Four Philosophies

Résumé du livre

The book is designed to be a textbook in a course in "the philosophy of education." The readers addressed have had little or no background in philosophy or theology, and only a conventional training in educational theory. Thus, the problems in all three fields are presented in elementary fashion. It does mean that the optimum use of the book requires a well-trained instructor and a lively group of intelligent students. Mr. Butler’s primary intention is to offer a general theory of education which is avowedly religious both in its basic presuppositions and in its practical explication. The text conceives philosophy as a system of assumptions capable of "practice" in every field. The text presents four types of philosophy together with their characteristic applications in educational and religious theory. His methodical treatment of each philosophy - history, systematic synopsis with epistemology at the center, educational and religious implications, critical evaluation - adapts the book to the needs of students interested in particular topics. Read as a whole, it conveys a dependable "feel" for the major alternatives considered.