Deck 2: Realism and Education

Question 1

Herbert Spencer,in his essay "What Knowledge Is Of Most Worth," argued that education should promote

A)the cultural heritage of the past.
B)religious truth revealed by great thinkers.
C)creativity through artistic expression.
D)the supremacy of scientific knowledge.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The classical realist outlook championed by Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler strongly promotes the educational use of

A)great books that have withstood the test of time.
B)mathematics and science for precision in thought.
C)timeless religious truths about religious salvation.
D)contemporary writings that reveal current reality.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Maria Montessori,like Pestalozzi,stressed the importance of:

A)sensation and the use of objects in the learning process.
B) group and community activities.
C) dealing with emotional conflict
D) relating education to the social and political environment.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Because realists see the universe governed by its own internal order,there is a tendency in their educational philosophy to require students to

A)adapt and adjust to this reality.
B)pursue individual dreams and desires.
C)adjust to the needs of totalitarian regimes.
D)reject all other enduring world views.

Question 5

Aristotle believed that the universe has design to it and that everything has a true purpose.The purpose of human beings is to

A)think and follow a path of moderation.
B)make a living by skill and intellect.
C)engage in technological activity.
D)solve scientific problems.

Question 6

Thomas Aquinas believed that only God could touch the soul directly,but a teacher may also lead a student to knowledge and truth through

A)firm and forceful dictation of knowledge.
B)the use of observation and reason.
C)the indoctrination of students to become obedient believers.
D)in making student memorize and recite received truths.

Question 7

Francis Bacon argued for an inductive approach in logic or thinking,which means that better knowledge is gained when we

A)begin with specific observations and reason to general conclusions.
B)induce truth from both religion and science before we believe it.
C)induct students into a single way of thinking for uniformity.
D)only use deduction in religion and induction in science.

Question 8

The syllogism used by Aristotle is composed of a major premise,a minor premise,and a conclusion.Which of the following is a major weakness in this deductive process of logic:

A)It has an illogical order of descending scales of merit.
B)The logic only fits questions about science.
C)If the premise is wrong,then the conclusion is faulty.
D)Its religious bias yields absolute answers.

Question 9

Locke believed that our mind at birth is a tabula rasa,or a

A)rational table full of ideas.
B)machine-like system for calculation.
C)rational soul full of remembered truths.
D)blank slate to be imprinted by experience.

Question 10

A central theme of realism is the "thesis of independence," which means that reality,knowledge,and value exist

A)only in the mind of the perceiver.
B)in a separate realm of ideas.
C)in the natural laws of physics.
D)independent of the human mind.

Question 11

Alfred North Whitehead argued that education should be concerned with "living ideas" that connect the experiences of learners with

A)the traditions and tested truths of history.
B)the processes and patterns of reality.
C)products and processes of physical science.
D)dialectical reasoning of mind and thought.

Question 12

Unlike classical realists,contemporary realists such as Hilary Putnam hold that a the universe is clearly capable of being understood in absolute terms.
B)the doctrine of "simplicity" is the surest way to understanding the universe.
C)we need more use of logic and rationalism and less reliance on hypothetical reasoning.
D)the universe is too complex for the human to comprehend in a total or "God's Eye" view.