Education: Empiricists vs Rationalists Essay example -- philosophy of

The importance of experience in education has always been the sketch of philosophical arguings. These vies between empiricists and rationalists have been going on for quite whatsoever time. Rationalists atomic number 18 of the view that knowledge acquired done senses is unreliable and l advanceing crumb only be done through reasoning. On the other hand, empiricists suppose knowledge is acquired through empirical impressions and concepts that cannot be learnt without being experienced (Evans, 1992, p. 35). This debate was however resolved by Kant who argues that both experience and rationality are necessary in skill. John Dewey was an American philosopher of the twentieth century and he also contributed to the debate on the learning process. In his book induce and Education, Dewey (1938), he stated, the belief that all genuine education comes about through experience does not mean that all experiences are genuinely or equally educative (p. 25). This famous quote has been ev aluated and referred to regularly in the debate on learning through experience.According to Dewey (1938) experiences can only be termed as educative if they lead to further intellectual and moral growth. In gear up for experience to be termed as educative, both the community and the person have to benefit from the said experience. The experience has to contribute to growth in curiosity, sense of purpose, and initiative in the learner. He was of the view that traditional education was hierarchical and therefore undemocratic in nature. According to him, in order to produce well informed, thoughtful and democratic students, learners need to participate in all aspects of the school program and gain the experience. Eventually, a learner has to meditate on the experience ... ...work became widely accepted. However, his philosophy will continue to earn critical acclaim even in the coming days. Works CitedBoud, D., Keogh, R., & Walker, D. (1985). animadversion Turning experience into l earning. New York, NY Kogan Page.Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York, NY Macmillan.Evans, N. (1992). Experiential learning Assessment and accreditation. New York, NY Routledge.Ewert, A. (1989). Outdoor adventure pursuits Foundations, models, and theories. Columbus, OH Publishing Horizons.Goodlad, J. (1984). A vagabond called school Prospects for the future. New York, NY McGraw-Hill.Kolb, A. (1984). Experiential learning Experience as the solution of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice Hall.Lewin, K. (1952). Field theory in the societal sciences Selected theoretical papers. London Tavistock.