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INTRODUCTION:
The word “philosophy” is derived from the Greek words ‘philos' means loving and ‘sophia'
means wisdom, and hence philosophy means ‘love of knowledge and wisdom'. In ordinary
usage it means ‘fundamental beliefs and convictions.’
Beliefs and values with regard to man in general and specifically man as the learner, teacher,
nurse and the client and the beliefs about health, illness, society, nursing and learning etc, are
some main elements of philosophy of nursing education. It seeks to study the process and
discipline of education in order to understand how it works, improve its methods and perfect
its applications in society. It helps to improve education and its systems and methods for the
betterment of humanity.
Ideally it informs and raises the quality of curriculum, teaching methods and the overall
educational experience.

DEFINITION:
According to RW Sellers;
“Philosophy is a persistent attempt to give insight into the nature of the world and of
ourselves by means of systematic reflection.”
According to Henderson;
“Philosophy is a search for a comprehensive view of nature, an attempt at a universal
explanation of nature of things.”
According to Cicero;
“Philosophy is the mother of all arts and the true medicine of the mind.”
According to Fitche;
“Philosophy is the science of knowledge.”

APPROACHES AND DIVISIONS IN PHILOSOPHY:

Titus points out that there are five different approaches to the meaning of philosophy as a
professional activity.
They are as follows;
• Philosophy as a personal attitude towards life and the universe.
• Philosophy as a method of reflective thinking and reasoned inquiry.
• Philosophy as an attempt to gain a view of the whole.
• Philosophy as the logical analysis of language and the clarification of meaning ; and
• Philosophy as a group of problems as well as theories about the solution of these
problems.
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The philosophy is formulated to perform the tasks like speculation, description and analysis
and prescription. In order to achieve these tasks there are three main divisions in philosophy;
they are:

Metaphysics
Epistemology
Axiology

METAPHYSICS

PHILOSOPHY

EPISTEMOLOGY AXIOLOGY

Metaphysics:
➢ Metaphysics is the record of the exploration of the human mind into the ultimate nature
of man and of the world.
➢ It is the result of an attempt to answer the question; “what is really real?”
➢ Philosophers belonging to different school of philosophy have different opinions over
a same or different things.
➢ Metaphysics begins where positive emperical science ends. Metaphysics is concerned
with the hidden assumptions behind the scientists’ work.
Epistemology:
➢ Where as metaphysics is concerned with the nature of reality, as such epistemology
focuses on our knowledge of this reality.
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➢ Epistemology tries to answer questions like, “what is the difference between knowing
and believing?”
➢ Epistemology establishes the relation between knowledge and truth.
Axiology:
➢ Axiology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the general problem of values.i.e.
the nature, origin and permanence of values.
➢ It is an attempt to discover and recommend principles for deciding what actions and
qualities are most worthwhile and why they should be so
➢ Axiology has two major subdivisions;
▪ Ethics: It concerned with morals like good of bad, right or wrong, virtue or vice
etc.
▪ Asthetics: It concerned with the problems of beauty and art.

MAJOR SYSTEMS OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION:

IDEALISM
➢ It the oldest system of philosophy known to man.
➢ Its origin goes back to ancient India in the East, and to Plato in the West.
➢ Its basic viewpoint stresses the human spirit as the most important element in life. The
universe is viewed as essentially non material in its ultimate nature.
Fundamental principles:
➢ Idealism stresses the two forms of while world i.e. spiritual world and material world.
➢ The spiritual world is real where as material world is transitory and mortal.
➢ Ideas are more important than objects.
➢ Man is more important than the material nature.
➢ The prime aim of life is to achieve spiritual values such as truth, beauty, and goodness.
➢ Self realization is the prime of the personality development.
➢ Idealism believes in unity in diversity.
Educational implications of modern idealism:
1. Aims of education: the purpose of education is to contribute to the development of the
mind and self of the [Link] school should emphasize intellectual activities moral
judgements, asthetic judgement etc.
The major aims includes;
▪ Self realization.
▪ Spiritual development.
▪ Cultivation of truth, beauty, and goodness.
▪ Conservation, promotion and transmission of cultural heritage.
▪ Conversion of in born nature into spiritual nature.
▪ Preparation for a holy life.
▪ Development of intelligence and rationality.
2. Curriculum:
▪ The curriculum is based upon the idea or assumption of the spiritual nature of man.
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▪ The order to develop the individual mind, the curriculum must include those subject
essential for the realization of mental and moral development such as literature,
language, religion and metaphysics, culture, sociology, ethics, arts and music etc.
3. Idealism and teacher:
▪ According to idealists' point of view, the teacher must be excellent, in order to serve as
an example for the student, both intellectually and morally.
▪ The teacher should have creative skills to provide opportunities to the pupils’ mind to
discover, analyse, synthesize and create applications of knowledge to life and
behaviour.
4. Methods of teaching:
▪ The classroom structure and atmosphere should provide the pupil with opportunities to
think, and to apply the criteria of moral evaluation to concrete situations within the
context of the subject.
▪ The teaching methods should be factual.
▪ It should encourage pupils to enlarge their horizons, stimulate reflective thinking,
encourage personal moral choices, provide skills in logical thinking, provide
opportunities to apply knowledge to moral and social problems, encourage pupils to
accept the values of human civilization.
5. Idealism and discipline:
▪ It focuses on impressionistic discipline rather than expressionistic discipline.
▪ The teacher should impress the students by his affectionate and sympathetic behaviour.
They should make the child to realize that self discipline is for his own good and
development.
6. Idealism and school:
▪ School is a place where the mental power and other spiritual ideas of the child are
developed by the teacher.

REALISM
❖ Realism is possibly the oldest philosophy of mankind older than even idealism.
❖ Aristotle is the father of realism.
❖ In the modern period, GE Moore, Bert and Russell and John wild are notable exponents
of realism.
❖ Among educational philosophers, Broudy(1965), Breed(1942), Bagley(1935), and
Finney (1929) are realists.

Fundamental principles:
❖ Phenomenal world is true and there is no world beyond this.
❖ Senses are the doors or gateways of knowledge.
❖ God, soul and other worlds are merely a human imagination.
❖ Man is a part of material world.
❖ Observation and experiment are ways of finding the truth.
❖ The present life is real and the spirituality and spiritual values are unreal.

Characteristics:
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❖ It is based on science.
❖ It emphasizes on present life of the child.
❖ It emphasizes on experiment.
❖ It opposes bookish knowledge.
❖ It emphasizes training of senses.
❖ It gives an equal importance to individual and society.

Educational implications:
1) Aims of education:
▪ The basic purpose is to provide the pupil with the essential knowledge requires for
survival in the natural world.
▪ Those involves the skills necessary to achieve a secure and happy life.
2) Curriculum:
▪ The curriculum should be subject centered.
▪ The subjects should be organised according to the psychological principles of learning.
The subject should proceed from simple to the more complex.
▪ Subjects must include science, vocational studies, mathematics, humanities and social
science.
3) Teacher:
▪ Classroom is teacher centered.
▪ Teacher should teach in impersonal and objective way.
▪ The teacher must utilize pupils' interest by relating the material to the pupils'
experiences, and making the subject matter as concrete as possible.
▪ Teacher can maintain discipline by rewarding the efforts and achievements, controlling
the attention of the child by keeping the pupil active.
4) Methods of teaching:
▪ Teaching methods are authoritative.
▪ Evaluation is an essential part of teaching here.
▪ The teacher must assure that the pupil be able to recall, explain and compare facts, to
interpret relationships and to infer new meaning.
▪ Objective methods of evaluating and tests should be conducted for accurate
measurement of the pupils' understanding.
▪ Frequent tests are highly desirable.
▪ For motivational purpose teacher should reward the success of each pupil.
5) Discipline:
▪ They advocate a synthetic form of impressionistic and emancipatory forms of
discipline.
6) Realism and school:
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▪ Some realist don’t feel any need of school. They prescribe wide travelling, tours, and
teaching by private tutors as the best means of education.
▪ According to others school is an agency which meets the needs of the child.

NATURALISM
✓ It is also termed as materialism.
✓ Rousseau, Comenius, Basedow and Pestozzy are prominent educationists of this
naturalist movement.
✓ According to the philosophy, the basis of the world is matter. Mind is also a form of
matter. Nature is everything. Nothing is before and beyond it. Hence, man should
investigate the truth of nature.
✓ There are three forms of naturalism;
▪ Physical naturalism: it studies the process of matter and phenomena of the external
world.
▪ Mechanical naturalism: the universe is a lifeless huge machinr which gets its form
through matter and motion. Man is considered as a mere part of this huge machine
and is himself a small machine. This is set in motion by external stimuli and forces
of nature.
▪ Biological naturalism: it is based on Darwinian theory of evolution. According to
this theory, man has evolved from lower animals by a gradual process of
development. Man is a supreme product of this process of evolution.

In this way biological naturalism emphasizes the development of men’s natural

impulses, natural potentialities and inborn tendencies.

Fundamental principles:
❖ The universe is a huge machine and man is also a part of this machine.
❖ All the capacities of an individual human being are delimited by his nature. Those are his
innate and inherent tendencies and basic instincts.
❖ The present life is the real life. There is no other world beyond it.
❖ Reality is of the external nature only. All objects are born or made out by this nature and
ultimately disappear in nature.
❖ Unchanging lows of nature explain all the events and occurrences of the world.
❖ The changes in the life of man and his physical conditions are due to scientific discoveries
and inventions.
❖ The ultimate reality is of matter. God, soul, mind heaven and hell, moral values and prayers
are all illusions.

Characteristics:
❖ Back to nature- the best teacher of the child is nature.
❖ Opposition of bookish knowledge.
❖ Education should be progressive.
❖ Negative education- to protect from error.
❖ Child is the center of the educational process.
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❖ Child should be given full freedom for yhe development.
❖ Training of senses is mandatory.

Educational implications:
1. Aims:
✓ Self expression or unfolding of the self, it stressed.
✓ No control of any kind over the developing organism is allowed.
✓ Complete freedom should be given.
✓ The education should prepare a child for the struggle of existence and adaptation to
environment.
2. Curriculum:
✓ Based on the needs, interest, and abilities of the child in relation to its level of
development.
✓ Child centered curriculum.
✓ Individual differences are recognized.
✓ The experience of the child should form the central care of the curriculum.
3. Teacher:
✓ Teacher should remain in the background.
✓ Child’s natural development should br stimulated.
4. Methods of teaching:
✓ Play is the natural mode of self expression.
✓ Learning by doing.
✓ Learning should be joyous, spontaneous, creative.
✓ Excursions, field trips and practical experiments are lightly commended.
5. Discipline:
✓ Freedom is a means to discipline.
✓ The child should be controlled only by his own learning and experience.
✓ Discipline by natural consequences is what they believe in.
✓ Self government by the students is advocated.
6. Naturalism and school:
✓ The school environment should be completely free, flexible and without any rigidity.
✓ Nature will do all the planning and processing for the natural development of the child.

PRAGMATISM
Etymologically the word pragmatism is derived from the Greek word “pragma' which
means activity or work done.
Pragmatism gives importance to changes, processes and relativity.
It is essentially the practical approach..
It has been expounded by the American philosophers like William James and John
Dewey.
There are eventually three forms of pragmatism;
i. Humanistic pragmatism: according to this ideology only those things or principles
are true which satisfy the needs, requirements, aspirations and objectives of human
being.
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ii. Experimental pragmatism: any thing or principle is true which can be verified as
true by experiment.
iii. Biological pragmatism: the power or capacity of human being is valuable and
important which enables him to adjust with the environment or which makes him
able to change his environment according to his needs and requirements.

Fundamental principles:
▪ Change is the essence of this universe. Nothing is permanent or final.
▪ Reality is what one experiences. There js no absolute reality.
▪ There is no absolute truth. Truth always changes according to time, place, and person.
▪ Problems from the motivation for the search of truth.
▪ Action must precedes knowledge. True experience is knowledge and it is functional.
Action is more important than knowledge or thought.
▪ Man is a biological organism getting a social stimulation. Human personality can be
developed only in a social context.
▪ The present is stressed, neither the past nor the future.
▪ There are no absolute values or universal moral principles. Man creates his own values.
Man is the measure of all things.
▪ What is good is what works; what works for all.
▪ Means are more important than ends. They are closely related. The ends once realized
become means for realization of further ends.
▪ Mind is dynamic. The growth of personality is the interaction of the individual with the
environment.
▪ Critical intelligence is of great value. Democracy is a way of life promoting a
permissive atmosphere.

Educational implications:
1. Aims:
▪ There is no final aim as there is no finality about life.
▪ Education becomes the laboratory of life. It is a continuous reconstruction of
experience.
▪ Problem solving is the attitude to br developed both as ends and means.
▪ The final result should be an adaptable mind which is both resourceful and enterprising
is all situations.
2. Curriculum:
▪ Life centered curriculum.
▪ There is only one subject the art of modern living.
▪ School curriculum must be built around the particular problems of life which are
meaningful and purposeful for the students.
▪ Subject matter of social experience and social studies would receive greater emphasis
and cultural activities will receive a comparatively low priority.
3. Teacher:
▪ Teacher is a research project director.
▪ The student is an active participant in the business of learning, investigation, enquiring,
reading, thinking, testing etc.
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▪ Teacher has to set the proper environment and guide them in planning, executing and
evaluating the whole activity or project.
▪ The children works as a friend, philosopher and guide to the children.
4. Methods of teacher:
▪ Pupils should learn by doing and problem solving.
▪ Project method is the method of teaching.
▪ Co-operative group work should be encouraged.
5. Discipline:
▪ It should grow out of purposeful group activity.
▪ Self discipline has to be cultivated in the pupils and this is developed through involving
the students in the moral dimensions of the classroom.
▪ “Learning by living” is the formula here.
▪ The school is a miniature society.
6. Pragmatism and school:
▪ School is a miniature society where a child gets a real experience to act and behave
according to his interests, aptitudes and capacities.

INDIAN PHILOSOPHIES
➢ The indian schools of philosophy may be classified into two, Orthodox and heterodox.
➢ While Orthodox schools accept the authority of vedas. Heterodox school rejects the
Vedas.
➢ The authority of Vedas, there are two sub-divisions namely,
➢ Directly(accept the vedic texts and others)
➢ Independent grounds (which accept the vedic texts but base them selves)

The Vedanta Philosophy

The term ‘vendanta' means that which comes at the end of the vedas. The term ‘veda' means
knowledge and it has two aspects;
✓ Mantras or hymans or samhitas like the four Vedas- rig, yajur, sama, and atharva.
✓ The brahmins.

Educational implications:
1) Aim:
• The spiritual personality is the central care of the Vedanta philosophy.
• In education we have to respect the individual personality as the object of
transformation.
• Education should help pupil for their self realization.
2) Curriculum:
• It consists of the learning of Vedas, Upanishads, sikha, kalpa, Vyakaran, Nikratha,
Chhanda and jyothisha.
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• In the later period, study of classics like Ramayan and Mahabharata.
• Nature of education to be offered was left to the discretion of the teacher.
3) System of education:
• Children had to spend their student days, called Brahmacharya at the residence of the
Guru called Ashram or Barnasalai which were generally located on the outskirts of towns.
• At the age of 7, after the initiation ceremony called upanayana was conducted.
• 3 kinds of people studied Gurukula education kshatriyas(8yrs), Vaisyas(11yrs) and
Bramhins(12yrs).
• Starts with Gayatri mantram.
• Learn vedas( among 4, any one) science of numbers, Ayurveda.
• Teachers focus pn physical development as well as spiritual development.
4) Methods of teaching:
• Oral explanations, recitation, memorization and demonstration were the predominant
teaching learning techniques.
• Sanskrit was the medium of instruction.
• Students used ‘Sravana' (hearing) , ‘manana' (reflection), and 'Nididyasara' (meditation)
as the methods of master knowledge.
• Students’ knowledge and skills were testified in ‘sadas' where discretion and debates
were held.
5) Teacher:
• According to Upanishad, introspection, teacher's diksha(guidance) , devotion to God
and the teachers are the requisites for one’s self realization.
• Guru must know philosophy, grammar, astrology, general knowledge, possess all
subjects of knowledge.

Jainism( The Jain Philosophy)

The word jainism finds its roots ‘Jina' which means ‘conquerer' (conquered the senses)
Jainism is popularly ascribed to Mahaviea (599-527BC)
The aim is the full development of personality. Individual and social aspects of
personality are equally emphasized.
Jainism is a religion of self help. If denies the existence of a separate God. But
considered every liberated soul as God.
Jainism gives total freedom of expression to man. It states that nothing mediates
between one’s action and its results.

Educational implications:
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✓ Development of the personality.
✓ Knowledge is relative. By knowing the different parts one many hope to get about one,
relatively.
✓ Many sidedness of personality.
✓ Moral aspect- right conduct.
✓ The spiritual aspect was stressed.
✓ Curriculum wad based on the three ratna, right faith, right knowledge and right conduct.
✓ Mother tongue was the medium of instruction.
✓ Textbooks- ‘Prakit' language, 14purvas, 12parts.
✓ Method of instruction- debate and discussion.
✓ Residential living of the pupil stressed.

Buddhism
Siddhartha or Gautama Buddha is the founder of Buddhism lived in the sixth century BC.
Ethics:
Buddhism accepts the inexorable law of Karma. The teaching of Buddhism was three fold;
i. The four noble truths: there is suffering. There is a cause of suffering. There is
cessation of suffering. There is a way leading to cessation of suffering (Nirvana).
ii. The eight fold path to Nirvana: They are right faith, right resolve, right speech, right
action, right living, right effort, right thought and right concentration.
iii. Dependent origination: All phenomenal things hang between reality and nothingness.
Every object of reality is relative. Ignorance is bondage, knowledge is liberation. Everything is
merely a link in its chain, a spoke in the wheel, a transitory phade in the senses.

Educational Implications:
✓ Buddhist philosophy admits the possibility of attaining peace here and now, though it
starts with a pessimistic note. Teachers, therefore need not be despair.
✓ It is positivistic and has a careful logical systemization of ideas.
✓ It is pragmatic. Everything is in a stateof flex as it is only momentary. Change is the
rule of the universe. It doesn’t believe in absolutism.
✓ It believes in the integration of personality by developing the various aspects of the
individual which are interlinked.
✓ It is ethical. The eight fold path to Nirvana makes a universal appeal.
✓ It is democratic as it believed in the freedom of enquiry.
✓ It belief in Karma.
✓ The buddhist Bhikku(monk) took the vows of charity and of poverty. Character was the
basis of moral discipline.
✓ Training is mannual skills live spinning and weaving was emphasized enable man to
learn their living.
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✓ The method of instruction was oral, preaching, repetition, exposition, discussion and
debates were all used. The Buddhistic council organised seminars to scholars to discuss
the major issues at length.

PHILOSOPHY OF NURSING EDUCATION:

❖ Philosophy of Nursing education is the written statement of the believes, values,
attitudes, and ideas which the faculty as a group agreed upon in relation to the nursing
educational programs such as health, disease, nursing, nurse, nursing as a profession,
education, learner, society, patient, nursing education and preparation of nurses.
❖ Philosophy of nursing education is a perfect combination of philosophy of nursing and
philosophy of education.
❖ In the philosophy of education, importance is given to the students.
❖ It emphasizes on the patients as well.
❖ The philosophy of a nursing Institute should be enriched with value Statements
regarding the practice of nursing and teaching of nursing.
❖ The philosophy will decide the nature of student selection process, objectives of the
educational programs, curriculum development and type of practice experiences
provided to the students, selection and placement of staff, teaching methods and
evaluation system.
❖ In the beginning, nursing and nursing education was solely under the influence of super
naturalism.
❖ The changes in the education system, socioeconomic condition, scientific and
technological advancement, and innovations in the health care sector and knowledge
explosion motivated the nursing education to consider other philosophies also.
❖ Following an electric tendency by adopting the good features of various Philosophies
is also common now.

CONCLUSION:
All educational activities, from classroom practice to curriculum decisions to the setting of
policies at the school, district, state and federal levels, inevitably rest upon philosophical
assumptions, claims and positions. Consequently, thoughtful and defensible educational
practice depends upon philosophical awareness and understanding. To that extent, the
philosophy of education is essential to the proper guidance of educational practice. Knowledge
of philosophy of education would benefit not only teachers, administrators and policy makers
at all levels but also students, parents and citizens generally. Societies that value education and
desire that it be conducted in a thoughtful and informed way ignore the philosophy of education
at their peril. Its relevance, reach and potential impact make it perhaps the most fundamental
anx wide ranging area of applied philosophy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1. Sudha R. (2021). Nursing Education-Principles and concepts, 2nd edition, Delhi,
Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, page no 1-20.
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2. Sodhi Jaspreet K. (2017). Comprehensive Textbook of Nursing education. First edition.
Jaypee Brothees Medic Publishers. Page no 6-29.
3. Raj.B.E.D, Bhasker N. (2018). Textbook of Nursing Education. 2018th edition.
EMMESS medical publishers, page no 10-31.
4. Basavanthappa B.T.(2009). Nursing Education. 2nd edition. New Delhi. Jaypee
brothers Medical publishers (P) ltd, page no 126-154.
5. Neeraja K.P. (2011) Textbook of communication and Education Technology For
Nurses. 1st edition. New Delhi, Jaypee brothers medical publishers (p) ltd. Page no 25-
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