,” we are using the

term “reason” in the descriptive sense: a consideration on the basis of which

someone acts. If we say it’s “no reason” we are using the term “reason” in a

normative sense, essentially to mean a good reason. Someone can reason badly

and still be “a rational being” in the descriptive sense.

3. Comment on the foundational philosophy on Morality “Do Good and

Avoid Evil”.

As man in the world, thinking whether our action is right in each

moment is a never-ending task. It would be a lifetime responsibility since God

created us with the ability to reason, with the freedom to choose what actions

to take in this world, and the ability to act voluntarily, we must think for

ourselves, we are responsible for and will be held accountable for our actions.

As a human being given the rational mind, we do not simply act

instinctively but rather assess the situation and choose the means to achieve

that good. Having become aware of this foundational philosophy, we consult

our nature to see what is good and what is evil. We examine an action in

comparison with our essence to see whether the action fits human nature or

does not fit it. If the action fits, it is seen to be good; if it does not fit, it is seen

to be bad.

When considering any action, we keep in mind our goal, our

happiness, and the happiness of those around us - which is found in God -

and choose what is pleasing to Him. But sometimes, these reasons are in

contrast because our happiness may not be pleasing to the Lord. Thus, we

must always consider what is pleasing to the eyes of the Lord since it is the
ultimate basis of what is good. Although there are at least "a dozen different

ethical theories” based upon widely differing worldviews, there is only one

ethical system that is faithful to the Creator of our lives, protects authentic

human rights, and truly avoids harm.

The ethics of life guides us to choose those actions that promote

life and the happiness of all. And to understand these ethics and know the

natural moral law, we need to face the reality and all our experiences in life.

But first and foremost, we have to discern what is right by thinking rationally,

being aware of the situations around us without doubting what is clearly

presented to our mind through our five senses. In pursuit of determining what

is right, we cannot abandon what any sensible person would realize to be

true.

But skepticism contradicts man’s basic experiences. Skeptics

simply refuse to believe we can know anything absolutely and reliably,

whether man, religion, what is right or wrong, or God. Therefore, what

skeptics do best is doubt, engage in endless debate, and refuse to take a

position absolutely. They like to consider themselves impartial, objective,

"intellectual," and therefore not prone to "go to extremes" by believing in

anything. But for any reason, they are trusting in something and have faith in

reason and use reason to argue against faith in anything else, especially God.

At the end of the day, even if we have this kind of philosophies and

theories but it will all boiled down to the reality which gives us the evidence of

the ultimate Being whom we call God. To find our way to that right, we must
be sincere and follow the path wherever it leads, honestly, objectively, and

faithfully. Whatever is true about this world, ourselves, or God does not need

our preconceived ideas to exist.. God created man to experience the reality of

this world. We are to discover it as we explore reality through our experience

of life, through the application of logic, science, or through our prayerful

activities and contemplation.

 4. Explain in your own words the Socratic philosophy “The unexamined

life is not worth living”.

Examining your life is a daily practice achieved through numerous different

thinking exercises or habits. To be honest, it should not even be referred to as an

exercise or a practice, it’s merely putting thought into recognizing who you are

and what makes you who you are.

The theory that all lives that are unexamined do not have a purpose and

should not be lived is unreasonable and simply not true. It means that if you are

making no conscious effort to recognize where you are falling short or failing to

try to understand why you feel unfulfilled, your life is pointless.

Just like a seed needs soil, sunlight, and water for its germination, human

life needs introspection and examination for its growth. Introspection helps us in

our pursuit of wisdom and search for the truth. An understanding of the

experiences gained in life at any particular time enriches one’s engagement with

the self and the universe.

Maybe a little harsh, but what a truth. Having the insight to understand

what makes us who we are; why we respond the way we do; what excites us and
drives our passion; and what challenges us and produces negative thoughts.

Surely, this self-awareness is the basis for doing life well and having success.

Throughout our lives we do things that will shape us for our future whether

that is lifestyle choices, financial choices, or choices that affect the way that we

carry ourselves on a daily basis. An unexamined life leads us through life without

ever thinking about the decisions, journeys, and discoveries that we had made.

Without looking and thinking into life, what are we here on earth for? An

examined life allows us to reflect on the past, look forward to the future, and

thrive in the moment we are living within.

Simply eating, sleeping, working, and procreating can’t distinguish us from

animals. Without thinking, lives are not worth living. An examined life helps in

delivering love, hatred, generosity and joy at the right time, the right place and to

the deserving stakeholders. It helps in believing, learning, and bettering.

But with this statement, Socrates promotes the idea that people who do

not examine their lives should not live. He seemed to overlook other factors that

account for our happiness and give worth to our lives. There is a lot more that

contributes to a person’s happiness and well-being besides “examining their

lives”. Factors such as life experiences, being with family, things to be thankful

for, memories, and reaching success in life. Everything that makes one happy,

and a happy life should most definitely be lived whether it is examined or not.

In disagreement with Socrates; We all must contemplate now and again

but only to a certain extent, as it can be disastrous to overthink and reconsider

every aspect of our life. He believed that living a life where you live under the

rules of others, in a continuous routine without examining what you want out of it

is not worth living. Declaring that humans must scrutinize their lives in order to

live a fulfilled one isn’t agreeable to any extent. Socrates’ statement does

instigate discussion, but it does not necessarily apply to everyone’s way of life

and what makes or doesn’t make their life worth living.

5. Which Philosophy do you think is best suited to modern Philippine

education? Progressivism; Existentialism; or Essentialism.

The growing demand for best classroom practices, pedagogical

approaches, and instructional strategies that define effective teaching in

the 21st century places a strain on teacher education programs. This will

require teachers to possess desired personal and professional teaching

attributes and competencies. Philippines is dependent on the service of

teachers who are properly prepared to undertake various important roles

and functions of teachers. In terms of the quality of learning, they are who

possess workable knowledge and excellent teaching practices

accompanied with well-developed educational philosophies.

The educational philosophies are the framework to guide, filter, and

consider the effort of teacher towards what she/ he believes as the

purpose of education. In relation, educational philosophy is a point of view

that provides a logical, rational, and valid basis for educational effort and

criteria for the selection of a sound educational practice.

 I believed that as the Philippines adapted the K12 curriculum as

part of our educational system, it is anchored in the philosophy of

progressivism. Hence, this new curriculum has the ultimate goal of

providing functional literacy for the Filipino learners to acquire skills,

knowledge and practices that would make them globally competitive.

Progressivism is referred as an educational philosophy that

captures the belief that students manifest meaningful learning when they

are actively involved in learning activities that they have interest with.

Hence, this became one of the great bases of K12. Since our curriculum

aims to develop learners who are armed with sufficient competencies

which could be achieved by actively applying and utilizing it in real world.

Progressivism is applied in our current curriculum because students

are to experience the world; it is therefore active and not passive in

nature. Progressivists believe that education should focus on the whole

child, neither on content to be taught nor the teacher. The learner is a

problem solver and thinker who make meaning through his or her

individual experience in the physical and cultural context. In this kind of

learning, students are directly involved in doing the classroom activities

with their own learning styles. In this philosophy, the different learning

styles and dispositions of students, their multiple intelligences and

individual learning preferences were given emphasized.

Therefore, this philosophy gives rise to human beings to create,

improve and reshape their environment with the aid of practical

 experimentation, scientific knowledge, or technology. Our new curriculum

clearly shows dynamism and relevance to the needs of the society which

is the main goal of Progressivism.

6. For some philosophical thinkers, pragmatism is more inclined to

attitude and method rather than a philosophical doctrine. What is

your comment on this statement?

Pragmatism is an attitude, a method, and a philosophy which

places emphasis upon the practical and the useful or upon that which has

satisfactory consequences. William James defined pragmatism as "the

attitude of looking away from first things, principles, 'categories,' supposed

necessities; and of looking towards last things, fruits, consequences, facts.

He referred to it as nothing but a new name for some old ways of thinking. I

strongly believed that it places greater emphasis upon method and attitude

than upon a system of philosophical doctrine.

In the simple definition of pragmatism, it is a way of thinking of or

dealing with problems in a practical way, rather than by using theory or

abstract principles. So, pragmatist” is someone who always thinks about the

practical side of things and doesn’t worry about theory or ideology. This
philosophy prioritizes understanding things in terms of concrete tasks and

activities rather than in terms of abstract theory.

Likewise, this philosophy is to be considered as a method and

attitude because it requires to assess situations to solve problems. It is

similar to female doctor’s search for a diagnosis: the doctor will never

know with absolute certainty what disease we have. But in order to treat

us, she has to make a decision, so she does the best she can with the

information available and then treats us on that basis. Like for the

pragmatists, we will never know the absolute truths of the universe — all

we can do is try to understand things as best we can and then act, even

though our information will always be incomplete and there is always the

real possibility of error.

It is highly regarded as a method in which ideas should be

understood in terms of doing things. Through this quote from Charles S.

Pierce which is “The essence of belief is the establishment of a habit; and

different beliefs are distinguished by the different modes of action to which

they give rise”. He believed that in every action, what we do defines what

we believe. The meaning of ideas, he said, is best discovered by putting

them to an experimental test and observing the results. An idea is a plan

of action.

Pragmatist is an attitude as a way to understand the nature of

human inquiry. Pragmatism as an attitude is thus a way of conducting

philosophical inquiry that emphasizes its ongoing, ever-evolving nature.

Pragmatism as an attitude is thus a way of conducting philosophical

inquiry that emphasizes its ongoing, ever-evolving nature. As an attitude

of inquiry, pragmatism seems to have two essential characters. First is the

attitude of fallibilism, which is never can be absolutely sure of anything.

The second basic attitude underlying pragmatist inquiry is related to the

aims of inquiry, given that it can no longer end in absolute certainty. It is

consisting of ”an attitude of orientation that looks to outcomes and

consequences or towards the last things.