Purpose of Education

Purpose of Education
1. Dewey, Hutchins and Adler are Philosophers. What is their method of knowing? What do they add to the
discussion of the purpose of education?
Philosophers Method of Knowing The Purpose of Education

Dewey  active learning through concrete  Social, emotional, and mental development
(Progressivism) social experience such as  full experiential growth of the individual to
(Pragmatism) problem-solving, discovery meet immediate needs and desires of
learning or inquiry approach students
Hutchins  acquisition of knowledge of the  Liberal education
(Liberal education) most important subjects such as  Development of intellectual powers to realize
(Essentialism) philosophy, history, literature, and human potential
art  Improvement of human by help students
 learning by having experiences to understand, establish, and live by a hierarchy
fully understand the subject of values
matter that require experiences  Provision of the habits, ideas, and techniques
that students need to continue to educate
themselves throughout their lives
 Promotion of political freedom or social
reform by development of understanding
and judgment
Adler  Active learning with the whole  General and liberal education
(Perennialism) mind  Providing ample opportunity for personal
 Didactic instruction, lecturing, and development
textbooks  Preparing students for the political duties
 Coaching, exercises, supervised and responsibilities of citizenship with all
practice the trained intelligence
 Maieutic or Socratic questioning  Preparing students for earning a living, not
and active participation by specific training for specific job.
2. Are the ideas of these three alive in schools today? Where? What concepts?
 Dewey’s idea of social experience is still alive in science education where inquiry or project based learning
are emphasized as learning method. The detracking of curriculum is another way to implement his idea.
 Hutchins’ idea of liberal education is carried out by imposing such subjects on elementary education and
requisites on college education.
 Adler’ idea of curriculum based on standards exists in the National Educational Standards.
3. Where do Dewey and Hutchins differ the most? On what do they agree?
Both Dewey and Hutchins view organized education as a tool of adaptation and preparation of the individual for
future life. What they agree on is the primary purpose of the organized education that is to prepare the young for
future responsibilities and for success in life, by means of acquisition of the organized bodies of information and
prepared forms of skill which comprehend the material of instruction. They value the maintenance and reform of
society by providing public education. Thus, both of them acknowledge the importance of subject matter,
organization of educational system, and guidance by the mature (teacher).
Where Dewey and Hutchins differ the most is their view point of realm of school education. Dewey saw the goal of
education as social-emotional-metal growth. By contrast, Hutchins only focused on intellectual training.
They also differ in their standpoint of the nature of human and society. Dewey thought of human to have natural
endowment to learn from his/her experiences. So, he stressed the student-centered learning. He criticized the
traditional education as imposition from above and outside of adult standards and methods on those who are only
growing slowly toward maturity. Instead, he suggested that students actively participate in the development of what
is taught. From his perspective, education is a development within, by, and for experience.
In addition, he saw the nature of society as change from a perspective of relativism. Thus, every society has its own
needs that require different roles of its members as acitizen. Thus, he insisted that experiences provided by schools
should be meaningful extensions of the normal social activities of learners. He contended that we may reject
knowledge of the past as the “end” of education and thereby only emphasize its importance as a “means.” He was
concerned about the selection of kinds of present experiences that live fruitfully and creatively in subsequent
experiences. Educative experiences should be connected and organized
On the other hand, Hutchins sees that human nature is constant and functions as a free man the same in every
society. He focused on improvement of human as a free individual, not a citizen in a current society. Good moral and
intellectual habits are required for the fullest development of the nature of man. However, he thought of the role of
schools as dealing with only intellectual powers of men. The moral and spiritual powers are the spheres of the family
and the church. He insisted that the intellectual power can be improved by acquiring knowledge of the most
important subjects including philosophy, history, literature, and art.
Moreover, he believed that there is a hierarchy of values as a man in every society. Our democratic society requires
its member to maintain his/her political freedom by acquiring knowledge to improve his/her understanding and
judgment in social affairs.
4. What does Adler recommend? How does it differ from Dewey and Hutchins?
Adler contended that basic schooling should promote the principle of equal educational opportunity by providing a
completely on-track system of schooling. He also cared about the quality of education, criticizing deplorable
deterioration of schooling. He pointed out the necessity of improving the quality of basic schooling for all and the
quality of advanced schooling for some. So, he suggested the idea of uniform standard which requires certain subject
matters as media for teaching universal qualities that promote metal and characterological development. He
recommended a single, required, 12-year course of study for all, with mo electives except foreign language. He also
suggested that teacher education should provide the same general, liberal learning at advanced levels for preservice
teacher students.
His idea of three different kinds of learning and teaching depending on the goals of education is totally unique from
the ideas of Dewey and Hutchins who insisted mainly one method.
Adler is different from Dewey in that Adler denied incidental learning and student choice. However, Adler’s idea of
active, aided discovery learning is very similar to Dewey’s idea of active learning.

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Philosophers Method of Knowing The Purpose of Education

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