EDF 821-03/14

SIGNIFICANCE OF METAPHYSICAL THINKING

           

i)        Necessity Premise: Education, like other human activities, cannot operate outside the realm of metaphysics.

ii)      Scientific Research: The indispensability of metaphysics is due to its primary objective of explaining the nature of reality. Metaphysics forms the foundation upon which all scientific ideas are resolved and their validity as well as distinct elements established. The fact that all scientific endeavors are aimed at explaining a particular phenomenon, metaphysics comes into play by evoking the inquisitive nature of research with the "what is?" question. It, therefore, forms the core driving force for any scientific inquiry. (Ochulor, Apebende, & Metuonu, 2011)

iii)    Inquisitiveness: Metaphysics encourage people to ask questions about the foundational laws and facts of reality and by so doing people are often led to make unusual conceptual associations that are alien to our intuition and common sense.

iv)    It gives unusual traits or qualities to elements of theoretical constructs, which may ultimately help us solve scientific puzzles we wouldn't have been able to solve otherwise.

v)      Religious Education:Acts as the basis for dynamic program of spiritual  and religious education for all ages.

vi)    Passion: The thoroughness of metaphysics compels  the teacher to read  and question further the content of  whatever they teach leading to the  urge and the desire to teach, to point the way for others that they may find the joy you have found, and to be a lifelong seeker of truth.

vii)  Introspection; Metaphysics encourages introspection which is a requisite activity for knowing the self . Teachers have an opportunity of examining themselves.

viii)   Metaphysical holism: dictates that living is also teaching, and that the best method of teaching is not narrating examples but being an embodiment of examples . If a learner  can observe a teachers belief making his life a better, happier experience then he will wish to have what the teacher has.

ix)    Handling criticism: A Metaphysical teacher anticipates criticism and handles them holistically, rationally and speculatively.

x)      Humility: No matter how much you know there are always those who know more and all your knowledge is only a raindrop in the sea of eternity.

xi)    Reality: Encourages an Education that is reality based. It acknowledges all reality(ontology) that is  material reality(cosmology),  Spiritual reality (Theodicy), Metal reality( Rational psychology ). Metaphysics therefore vouches  upon an Education based on facts and reality rather than fancy, illusion, error, or imagination.

xii)  Variety: Varying metaphysical beliefs lead to differing educational approaches and even separate systems of educationThis is due to their metaphysical beliefs regarding the nature of ultimate reality, the existence of God, the role of God in human affairs, and the nature and role of human beings as God’s children are always instantiated.

xiii)                     Anthropology: The anthropological aspect of metaphysics is especially important for educators of all persuasions because they are dealing with malleable human beings at one of the most impressionable stages of their lives. Views about the nature and potential of students form the foundation of every educational process. The very purpose of education in all philosophies is closely tied to these views. According Philosopher D. Elton “until we are clear on what man is, we shall not be clear about much else.” It makes a great deal of difference whether a student is viewed as Desmond Morris’s “naked ape” or as a child of God. Likewise,it is important to know whether children are innately evil or essentially good, or good but radically twisted by the effects of sin. Variations in anthropological positions will produce significantly different approaches to the educational process. Metaphysics is speculative and focus on issuesas the nature of cause-effect relationships. It relates to teaching in terms of thoughts about educational goals, the selection of appropriate content and educational goals, and attitudes towards the general nature of learners.