The Foundations of Whitehead's Philosophy of Education

The Foundations of Whitehead's Philosophy of Education

The inspiration for this paper comes from the Fiftieth Anniversary of the death of Alfred North Whitehead and the theme of this Congress. In Aims of Education, Whitehead describes the role of freedom and limitation in the educational process. The foundations of these concepts, and important clues to their application, can be found in his general metaphysical framework outlined in Process and Reality. Positive and negative prehensions seem to be the model for freedom and limitation; hence, the latter concept implies the discipline of subjective aim. This analysis supports an interpretation of the mutual complementarity of freedom and discipline, with obvious applications to the educational process.

Published initially in 1929, Alfred North Whitehead's The Aims of Education is certainly not a new book. However, since last year marked the 50th anniversary of Whitehead's death as well as my preparations for this World Congress, the general theme of which is "paidaia," it seemed the fitting moment to reread this classic and reflect once more upon its inspiring insights and timeless wisdom. The Aims of Education is really a set of essays first composed as lectures. Whitehead delivered these lectures at Cambridge, England, and at Harvard University between the years 1912 and 1928. His stated purpose was to "protest against dead knowledge." (AE, v) Perhaps these protests ought to continue into our own generation, but I hesitate. I am afraid that one of the casualties of any success in such protests might well be Whitehead himself, for the abstract, general nature of his thought has always been a challenge to professional philosophers and nearly incomprehensible to young philosophy students. Nevertheless, pondering Whitehead's thought has always been, in my opinion, well worth the effort for those who persevere.

The third chapter of The Aims of Education, entitled "The Rhythmic Claims of Freedom and Discipline," is where I find the essence of Whitehead's educational philosophy. This philosophy, I shall argue, is simply a reiteration in educational language of the core principles of his general philosophy as stated in Process and Reality and in Science and the Modern World.

Let us begin with the term "value." Science and the Modern World provides us with an earlier interpretation of this notion. Here Whitehead explains that "'Value' is the word I use for the intrinsic reality of an event." (SMW, 93) Now an "event" for Whitehead constitutes a fundamental datum of reality.