ASSIGNMENT 01: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION (PART A)
(SHORT QUESTIONS) (100 Marks) – on the myUnisa Moodle platform
DUE DATE: To be communicated on myUnisa UNIQUE NUMBER: To be communicated on
myUnisa
African philosophy and an African philosophy of education
QUESTION 1
Discuss the central ethical idea in African philosophy and its contribution to formal schooling or
education. (Page 14) (10)
The dominant Western and European ways of knowledge are challenged by African philosophy,
which also emphasizes the importance of the concepts of ubuntu and community. This type of
philosophy of education aims to develop humane individuals with traits like civility, respect,
kindness, generosity, compassion, benevolence, and a concern for the well-being of others. African
Philosophy finds expression in four distinctive discourses:
Ethnic philosophy can be defined as the philosophy of Africa. It is distinctive, and consists of the
religious and moral beliefs of the continent of Africa. Given the vastness of this continent and the
diversity of the peoples of Africa, this philosophy should not be viewed simplistically. It
encompasses the African people’s view of life and Africa’s ability to criticize its own traditions.
Essentially, the philosophy of Africa looks at the whole experience of human beings (in other words,
the philosophy of Africa is holistic).
Sage, or wisdom, philosophy focuses on those individuals in society who are known to be wise and
far-sighted and who can think critically. These are the people whose views challenge the authority
of the community’s decision. In the Western tradition of wisdom, historically, these people have
been social critics and innovators.
Africa’s political philosophy is unique. Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Amilcar Cabral, Le?opold
Se?dar Senghor and Frantz Fanon are regarded as the main representatives of African political
philosophy. The assumption underlying this philosophy is that it must be a peculiarly African
political philosophy, different from capitalist, socialist or communist political philosophies.
Pure philosophy is the work of African philosophers in the areas of Empiricism, Critical Rationalism
and Existentialism. Kwasi Wiredu, Peter Bodunrin, Henry Odera Oruka, Kwame Anthony Appiah
and Paulin Hountondji represent this type of philosophy.
African Philosophy of Education emphasizes ubuntu.
Ubuntu encourages learners and educators to participate and act in community, contributing to
one another’s shared understandings during pedagogical encounters.
Ubuntu upholds the willingness of people to engage with one another with the intention of
altering an undesirable situation.
An African philosophy of education that recognizes the importance of ubuntu in the pursuit of
desirable human action towards change is considered a critical discourse.
An education seeking social justice involves educating people about the reasons for combating
and alleviating poverty and hunger.
In conclusion African philosophy of education acknowledge and establishing an African identity in
education, provide necessary context for the resurrection of African values in educational systems
on the African continent by challenging the dominant of Western and Eurocentric ways of thinking
in education and emphasis the value of ubuntu and community in the aims, theory and practice of
education.
, Empiricism and an Empirical philosophy of Education
QUESTION 2
According to Higgs and Letseka (2022), “In education, Empiricism insists that teaching and learning
can only occur in those subjects that provide humankind with ‘real knowledge’. What is your opinion
on this statement? (Page 35) (10)
Empiricism simply means experience-ism. According to the philosophy of Empiricism, everything
we know is based on what we have experienced personally through our five senses (seeing,
hearing, tasting, touching and smelling). Empiricism is a very practical philosophy. Empiricism is
concerned with things we can know or prove.
Empiricism insists that teaching and learning can only occur in those subjects that provide
humankind with ‘real knowledge’. These subjects are mathematics, the sciences (biology, physics,
chemistry) and engineering (which is applied science). If we adopt Empiricism as basis for
education, then education will be applicable to all learners in all places, simply because facts and
scientific truth are universally applicable. Factual statements are different from value statements,
value statements cannot be proven right or wrong. Values are something important to you personally.
Values do not fit into thinking paradigm of empiricism, because there is no scientific clarification for
values.
Empiricism helps people to understand the physical world, it tells the truth of certain claims and
what is false, respect the natural laws of the universe and to learn from experience. People
believed that experience gives them most reliable form of knowledge. The truth is established by
means of scientific tests. It relies on verification – something that can be verified. The idea that truth
is confirmed by experience – what we can test – is based on empirical belief. It is believed that if
one ignores learning from one’s own personal experience, we can be left vulnerable to false claims.
QUESTION 3
Discuss John Locke’s views on education. (Page 36) (10)
Locke rejected the formal education of his days because he said it was boring and pointless. In his
time and context, education consisted of teaching young men to became priests in the Christian
Church. Education focused solely on Latin, Greek and theological speculation.
Locke put forward the view that the child should be exposed to a curriculum that is based on
science, geography, math’s, physics and biology. Locke believed that the best way of teaching the
child to reason clearly and logically was to put young children in contact with adults who are rational
and sensible. Locke had a horror of stupid adults who frightened children with tales of evil monsters
lurking in the darkness.
In his renowned book "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," John Locke developed an
empirical theory of human understanding that served as the foundation for his thoughts on
education. The child's mind is like a "tabula rasa" when they are born, waiting to be filled with
information gleaned from sensory experience. It follows logically that education is essential to a
person's moral growth and social integration. Locke’s basic view that the aim education is to teach
young children to think critically and to train them pursuit of practical profession, this is this a
dominant view in education these days. Locke believed that the purpose of education was to bring
children up to be virtuous, using the power of reason to overcome desire.
(SHORT QUESTIONS) (100 Marks) – on the myUnisa Moodle platform
DUE DATE: To be communicated on myUnisa UNIQUE NUMBER: To be communicated on
myUnisa
African philosophy and an African philosophy of education
QUESTION 1
Discuss the central ethical idea in African philosophy and its contribution to formal schooling or
education. (Page 14) (10)
The dominant Western and European ways of knowledge are challenged by African philosophy,
which also emphasizes the importance of the concepts of ubuntu and community. This type of
philosophy of education aims to develop humane individuals with traits like civility, respect,
kindness, generosity, compassion, benevolence, and a concern for the well-being of others. African
Philosophy finds expression in four distinctive discourses:
Ethnic philosophy can be defined as the philosophy of Africa. It is distinctive, and consists of the
religious and moral beliefs of the continent of Africa. Given the vastness of this continent and the
diversity of the peoples of Africa, this philosophy should not be viewed simplistically. It
encompasses the African people’s view of life and Africa’s ability to criticize its own traditions.
Essentially, the philosophy of Africa looks at the whole experience of human beings (in other words,
the philosophy of Africa is holistic).
Sage, or wisdom, philosophy focuses on those individuals in society who are known to be wise and
far-sighted and who can think critically. These are the people whose views challenge the authority
of the community’s decision. In the Western tradition of wisdom, historically, these people have
been social critics and innovators.
Africa’s political philosophy is unique. Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Amilcar Cabral, Le?opold
Se?dar Senghor and Frantz Fanon are regarded as the main representatives of African political
philosophy. The assumption underlying this philosophy is that it must be a peculiarly African
political philosophy, different from capitalist, socialist or communist political philosophies.
Pure philosophy is the work of African philosophers in the areas of Empiricism, Critical Rationalism
and Existentialism. Kwasi Wiredu, Peter Bodunrin, Henry Odera Oruka, Kwame Anthony Appiah
and Paulin Hountondji represent this type of philosophy.
African Philosophy of Education emphasizes ubuntu.
Ubuntu encourages learners and educators to participate and act in community, contributing to
one another’s shared understandings during pedagogical encounters.
Ubuntu upholds the willingness of people to engage with one another with the intention of
altering an undesirable situation.
An African philosophy of education that recognizes the importance of ubuntu in the pursuit of
desirable human action towards change is considered a critical discourse.
An education seeking social justice involves educating people about the reasons for combating
and alleviating poverty and hunger.
In conclusion African philosophy of education acknowledge and establishing an African identity in
education, provide necessary context for the resurrection of African values in educational systems
on the African continent by challenging the dominant of Western and Eurocentric ways of thinking
in education and emphasis the value of ubuntu and community in the aims, theory and practice of
education.
, Empiricism and an Empirical philosophy of Education
QUESTION 2
According to Higgs and Letseka (2022), “In education, Empiricism insists that teaching and learning
can only occur in those subjects that provide humankind with ‘real knowledge’. What is your opinion
on this statement? (Page 35) (10)
Empiricism simply means experience-ism. According to the philosophy of Empiricism, everything
we know is based on what we have experienced personally through our five senses (seeing,
hearing, tasting, touching and smelling). Empiricism is a very practical philosophy. Empiricism is
concerned with things we can know or prove.
Empiricism insists that teaching and learning can only occur in those subjects that provide
humankind with ‘real knowledge’. These subjects are mathematics, the sciences (biology, physics,
chemistry) and engineering (which is applied science). If we adopt Empiricism as basis for
education, then education will be applicable to all learners in all places, simply because facts and
scientific truth are universally applicable. Factual statements are different from value statements,
value statements cannot be proven right or wrong. Values are something important to you personally.
Values do not fit into thinking paradigm of empiricism, because there is no scientific clarification for
values.
Empiricism helps people to understand the physical world, it tells the truth of certain claims and
what is false, respect the natural laws of the universe and to learn from experience. People
believed that experience gives them most reliable form of knowledge. The truth is established by
means of scientific tests. It relies on verification – something that can be verified. The idea that truth
is confirmed by experience – what we can test – is based on empirical belief. It is believed that if
one ignores learning from one’s own personal experience, we can be left vulnerable to false claims.
QUESTION 3
Discuss John Locke’s views on education. (Page 36) (10)
Locke rejected the formal education of his days because he said it was boring and pointless. In his
time and context, education consisted of teaching young men to became priests in the Christian
Church. Education focused solely on Latin, Greek and theological speculation.
Locke put forward the view that the child should be exposed to a curriculum that is based on
science, geography, math’s, physics and biology. Locke believed that the best way of teaching the
child to reason clearly and logically was to put young children in contact with adults who are rational
and sensible. Locke had a horror of stupid adults who frightened children with tales of evil monsters
lurking in the darkness.
In his renowned book "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," John Locke developed an
empirical theory of human understanding that served as the foundation for his thoughts on
education. The child's mind is like a "tabula rasa" when they are born, waiting to be filled with
information gleaned from sensory experience. It follows logically that education is essential to a
person's moral growth and social integration. Locke’s basic view that the aim education is to teach
young children to think critically and to train them pursuit of practical profession, this is this a
dominant view in education these days. Locke believed that the purpose of education was to bring
children up to be virtuous, using the power of reason to overcome desire.
