The Fallacies of the Professional Educators (Philosophical & Psychological Perspectives)

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue II, February 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

The Fallacies of the Professional Educators (Philosophical & Psychological Perspectives)

Janet Surum¹, Elvis Omondi Kauka²

¹EAPM Department, University of Kabianga, Kenya
²Department of Educational Foundations, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya

Abstract: – This Essay sought to examine the three cardinal sins of Professional Educators. These sins of omission and commission are herein referred to as Educational Fallacies of the positivistic nature, the evaluation policy fallacy and the fallacy of the Romantic nature. These fallacies tend to lay undue emphasis on either the Cognitive dimensions of Learning or Affective domain of learning, yet Education is not a disjunctive activity, it is a conjunctive activity(a both-and kind of process). Real Education is not an exclusive discriminatory activity as propounded by the fallacies; instead it is an inclusive liberal process.

I. INTRODUCTION

A fallacy is a logical error in reasoning that occurs when premises of a given argument do not support the conclusion they purport to support. In everyday conversations and decision-making processes, fallacies abound. Some of the fallacies are religious while others are political fallacies, Educational or otherwise. Educational fallacies can be multiple. However, this essay examines two fallacies which are at the same time opposed as they are related and influence each other. These are the Rationalistic Fallacy and the doctrine of Romantic fallacy. Ipso facto, the precipices towards a malfunctioned Education are an exclusionary dualism that either emphasises the intellect over the affections or affections over the intellect. Exaggerated and exclusionary bias towards intellect is referred to as a ‘Positivistic Fallacy’ while extreme affectionism in Education might be christened ‘Romantic Fallacy’. These two fallacies have considerably affected modern intellectual endeavours, but they are most pronounced among professional educators.

II. THE POSITIVISTIC FALLACY

According to Thomas Gradgrind (as cited by Cothran), Education must be factual, He asserts, “Now, what I want is facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to Facts, sir!”

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