Faculty of Education - Theses

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Start date: 1960 × End date: 1979 × Subject: Study and teaching × Author: Gordon, David R ×

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    The motorised sailing-ship: a study of Realms of meaning by Philip H. Phenix
    Gordon, David R ( 1977)
    Realms of Meaning, by Philip H. Phenix is an influential book which sets out a curriculum for general education. This assessment of the book takes the view that, while it is a stimulating contribution to philosophy of the curriculum, the work as a whole is unsatisfactory in some important ways. Generally speaking it is claimed in this thesis, that in attempting to modify what is in fact a traditional ideal (i.e. the ideal of 'liberal education') in order to meet the demands of the present, Phenix produces a curriculum which can be likened in some ways to a motorised sailing ship. However this examination of Realms of Meaning is intended to throw some light on what is required of a more generally acceptable philosophy of general education. Two central and related claims of Realms of Meaning are: 1. That knowledge exhibits structures and can be classified according to these structures. 2. That this fact is of vital importance for the curriculum planner. It is argued that the attempt to substantiate these claims in realms of Meanie is not entirely convincing. Another central feature of the book is the attempt by Phenix to show an intimate connection between education, human nature and the scholarly disciplines. This attempt is made via the concept of 'meaning'. It is an attempt which, in the view of this thesis is not entirely successful and this sets up tensions' which are felt in other parts of the book, in particular in the classification of the disciplines, and in the specification about curriculum which are derived from this classification. In addition it is argued in this thesis that Phenix fails to deal satisfactorily with some of the problems caused by the universality of the curriculum he proposes. . Chief among these problems are. 1. The problem of individual differences, and 2. the problem of the transmission of culture. Finally some conclusions are drawn about some of the characteristics of a. more generally acceptable philosophy of general education.. These conclusions arise from a conviction that (1) such a philosophy should . concern itself exclusively with the question of what, if anything, everyone, should learn and, (2) a curriculum for such general education should justify itself entirely on practical grounds.