Ontological Basis of the Education Phenomenon as a Preformer of Its Social and Existential Realities

Abstract

This study is aimed at explication the structure of ontological basis of the education phenomenon from the standpoint of the truth of its being and reality. The methodology of the study is based on separation of existence and being concepts in the education phenomenon and identification of predetermining relationships between them. The methodology and results of the work are the author's own contribution. As a result of the study, the ontological basis of the education phenomenon is presented as a set of the following components: (1) ontological principles – educational universals and paradigmatic relations; (2) ontological essence. Their relationship with the truth of being of the education phenomenon is shown. The role of the ontological essence in the formation of social and existential realities of education is revealed. The content of structural, procedural, psychic and distributive universals is defined as a pre-image of the general in teaching and learning diversity. Forms, ways, functions and generalization of the being of the education phenomenon, which determine the particular in its reality, are taken as paradigmatic relationships. In connection with preformativity of the education phenomenon, a non- Kuhnian definition of the paradigm is developed, and the role of paradigms of education advancement is identified. Examples are given showing the significance of components of the ontological basis in the formation of the education reality. The conclusion is drawn that the ontological basis predetermines the presence of the social and existential necessary in education reality, and its deficit makes problematic the ability of education to be itself.