IDEALISM

Idealism is the oldest system of philosophy known to man . Its basic view point stresses the human spirit as the most important element in life.And the

the universe is essentially non-material in its ultimate nature.It refers to any philosophy that argues that reality is somehow dependent upon the mind rather

than independent of it.They emphases the  supremacy of ideas over matter,As a philosophical thought in can be interpreted in terms of its three branches metaphysics,epistemology and axiology.

Metaphysics of Idealism

The  philosophy holds that reality consist of ideas ,thoughts, or minds rather than of material objects or forces of nature.To the idealist all reality is

reducible to one fundamental substance which is spirit.Matter is not real,but only a notion an abstraction of the mind. According to the idealist thought

reality is but vision of minds which is spiritual not physicalin nature.This spiritual mind is part of the universal mind or BRAHMA.The reality is constant is

constant and unchangeable because it has been created by the spiritual mind.Plato theory of forms illuminates the picture,Plato explained that material objects

are not real but only an abstraction of the mind that the rel world is what he called the world of ideas or forms which is permanent and unchanging its nature

that material objects are just a reflection of this world of ideas or forms.

And on the existence of God idealist are of the view that the entire universe is made up of the infinite spirit or mind which is God.so also the spirit of man is

eternal.

Axiology of Idealism

This branch of philosophical thought is concerned with value. Idealist  root all values in a personal God or in a personal spiritual force

of nature;they all agree that values are eternal.Good and evil ,beauty and uglyness are known to the extent that the idea of goood and the idea of beauty are

consistent with the absolute good and the absolute beauty found in God.Values are absolute and unchangingn because they are part of the determined order of

nature which is God.

Epistemology of Idealism

Idealism holds that that source of knowledge is intuition.They beleive that all knowlegde is independent of sense experience . The act

of knowing takes place within the mind,the mind is active and contains innate capacities for organizing and synthesizing the data derived through

sensation.According to plato the rational knowledge is more important than empirical knoledge

Educational Implications of Idealism

On the aims of education the idealist thought can influence different aspects of education in these ways

*Self realisation

*Spiritual development

*Development of reasonableness and rationality

Spiritual things and the world of ideas should be taught in schools.The curriculum should emphasise the tecahing of the humanities and social sciences.The

idealist advocates the socratic method ,project method,dialogues and lecture method as methods of instruction and learning in schools.The idealist curriculum

has to be an epitome of the human knowledge.The purpose of school should reflect the civilization itself. Religious education must be emphasized in the curriculum

because of the view that life is eternal.