Teaching Philosophies of Career and Technical Education

5.2 Background

From the earliest of times humans have sought to find fundamental, natural principles that explain what they know and experienced in the world around them. We as a people are constantly striving to find the scope of the universe or we try to conceptualize the world and our place in it. In short–to see how the world looks and how we fit (Brewer, Campbell, & Petty, 2000; Kneller, 1971).

Philosophy is a product of the human mind, such as a theory in geometry. What the human mind produces depends on its general competence, the information and other raw material with which it works, and the general setting in which it works. Philosophy is found in its consideration in the nature of humans, our world, our values and the good life (self actualizations). What do we live for? What is the purpose of life? What sort of life should it be (Brewer, Campbell, & Petty, 2000; Kneller, 1971)?

As educators we must try to comprehend philosophy in its entirety. Our task is to interpret these finding which affect education. There are three modes or styles of philosophy:

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  Speculative.

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  Prescriptive.

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  Analytic.