Differences Between Idealism and Realism

From the beginning of time people have pondered existence and what it means to truly “Be’, indeed the most important questions that one can ask are those of a metaphysical nature. The deeper questions that seek to explain the reason we’re here in the first place, if for any reason at all. It’s easy to get lost in the many differing theories proposed from Determinism to Rationalism to Solipsism to Absurdism the possible theories one can ascribe as correct are endless. But the ones that try to answer those big questions in the most general of terms are the ones that seem to hold the most verisimilitude. Existentialism, Nihilism, and Objectivism are the most general, and although quite different they are also quite similar. But existentialism seems to be the one which offers the most hope for optimism or any concern for altruism and personal growth.

Deciding that I wanted to be a teacher didn’t take much effort; deciding what kind of teacher I want to be however, takes much more thought. There are numerous educational philosophies, most of which can be traced back to one of four major perspectives: idealism, realism, pragmatism, and existentialism. All of these philosophical systems have an impact on educational thought; however, I find it hard to choose

Caught on the bridge between the Middle Ages and the enlightenment period, the Renaissance era opened up a wide array of philosophical values concerning the humanistic and existentialistic natures of man. At this point in history, man surpassed God at centre stage, with the newfound ability to reason and self-determine. Linked to this is the existentialistic

     Epistemology is the nature of knowledge. Knowledge is important when considering what is reality and what is deception. The movie “The Matrix” displays a social deception in which Neo, the main character, is caught between what he thought was once reality and a whole new world that controls everything he thought was real. If I were Neo, I would not truly be able to know that I was in the matrix. However, it is rational to believe that I am in the matrix and will eventually enter back into my reality later. The proof that that I can know that I am in the matrix and that I will return to reality comes from the responses of foundationalism, idealism, and pallibalism.

Within this essay there will be a clear understanding of the contrast and comparison between left and right realism, supported by accurate evidence that will support and differentiate the two wings of realism.

Idealism is the behavior or thought based on a conception of things as the should be or alone would wish them to be. In the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Mr. Smith is portrayed as idealistic throughout the movie. He is idealistic in this movie because he is able to enter into the lions’ den (so to speak) and come out unchanged and victorious. In contrast, if you compare the film to what happens to most politicians who spend time in Washington, DC, you will see a great difference between the film’s representation of how much of a difference one man can make and what generally happens to congressmen and senators in real life.

Idealism is essentially putting one’s hopes and dreams on the line in order for the possibility of it being achieved. However, idealism without truth is essentially an individual reaching goals that are unrealistic, and unattainable. The truth is a matter of the individual’s perspective because the truth is their reality in direct correlation to their surrounding reality. The truth of an individual without the optimistic idealism is life without hope, and only pessimistic views to support it. Therefore, there needs to be a balance in order for an individual to become and maintain healthy- both superficially and internally.

Epistemology is the nature of knowledge. Knowledge is important when considering what is reality and what is deception. The movie "The Matrix" displays a social deception in which Neo, the main character, is caught between what he thought was once reality and a whole new world that controls everything he thought was real. If I were Neo, I would not truly be able to know that I was in the matrix. However, it is rational to believe that I am in the matrix and will eventually enter back into my reality later. The proof that that I can know that I am in the matrix and that I will return to reality comes from the responses of foundationalism, idealism, and pallibalism.

The general topic is Plato’s theory of recollection. Is Plato’s Theory of Recollection the plausible solution to Meno’s Paradox of Knowledge? Throughout many of his dialogues Plato often concludes that we cannot know something through our senses. He often concludes that we became acquainted with our knowledge in a previous existence. In Meno, Socrates states that, “As the soul is immortal, has been born often, and has seen all things here and in the underworld, there is nothing which it has not learned; so it is in no way surprising that it can recollect the things it knew before…” In many of Plato’s works is it difficult to recognize as to where our thoughts and/or total knowledge initially came “to be.”

Piety. Beauty. Holiness. Justice. Equality. Goodness. At first glance these words seem pretty easy to understand. They characterize life and the actions within it. But, how do humans really know what these values mean? Socrates’ Theory of Recollection is only one example of how philosophers have tried to answer this question of knowledge. In Plato’s dialogue, “Phaedo” Socrates’ illuminates his Theory of Recollection where he believes that humans have knowledge of these ideals in which they can compare their own experiences to. Through Socrates’ Theory of Recollection, he argues how learning is simply recollecting something that one already knew but has since forgotten. Looking deeper into Socrates

“‘Real’ is based on facts and experiences. Traditions and literature are examples of ‘real’,” Mr. Blanchard asserted.

According to Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”, our ability to understand certain things comes with restrictions. Our perception is certainly one of them. How we react to situations and what we see is a topic that’s subject to many debates. On the other hand, realism works around a ‘fact only’ basis: it favors the literal truth and practicality rather than creativity.

The first idealism that we will dive into is Rationalism. Rationalism is type of thinking that is part of Epistemology, which is the, on a basic level, the theory of knowledge. This theory is developed based on their two main views. “First, they argue that there are cases where the content of our concepts or knowledge outstrips the information that sense experience can provide. Second, they construct accounts of how reason in some form or other provides that additional information about the world” (Stanford).

Plato contended that all true knowledge is recollection. He stated that we all have innate knowledge that tells us about the things we experience in our world. This knowledge, Plato believed, was gained when the soul resided in the invisible realm, the realm of The Forms and The Good.

The realist philosophy views the learner as a sense mechanism, a cog in the education machine (Ozmon, 2012). The teachers serve as a demonstrator, an authoritative guide, who serves as the expert of the applicable subject matter (Ozmon, 2012). The teacher would share their knowledge of reality to their students as it relates to the physical world and their reality (Ozmon, 2012). The realist curriculum is the subject matter of the external world and the realist teaching method as mastering hard facts and organized systematic information (Ozmon, 2012). According to the realist philosophy students are taught factual information for mastery in order to survive in the material world (Ozmon, 2012). The realist philosophy aligns with the purpose of any academic advising program as both the purpose of education for both realists and academic adviser is to teach knowledge that will provide students with the skills necessary to achieve a secure life (Ozmon, 2012). Realist education theory and the academic advising philosophy promote the meaningful development of academic plans that align with the student’s life goals (Ozmon, 2012). This paper will discuss the realist education theory as it relates to the purpose of an academic advising program in higher education by analyzing the aims of education, curriculum, role of the teacher, and teaching methods in the realism education model and academic advising model.