Idealism: philosophical concepts and applications

Idealism is a philosophy as well as being a mode of thought and action. One of the primary aspects of the idealistic view of life is the way that it impacts and affects those in professional positions and particularly in education. In this paper the first section will explore and briefly analyze this philosophical stance. The second section will deal with the reaction and response to this stance from the point-of-view of the relevance of idealism in education and the effect that it can have in terms of personal experience and the social milieu.

Idealism as a philosophical construct is a view in contemporary thinking which emphasizes that everything has a mental nature. (Idealism) Stated in terms more appropriate to philosophical inquiry and with regard to the meaning of reality, idealism."..asserts that only minds and the objects of mind exist, or that everything is composed of mental realities (e.g., thoughts, feelings, ideas, or will)." (Idealism)

Another definition is that Idealism is,"... The philosophical view that the mind or spirit constitutes the fundamental reality."

Therefore from the point-of-view of strict idealism, "...reality is composed of minds, ideas or selves rather than material things." (Peterson, 1986, p. 25)

For example, Emanuel Kant believed that "...neither the body nor physical attributes are relevant to the ultimate value of a human being; it is the soul or mind which truly constitutes one's nature. (Peterson, 1986, p. 25)

The view of idealism as a philosophy that is intended to explain reality has raised considerable debate in the history of thought. The main contention is that idealism and the primacy of mental perception is contradicted by the more materialist and realist approach.

This basic difference and the dominance of the materialist view in the contemporary world is an aspect that will be shown to be important in the reaction part of this paper.

Account must also be taken of the various meanings of ideal and idealism, which have been derived for the original Greek idea. There are many different interpretations of the original Greek word, with the most common and accepted meaning being "model," or "pattern." (Idealism) Therefore, in understanding the word "ideal" what should be borne in mind is that it is"... not a copy of any perceptible object, but a type. The artist is said to "idealize" his subject when he represents it as a fairer, nobler, and more perfect than it is in reality." (Idealism) in this sense idealism has can be understood as referring to a certain type or model of what is seen to be the best or most desired objective and aim within a specific category of experience.

The philosophy of idealism has a long and controversial history. As one commentator states, "idealism means different things at different times in the history of philosophy." ('Teaching Philosophy to Teachers: are ISM's Philosophy?') There are also many different types of idealisms. For example there is a difference between objective as opposed to subjective idealism. In objective idealism, the common sense view that objects exist in reality is accepted; whereas subjective idealism, "denies that material objects exist independently of human perception and thus stands opposed to both realism and naturalism." (Idealism in America: Introduction)

Possibly best way to approach the subject to idealism in terms of the history of philosophy is through Plato and his idealism, based on the doctrine of Forms. Plato is considered to be the originator of idealist philosophy in the West. In his view reality is divided into the real world and the ideal world of forms. Platonic idealism is dualistic in that there exists a perfect realm of Form and Ideas and our world merely contains shadows of that realm. (Idealism, Idealist Philosophy, Idealists)

Plato proposed an idealist theory as a solution to the problem of universals. A universal is that which all things share in virtue of having some particular property. So for example the wall, the moon and a blank sheet of paper are all white; white is the universal that all white things share. Plato argued that it is universals, the Forms, or Platonic Ideals that are real, not specific individual things.

Idealism.Wikipedia)

In the book the Republic (Book vii) Plato compares the human condition to a state of being confined within a dark cave.

In this allegory all humanity lives in a cave with the Forms or ideal reality outside. Humanity is aware only of the shadows of the Forms as they reflect themselves on the cave walls. The true nature of reality is never seen but only reflections or fleeting glimpses of the truth. "It is as if we are seeing shadows of cut-out shapes on the walls of a cave, which are mere representations of the reality outside the cave, illuminated by the sun." (Plato)

For Plato the soul is 'trapped' within this world and yearns for release.

The theory of Forms in Plato is in essence a theory of reality that views reality as divided into truth and illusion. The world of illusion refers to the world of particulars and everyday experiences. In this analysis, humanity exists only in this world of the senses or the world of particulars. The idea of the Forms is important because Forms reflect the central idea which lies behind Plato's thought and classic idealism; namely the concept of wholeness and perfection, which Plato sought to explain in his thinking. "There was just one world, the world of ideas. The sensible world was merely an image of the real world, full of imperfections and decay. But the real world was a whole and perfect entity." (Philosophy Is a Way of Life)

Therefore the aim of life in both an ethical and philosophical sense is the search for the Form or the idea of the "Good." This is to be achieved by the mind or intellect. From this philosophy we have the development of the modern understanding of the word idealism. However, since Platonic idealism there have been numerous debates and opposing views about the nature and the validity of idealism.

If we can relate these views on idealism to education there is a strong sense in which the philosophy of education it is idealistic as it often refers to the idea of the importance of the intellectual over the material. However, idealism in education also maintains that "...the world is deeply personal..." And that "The aim of education, then, is the full intellectual, moral and spiritual development of the student. To the extent that students... realize ideals of personhood they will have developed correctly." (Peterson, 1986, p. 27) While the idealist view in education is also aware of the fact that students need to have practical knowledge if the word and the material aspects of life, the central impetus in idealism "... is toward the ideal, perfect, transcendent realm which truly defines human existence." (Peterson, 1986, p. 27)

One of the central criticisms of idealism is that it reduces the significance or importance of ordinary reality. "By making all reality dependent on mind in one way or another, idealism devalues the external dimension of reality in which we find ourselves. "(Peterson, 1986, p. 29)

This is an important criticism which should be borne in mind, but which should be also be judged carefully. Another concern and critique is that "...idealistic educational philosophy tends to sustain the status quo." (Peterson, 1986, p. 27) This view states that "The assumption that there is a higher, changeless Reality above the vacillating world inclines many idealists to view the social function of the school to be preserving the heritage of the past." (Peterson, 1986, p. 27)

As is evident for the above discussion, the philosophy of idealism has many important implications for the modern word and in particular for education and teaching.

In the first instance idealism offers a view of reality that goes beyond or transcends the mundane and everyday reality.

In Platonic terms, idealism suggests that there are ideal forms or models of reality to which we aspire and these ideals act as objectives that direct our actions and thoughts in everyday life. In education there are ideals that have often been noted as being desirable.

For example, the ideal of excellence in education refers to the intention of excelling or attaining the best or optimum educational standards and achievements. To attain excellence there must be higher and ideal standards. Another idealistic notion that is common in modern education is the ideal of educating the whole child." This refers to the view that the student should receive an overall education that includes and integrates the various facets of his or her personality and potential. The central idea is that the child should be educated in terms of all the different aspects of mind and body. This view is described as, "...mutually reinforcing qualities of a fully functioning mind and body." (Dustin, Hibbler, Mckenney & Blitzer, 2004) These ideal are positive aspects that may or may not be practical in every sense but are goals or ideals that are important for the development and advancement of education.

As a teacher of the very young therefore, idealism in the sense of the attainment of higher values and aims has a special and positive significance in my profession and personal life. Dealing with very young minds places a particularly heavy burden on the teacher. The teacher has a responsibility to shape these minds. It is a truism but also a reality that the early years of education are often the most important, as it is at this age that young minds are shaped for there future. As an elementary school teacher I therefore feel from a profession standpoint that idealism and higher education ideals are essential to adhere to; especially in the early stages of educative development.

The view of idealism that seems to be the most fitting in terms of my role as an educator can be seen in the following quotation." Idealism in life is the characteristic of those who regard the ideas of truth and right, goodness and beauty, as standards and directive forces." (Idealism) Therefore idealism as a philosophy provides us with a way of thinking that emphasizes higher levels of achievement and excellence that are essential for the educator as well as for all professions. This philosophical stance would also be advantageous in terms of advancement and promotion within the profession, as those with higher ideas are more likely to set and strive for advanced goals and achievements. The loss of the idealistic motive in education would be disastrous to the profession as it would mean a loss of incentive and higher aspirations in education.

However, idealism and the idealistic stance are not always easy to achieve or to maintain in the contemporary world and working environment. To large extent idealism as a practical philosophy has been discredited and replaced by a more materialist and realist approach to education in the modern world. This is unfortunately the case not only in education but in all areas of modern profession life.

This fact is related to the question of idealism in the history of philosophy. The views of philosophers like Nietzsche and others in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries tended to question the views of a transcendent idealism and suggested rather the view that the material world is all that there is.

While it is strictly outside the ambit of this paper, in a general sense the history of philosophy shows that in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries there was a decisive move away for religious transcendentalism and idealism and a movement towards materialism and relativism of meaning in life and in the professions. This can be seen in the social history of the time. In the 1920's there was "...disillusionment with the war, a weariness with doing good and a general abandonment of moral earnestness for a new hedonism; and the decline of idealism as a reigning philosophy." (Social Gospel)