Habits of mind : an introduction to the philosophy of education : with edited texts

In the midst of heavy criticism of the American educational system, Antonio de Nicolas injects an amazingly simple theory: Higher education in a free society must foster the habits of mind that enable individuals to perform free mental acts. Plato first identified these habits of the free mind in 'The Republic' as the abstraction of images from external objects, the formation of opinion, and the diverse operations of both cognition and imagination. In other words, we must hold education responsible for training inner mental technologies, or skills, instead of transferring accumulations of facts, data, and information. 'Habits of Mind' surveys all the major philosophies of education and evaluates historical significance, educational relevance, and, for the first time, effectiveness in producing those mental skills which define an educated person. Professor de Nicolás traces the actual history of our habits of mind through our Greek heritage, the Protestant Reformation, the universities of the Counter-Reformation, and the English schools of Luis Vives. Substantial selections in the second part of the book show that the “classic” philosophers propagated our contemporary intellectual habits. Rousseau, Locke, Descartes, Dewey, Ortega y Gassett, and many others compose the corpus of all educational philosophies. Finally, de Nicolás reenvisions our cultural origins and demonstrates that the best of Plato's educational philosophy has yet to enter modern educational practice. Antonio T. de Nicolás is a professor of philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is the author of 'Avatara: The Humanization of Philosophy Through the Bhagavad Gita' and the translator of 'Spiritual Exercises' of Ignatius de Loyola, retitled 'Powers of Imagining'. Part One. Our Habits -- Higher Education Today -- How Bad Is Our System Of Education? -- Democracy, Freedom, And Education -- The Critics Of Education -- The Roots Of Our Crisis In Education -- Our Philosophical Roots -- An Open Mind -- The Modern And The Postmodern American University -- The Question Of The Curriculum -- An Alternative Philosophy Of Education -- Habits Of Mind As Used, And Their History -- Our Inherited Habits Of Mind -- Plato And Our Greek Heritage -- The Education Of Habits Of Mind -- An Alternative University -- Protestant Reformation And Counter-reformation -- The English Schools / Luis Vives -- The Universities Of The Coutner-reformation -- The Shape Of An Alternative University -- The Experiment -- Requirements For Teachers And Students -- The Plan Of This Book -- Part Two. Our Models -- The Medieval Version Of Aristotle -- Scholastic Logic / Antonio T. De Nicolas -- Scipio's Dream, From On The Republic / Cicero -- The Myth Of Er, From The Republic / Plato -- Modernity With Galileo, Descartes, Newton -- Modern Logic -- Some Logical Terms, Definitions, Axioms, And Formulae -- The Sciences Now Have Masks On Them / Colin M. Turbayne -- The Narratives: Locke, Rousseau, Marquis De Sade -- Some Thoughts Concerning Education / John Locke -- Emile / Jean Jacques Rousseau -- Dialogue Between A Priest And A Dying Man, / The Marquis De Sade -- The Critics: Vico, Voltaire -- Candide / Voltaire -- The Contemporary University: John Dewey, Jose Ortega Y Gasset -- Marx, Dewey, And Maritain: The Role Of Religion In Society / Jude P. Dougherty -- Experience And Eudcation / John Dewey -- The Revolt Of The Masses / Jose Ortega Y Gasset -- Mission Of The University -- Part Three. Our Resources -- Socrates, Plato, The Poets -- Translating Plato: Some Reflections On Rhetoric / John Bremer -- The Republic / Plato -- Myths: Chaos, Daedalus And Icarus, The Golden Verses Of The Pythagoreans / Trans. Antonio T. De Nicolas -- Summary - Philosophies Of Education By Antonio T. De Nicolás, With Edited Texts. Bibliography: P. 533. Cover Title page Imprint Contents Acknowledgments Foreword by Herbert London Introduction Part 1 Our Habits 1. Higher Education Today How Bad Is Our System of Education? Democracy, Freedom, and Education The Critics of Education The Roots of Our Crisis in Education 2. Our Philosophical Roots An Open Mind The Modern and the Postmodern American University The Question of the Curriculum 3. An Alternative Philosophy of Education Habits of Mind as Used, and Their History Our Inherited Habits of Mind Plato and Our Greek Heritage The Education of Habits of Mind 4. An Alternative University Protestant Reformation and Counter-Reformation The English Schools, Luis Vives The Universities of the Counter-Reformation The Shape of an Alternative University 5. The Experiment Requirements for Teachers and Students The Plan of This Book Part 2 Our Models 6. The Medieval Version of Aristotle Scholastic Logic, Antonio T. de Nicolas Scipio’s Dream, from On the Republic, Cicero The Myth of Er, from the Republic, Plato 7. Modernity with Galileo, Descartes, Newton Modern Logic Some Logical Terms, Definitions, Axioms, and Formulae The Sciences Now Have Masks on Them, Colin M. Turbayne 8. The Narratives: Locke, Rousseau, Marquis de Sade Some Thoughts Concerning Education, John Locke Emile, Jean Jacques Rousseau Dialogue Between a Priest and a Dying Man, The Marquis de Sade 9. The Critics: Vico, Voltaire. Candide Voltaire 10. The Contemporary University: John Dewey, José Ortega y Gasset Marx, Dewey, and Maritain: The Role of Religion in Society, Jude P. Dougherty Experience and Education, John Dewey The Revolt of the Masses, José Ortega y Gasset Mission of the University Part 3 Our Resources 11. Socrates, Plato, the Poets Translating Plato: Some Reflections on Rhetoric, John Bremer The Republic, Plato Myths: Chaos, Daedalus and Icarus, The Golden Verses of the Pythagoreans, trans. Antonio T. de Nicolas Summary-Philosophies of Education Bibliography