Key Educational Philosophers: Freire, Montessori, Socrates & More
Key Educational Philosophers
Paulo Freire
Brazilian educator who advocated for free education for all. He taught through reading, emphasizing dignified education. His teaching method aimed to teach reading and writing in 45 days. Groups were instructed to read and write, with future monitors training others, dramatically expanding access to literacy. However, a drawback was the difficulty in monitoring all monitors effectively, raising concerns about the consistency and quality of instruction due to external control.
Maria Montessori
Her method respects the child’s developmental stages and utilizes specific materials. The teacher acts as a guide, providing personalized education, often considered elite. The teacher does not impose rigid standards but facilitates learning.
Socrates
He aimed to impart wisdom through free, personalized, and elite education using the maieutics method (rhetorical questioning). He posed questions to students, encouraging them to discover answers independently, fostering critical thinking rather than rote learning. Education was delivered publicly, emphasizing the importance of obeying state laws for peaceful coexistence. Maieutics cultivates critical and rational thought.
Aristotle
He divided education into moral and intellectual components, instilling specific knowledge. Education spanned from ages 6 to 16, with a slave monitoring the student’s behavior and appearance. Learning took place in private premises controlled by the state or outdoors. The curriculum included music, reading, singing, writing, and spiritual and physical training. He believed learning reality comes through experience.
Rousseau
Considered an Enlightenment figure, he placed the child at the center of the educational process, advocating for a naturalistic, almost primitive approach. He believed children should learn from experience, emphasizing invention over rote learning. Students should learn from their mistakes. Religious education was reserved for adulthood. Education should occur in a natural environment with minimal contact with society. This approach faced criticism due to its impracticality for widespread adoption. His work contributed to the development of national public education in the 18th century.
Dewey
He championed the liberal school model, where children work independently, fostering student-teacher socialization. Learning occurs through reflective and experimental activities, incorporating discovery, reflection, and experimentation alongside lectures. He focused on creating a living and working environment within the school, eliminating rigid timetables and encouraging student experimentation. Subjects included cooking and culture workshops. He argued that knowledge without foundations is a waste of time, emphasizing method-based learning. Students learn by doing, with no grades or strict rules. He cautioned against completely abandoning traditional methods.
Cox
He aimed to improve education conditions, processes, and outcomes by fostering competition. He established the JEC program, primarily for children at social risk, although it wasn’t implemented in all schools. He promoted extra-curricular workshops.
Luther
Known as the father of the German language, he translated the Bible into German. His educational perspective included: 1) Higher clergy: Latin, Greek, theology, and philosophy. 2) Lower clergy: literacy, Bible teaching skills, and general education, especially crucial for the lower clergy due to widespread illiteracy among Germans. He recognized three sacraments: baptism, confirmation, and marriage. He advocated for less ostentatious and more sober worship, churches without images or saints, and sobriety among the clergy. He condemned indulgences.
Plato
He established the Academy, driven by dissatisfaction with democracy. He advocated for universal education, with the state responsible for its provision. He divided society into three categories: philosophers, workers, and guardians. He believed in a world of ideas accessible through study and knowledge. He recognized individual differences in skills and abilities and incorporated play into education. His contribution includes dialectics.