Philosophy in Education

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses four different schools of thought and how they relate to reality, knowledge and value: nationalism, ethno-nationalism, utopianism and totalitarianism. The paper further looks at how these schools of thought contribute to education and how they impact the role and responsibilities of a special educator.

From the Paper:

"Nationalism is the belief that one's nation is key to understanding a person's place and identity. The Stanford Enclyclopedia of Philosophy (2005) states, "Nations and national identity may be defined in terms of common origin, ethnicity, or cultural ties (para. 6). We can see a key element of this in the United States, particularly after September 11, 2001. After our nation was challenged, the nation came together for a common purpose and vision. Also, it is often taught (and assumed), that the United States is the best nation in the world. These views have a strong impact on our perspective on reality, for our point of reference is based around our nation. Thus, our knowledge and what we value will be based primarily around how things relate to the United States. For example, our news will be U. S. driven. This belief has a strong impact on special education, for as we encounter different facts that do not necessarily support our nationalism (such as the disturbing information about Abu Ghraib prison), we can choose to ignore them, or present them truthfully and risk destroying strong nationalism. It also limits our ability to understand the perspectives of other nations."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Ethnonationalism." Dagora Glossary. Retrieved December 13, 2006from http://plato.acadiau.ca/dagora/Glossary/glossaryhtml/ethnonationalism.html.
• "Nationalism." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. RetrievedDecember 13, 2006, fromhttp://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nationalism/.
• "Totalitarianism." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th. Ed. Retrieved December 13, 2006, from http://www.bartleby.com/65/to/totalita.html.
• "Utopianism." The Free Dictionary. Retrieved December 13, 2006, from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/utopianism.

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