Philosophy of modern education: essence, content and orientation

Abstract

The philosophy of modern education is a section of philosophy that deals with issues of education research, its role in the life of society, putting forward various pedagogical theories for the democratization and improvement of the educational process.As part of our research, we analyzed the content of the philosophy of education, its essence and direction. They characterized the vision of the philosophy of education in the works of its founder John Dewey and traced the relationship between the currents presented by the philosopher (practical learning, interdisciplinary approach, democratic classroom, reflective thinking, community involvement) on the potential results of the development of society (development of practical skills, development of cognitive skills, development public competence and compliance with public duties, development and improvement of metacognition, social interaction and culture).The study of Paulo Freire’s pedagogical theory of social justice, which developed under the influence of John Dewey’s current, also became valuable in the process of analyzing the problems of the philosophy of modern education. Central to Paulo Freire’s social philosophy was the understanding that in repressive dynamics the humanity of both the oppressor and the oppressed decreases. In turn, Freire’s philosophical concept rested on three main pillars: education as a tool for humanizing the individual through conscious actions aimed at transforming the world order; dialogue - as a pedagogical means of progressive learning; the “see, analyze and act” complex, which serves as the core of the philosopher’s methodology and consists in assessing the situation, its analysis, identifying the root causes of the occurrence of negative factors and active actions aimed at eliminating such factors while strictly observing the principle of social justice.It was determined that the philosophy of education should be understood as a field of philosophy that considers the development of education and society in their unity, offers pedagogical theories of educational activities, considers education as a lever for democratic changes and modifications. In turn, we see the concept of modern education in the presence of the following vector elements: humanistic education, digital education, hybrid education (mixed forms of education), inclusive education, individualized education, continuous education.