What is it?
A line of thought that explains social phenomena in terms of natural ones
Essentialism
Popularized the term essentialism
William Bagley
A philosophical belief that asserts truth is what works and rejects other views of reality
Pragmatism
A philosophical orientation based on the assumption that all learning should be focused on unchanging principles or great ideas
Perennialism
Advocated for more inclusive curriculum that offers all students a shared knowledge, a common curriculum
E.D. Hirsch Jr.
Philosophy that emphasizes the power of reason and the principles of logic to derive statements about the world
Rationalism
A broad philosophy based on the Idea of Progress, which asserts that advancement in science, technology, economic development, and social organization are vital to improve the human condition
Progressivism
Proposed a single elementary and secondary curriculum for all students with no curricular elective except in the choice of a second language
Mortimer Alder
An educational strategy attributed to Socrates in which a teacher encourages a student's discovery of truth by questions
Socratic method
A philosophy based on the idea that people give meaning to their lives through their choices and actions
Existentialism
As president of the University of Chicago, introduced the Great Books program
Robert Hutchins
An approach to analyzing how past and present societies are arranged and governed and how better societies may be created in the future
Political philosophy
A philosophy of education based on the belief that schools should aim to foster active participants in society through a study of social problems and an aim to create a more just society
Social Reconstruction
Behaviorism; pioneer in operant conditioning; behavior is based on an organism's reinforcement history; worked with pigeons
B. F. Skinner
A doctrine holding that knowledge is derived from ideas and emphasizing moral and spiritual reality as a preeminent source of explanation
Idealism