Humanism

"Humanism is a belief that that individuals control their own destinies through the application of their intelligence and learning"

"'humanist' derives from the 15th century Italian term umanista, meaning a teacher or scholar of Classical Greek and Latin literature and the ethical philosophy behind it"

" 'A system of thought that centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth.'
American Heritage Dictionary."

"Humanistic education teaches a wide variety of skills which are needed to function in today’s world--basic skills such as reading, writing and computation, as well as skills in communicating, thinking, decision-making, problem-solving and knowing oneself."

Progressivism is bot the only source of educational humanism. (Ch. 6)

Stimulus of humanism

• Existentialism
• Humanistic/existential psychologists
• Romantic critics

"Knowing how to learn is more important than acquiring a lot of knowledge. In our present society where knowledge is changing rapidly, this view is shared by many educators, especially those from a cognitive perspective."

Aims of Education

• promote positive self-direction and independence
• develop the ability to take responsibility for what is learned
• develop creativity
• develop creativity
• an interest in the arts

Concept of teacher

• Teacher must accommodate the student
• Know the students' learning style
• Teacher is a facilitator/helper

"Humanistic education is essential for preparing young people to be citizens in a democracy"

"Humanistic educators believe that grades are irrelevant and that only self-evaluation is meaningful. Grading encourages students to work for a grade and not for personal satisfaction"

SOURCES


Knight, G. R. (2006). Philosophy & education: An introduction in Christian perspective. Berrien Springs, Mich: Andrews University Press.
https://rayposey.wixsite.com/website/humanism