Holistic education is the practice of freedom to grow through learning and to engage in work which is meaningful because it engages personal development and is therefore creative, productive and adaptive. Holistic education is natural education which is foundational to a culture of peace and true democracy because it is based on the understanding that in order to resolve our human problems we must set ourselves free, open our minds and trust our human personality or 'human nature'."We must learn to trust human nature and educate children in such a way that they can develop their human potential. This is the only way we can bring real peace to the world. There is only one problem, and it is human development in its totality; once this is achieved in any unit - child or nation - everything else follows spontaneously and harmoniously.'' (Maria Montessori. To Educate the Human Potential )
Future Schools and Education as the Practice of Freedom
for Growth through Learning: 'Holistic Education'
Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and human freedoms". Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Today there is urgent need for positive social change. We The problem with our world is that human development is arrested at the level of identification with the self or 'ego' . Arrested psychological development translates into the limited and distorted perception of egocentricity and ignorance. This creates thought patterns which contradict the interests of human development and devalues one's own humanity as well as that of others. It is the unbalanced value systems of immature adults which inflict grave harm on our species and our planet. Consequently our social and political problems in terms of the ill effects of social conditioning which inhibits complete psychological development. Physical growth to adulthood without complet psychological and spiritual development generates irrational fears and negative emotions leading to beliefs which inhibit the cultivation of moral intuition of natural intelligence i.e. intuitive, moral, spiritual or 'creative intelligence'. Lack of creative intelligence results in non-adaptive and destructive human behaviour or 'evil'. Consequently we must set ourselves free, inwardly free, free from fear and inner conflict so that we can perceive beyond the limits of our personal desires... beyond our egocentric perception. We must perceive the wholeness of reality... the 'holistic reality'... see with 'holistic perception' and so and in this way understand the perception of the 'other'. Holistic perception generates empathy, compassion, desire for understanding and therefore allows for the positive, creative and therefore peaceful and adaptive approach to our human problems and conflicts of interest. However inner freedom, open-mindedness, holistic perception, morality of creative intelligence - depend on 'right' education which allows for children's freedom to grow through learning. Children do not become integrated human beings with the human attributes of empathy and compassion or ‘integrity’ unless they are provided with an education which ensures their complete psychological development. Right education does not complete psychological development and for self-actualisation and 'self-transcendance'... Holistic education for human excellence engages the psychological value of motivation by spiritual needs or 'metaneeds' ('metamotivation'). Metamotivation results in creativity and productiveness... 'work'... which is positive and meaningful.
"Holistic education is more concerned with drawing forth the latent capacities and sensitivities of the soul than with stuffing passive young minds full of predigested information. It is an education that prepares young people to live purposefully, creatively, and morally in a complex world." (Ron Miller ed. The Renewal of Meaning in Education: Responses to the Cultural and Ecological Crisis of our Times)
The paradigm of traditional education as 'schooling' is essentially ineffective because it is ultimately based on an intrinsic mistrust of the human personality or 'human nature'. (Already we are seeing a change in education towards the holistic from universities and colleges. Many degree programs now offer online school options so students can have the flexibility to grow and develop themselves.) Human nature can be defined in terms of moral development as the source of moral values or ' spiritual values' (human values or 'virtues'). The human values are the core values of moral consciousness or 'morality' of rational conscience of the self beyond persona or 'ego'... i.e. the 'transpersonal self', 'authentic self', 'higher self'or 'Self'. Awareness of Self . They are the values required for the values required for accurate evaluation of changing social conditions, effective decision-making and behaviour which is adaptive because it is creative. .. human self-preservation, sociability species survival. The human species is a social species; the human organism is a social organism; and human nature is a moral, spiritual or social nature with... instincts for effective adaptation to changing social conditions ('social instincts') i. e. socialisation, sociability or 'adaptability'. Human sociability depends on the 'social intelligence' of moral consciousnessness or morality of 'rational' or 'mature' conscience... a function of moral or 'spiritual' development required for peaceful cooperation. If development is hindered, the result is irrational conscience and asocial behaviour. The human organism as a social organism is characterised in terms of the intuition and critical thinking skills of moral reasoning, moral intelligence , 'social intelligence' or 'creative intelligence'. Creative intellligence of rational conscience is developed and cultivated naturally when children are educated in conditions of freedom for growth through learning.... through a complex process of moral or spiritual growth which results in the realisation of moral consciousness or rational 'conscience' (see moral science). Rational conscience is a function of understanding and social responsibility or 'peace', compassionate wisdom or 'empathy', universal unconditonal love or 'lovingkindness', knowledge as 'truth', 'freedom' as freedom from conditioning, 'justice' as moral justice, beauty ... The source of human values is the spiritual core of the human personality or 'human nature'.
Human nature is a social nature with instincts for sociabilityor 'social instincts'. The human species is a biological species... with taxonomic name... known as ‘homo sapiens’. Furthermore it is a social species which depends for survival on complete development of moral consciousness or conscience required for positive socialization or ‘peace’. The human organism is a biological organism which like any other biological organism behaves naturally in accordance with an intrinsic organismic valuing process making value choices and decisions which allow for its effective adaptation to changes in the social environment. Value-choices are made on the basis of the organism’s inherent tendency towards self-preservation and self-actualization... are biologically-based instinctive needs known as ‘operative values’. Human operative values are intinsic biological needs which make up the inner core of human nature – (yearnings, aspirations, capacities, talents)… instinctive preferences of behaviour implicated in the unfolding of human powers which lead to the achievement of human potential or ‘fulfillment’ and the integration of the comlpete personality or ‘wholeness’. Operative values are include basic psychological needs for security, self-esteem and belongingness or ‘ego needs’ and ‘higher’ psychological needs for self-transcendance or ‘spiritual needs’ (also known as ‘metaneeds’). Denial or frustration of any of these needs leads to psychopathological behaviour and the wickedness of human behaviour otherwise known as ‘evil’.
The innaccurate perception of human nature translates into the fallacious assumption that the interests of the individual and those of society are mutually exclusive. This dichotomous view of the social reality perpetuates suffering, oppression and destruction because it creates social problems which are in fact unresolvable 'pseudo-problems'. These must be approached from a more accurate holistic perception of human nature as a social nature. Cultivation of human sociability depends on humane education based on the respect for children's instinctive drive to grow through learning which is creative because it engages the intuition of moral intelligence ('spiritual intelligence' or 'social intelligence')... moral consciousness or 'conscience' i.e. their natural intuitive intelligence for creativity or 'creative intelligence'. Creative intelligence of rational conscience is prerequisite to human socialisation or 'peace'. Peace is a function of respect for human motives or human needs - for human development (complete development of the moral or 'spiritual' dimension of human nature) - 'holistic education' or 'peace education' depends on conditions of freedom - moral freedom, inner freedom, responsible freedom or 'true freedom' - and allows for the discovery of human potential. It is thus the source of self-control as 'self-mastery' or 'self-empowerment'. Self-empowerment is a function of guidance for living by the so-called 'higher' values ('human values')... universal love, truth, justice and so on. Problem in education is described in terms of lack of drive for learning or 'problem of motivation'. The highest function of education is to bring about an integrated individual who is capable of dealing with life as a whole." (Jiddu Krishnamurti Education and the Significance of Life)
For children growing up in the complex world of
the global village effective
educational practice depends on
an appropriate philosophical framework
or
'paradigm'
.
Educational theory is logical and reasonable
if it is
based on
natural law and
guided by the 'morality' of
rational
conscience.
The formulation of natural principles can be
translated into informed and effective moral
practice or
'praxis'.
(The practice of theory which
is not based on natural principles
results in the perception of false dichotomies and unresolvable 'pseudoproblems').
Effective educational praxis
is
based on
the understanding of learning
('experiential learning' or 'natural learning') as a natural function of the human brain, a social brain which
is specialised for
understanding of the significance... meaning... of experience. Experiential learning
is meaningful because it engages the individual’s instinctive responsibility to
themselves for
their own growth and development.
Children are natural
learner s and they
all have the right to educational
experiences offered in
conditions which allow them to enjoy the freedom
to exercise their responsibility for active
participation in the planning of
learning environments.
The practice of
freedom in education...
freedom to work and freedom to learn.
Freedom in school is
true freedom
as
'inner freedom' based
on natural biological
principles is 'responsible freedom'....
as
the practice of theory which is informed and
effective because it
is based on natural law and
guided
by
rational
conscience.
Freedom in education
is responsible freedom because it aims to provide
the right conditions required to free the human spirit
in order to develop conscience
as rational conscience or 'free conscience'...
freedom to
think,
freedom
to learn, freedom
to engage
in personal growth and development of one's
human potential for creativity and productiveness or
‘work
allows children
to
build their
self-confidence, self-respect, creative
intelligence and moral courage
thus
fostering their natural growth into mature
and responsible adults living
by the universal human values.
..
depends on
education which allows for
fulfillment of the needs for spiritual development ...
'spiritual emergence'.
Spiritual
emergence is the natural function of human nature. "In the most general terms, spiritual emergence can be
defined as the movement of an individual to a more expanded way of being that
involves enhanced emotional and psychosomatic health, greater freedom of
personal choices, and a sense of deeper connection with other people, nature
and the cosmos. An important part of this development is an increasing
awareness of the spiritual dimension in one's life and in the universal scheme
of things. Spiritual development is an innate evolutionary capacity of all human
beings. It is a movement towards wholeness or 'holotropic state', the
discovery of one's true potential."
(Stanislav Grof)
What are the implications for education? Meaningful education is based on trust of human nature and recognition of the conditions required for development of human potential....the integration of learning with life.... 'peace education'. In view of the fact that the development of a civilised society depends on rational or 'civilised' human beings, then the needs of the individual and of the society are mutually dependent and interrelated. Consequently the function of education is to provide optimal conditions for the development of each person as a rational and integrated whole through cultivation of their human potentialities - physical, cognitive, intellectual, artistic, psychological, emotional and moral or 'spiritual' . Spiritual development is a function of engagement of the person's instinctive sense of responsiblity for their own development of their human potential.... conscience. Development of conscience depends on education for the development of the whole person as a moral or 'spiritual' and therefore rational and peaceful human being i.e. 'holistic peace education' or 'holistic education'. Holistic education is the practice of freedom for creativity and productivity or 'work' which is meaningful because it involves motivation for growth through learning or 'intrinsic motivation'. (Holistic education is motivating at all ages because the learner is asked to engage in meaningful work.) Holistic education is therefore based on respect for human dignity as manifest in meaningful work. It calls for the planning and provision of natural learning environments characterised by conditions which enhance the learner's freedom to learn. The role of the teacher is described in terms of facilitation for learning. The teacher as 'facilitator' understands the nature of human nature as a function of the cultivation of creative intelligence and development of rational conscience. Holistic education is meaningful education because it involves the creation of opportunites of which integrate learning with life and allow for personal growth through learning... development of human potential and human empowerment as self-determination ... complete human development and the production of compassionate and responsible adults with a rational or 'peaceful' approach to the resolution of their human problems... i.e. 'freedom ' as 'responsible freedom'... freedom from the tyranny of dogma 'spiritual freedom', freedom of thought', 'inner freedom', freedom from fear and conflict, freedom to work ... freedom for personal development and growth through learning, freedom for guidance through life by the human values and the moral freedom of 'self-transcendance' i.e. 'true freedom' or 'real freedom' foundational to social understanding and social responsibility required for peace, cooperation and real democracy.t
"Real freedom is a consequence of development; it is the consequence of latent guides, aided by education. It is the construction of the personality, reached by effort and one's own experiences; it is the long road which every child must take to reach maturity". (Maria MontessoriTo Educate for Human Potential)
The aim of education, in the fullest and deepest sense of the word, is to provide the conditions to free the human spirit in order to cultivate naturally meaningful human intelligence i.e. intuitive intelligence for creativity or 'creative intelligence'. Creative intelligence is a function of the integrated development of the person as a whole... natural education based on principles of human development hence 'integral education' or 'integrative education' also known as 'free education', 'libertarian education', 'libratory education', 'progressive education', 'new education', 'open education', 'cosmic education', 'child-centered education', 'person-centered education', 'problem-centered education', 'humanistic education', 'humane education', 'confluent education', 'peace education', 'transformative education', 'soul education', 'democratic education' and 'holistic education'. Holistic education is the practice of freedom for the the pursuit of 'knowledge' as 'truth' and engages the instinctive motives for growth through learning... is a natural truth finding process which is active because it engages the so-called 'higher' soul needs , spiritual needs or 'metaneeds' and thereby cultivates intelligence... not only mechanical intelligence of conditioned learning but also intuitive intelligence (spiritual intelligence) or 'creative intelligence' which allows for social cooperation and the creation of humane societies. Holistic education is 'humanistic' because it is true to the social nature of the human personality or 'human nature'. Holistic education is education for human development and therefore education with conscience... education for responsible freedom or 'self-empowerment' as the pre-condition for creative and effective adaptation to changes in the social environment i. e. 'adaptability'. Human adaptability depends on 'true freedom'... the freedom to interact with the environment... to inquire, to discover, to think... to make personal meaning of experience or 'learn', the freedom to understand the realities of nature and human nature while attaining the highest levels of awareness or 'self-knowledge', the freedom to engage in meaningful creativity and productiveness or 'work'. Meaningful work is a function of curiosity, cognition and the wisdom of 'compassion'... engages development of 'moral consciousness' or 'conscience' - the human 'soul'. Holistic education is for development of rational conscience which is required for the mastery of life and respect for the lives of others. It is 'education for life through life' (Ovide Decroly). The cultivation of creative intelligence depends on the freedom to engage in active experiential learning motivated by the natural curiosity of inquiry and understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying the natural learning process ('biology of learning' ) ... engages the intrinsic drive (intrinsic motivation) for creativity and productiveness or 'work'. Work is meaningful when it engages the person's development as an integrated whole... engages development of moral consciousness or 'morality' of rational 'conscience'. Conscience is the source of guiding values or 'human values' required for accurate evaluation of changing environmental conditions, effective decision-making ... and behaviour which is adaptive because it is creative.
“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.” (Robert M. Hutchins)
The paradigm of holistic education has larger scope than the traditional paradigm of authoritarian education for control of the individual with its view of the learner as passive receptacle motivated by external factors... 'extrinsic 'motivation'... 'teacher as instructor'. In fact, the learner is an active participant who is motivated by the intrinsic drive to grow through learning... 'intrinsic motivation'... which is understood and respected by the teacher as facilitator. Effective learning is a function of the learner's active engagement in a process of adaptation to the environment. Human adaptability is a function of the capacity to create meaning from experience or 'learn'. Natural 'experiential learning' is a function of the brain’s capacity for perception of connections between systems of wholes and the parts which make them up i.e. 'holistic perception'. Holistic perception actively engages the person as a whole in their instinctive striving for mature growth or 'self-actualisation'. Self-actualisation depends on natural education which engages the individual's sense of responsibility for their own growth i.e. 'intrinsic motivation'. Intrinsically motivated learning depends on the provision of conditions which integrate learning with life and allow for development of human potential and human empowerment as self-determination or 'freedom'. Freedom in education is freedom from dogma, freeedom from ignorance, freedom from from conflict... 'inner freedom', 'spiritual freedom', 'moral freedom' or 'true freedom'. True freedom is obedience to rational conscience... a function of human development as 'moral development'. Freedom in education engages children's integrated development in harmony with their instinctive sense of responsibility for their own spiritual growth and development i.e. 'human nature'. Natural principles of human nature are foundational to education of the person as a whole or 'holistic education'.
"For too long the inner world of children has been suppressed or denied, and this is a serious flaw in our educational thinking that holistic educators seek to remedy". (Kathleen Kesson. Critical Theory and Holistic Education: Carrying on the Conversation in Ron Miller (Ed.) The Renewal of Meaning in Education: Responses to the Cultural and Ecological Crisis of our Times Brandon, Vermont, USA: Holistic Education Press (1993).
In the paradigm of holistic
education the
role of the teacher is defined in
terms of the 'facilitation of learning'.
The
teacher's
function is to understand the psychological
value of creativity and productiveness or
'work'... to
facilitate
the construction of conscience
through
development of human potential. The teacher is
a
'facilitator of learning'
Holistic education for children means a future of peace for humanity. The only means to a world of peace and understanding is through the proper education of children into emotionally and intellectually mature and thinking adults, respectful and tolerant of other cultures" (Norman Goble. The Function of Teaching UNESCO Paris 1977) "The organization of human communities and the establishment of freedom and peace are not only intellectual achievements but spiritual and moral achievements as well, demanding a cherishing of the wholeness of the human personality." (Ivan Ilich, Deschooling Society)
......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
"Present-day Western materialist culture and schooling exaggerate the importance of the physical at the expense of the spiritual and thus tend to suffocate individual initiative and personal responsibility in favour of docile compliance with external authority vested in ever-larger political bureaucracies. This de-humanising trend can be reversed only by the voluntary combination of well-balanced individuals who have taken the trouble to explore their own potential and are ready to live freely in harmony with natural law rather than as slaves to a political system". ( www.ardue.org)
"An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a life." ~ anonymous
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has". (Margaret Mead)
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Interactive Book: A Scientific* Rationale for Holistic Education (*in the sense of holistic science)
1. abstract
2.
introduction
3. site
map:
4
7. alphabetic index: (keywords) 8. bibliography (books and articles)
9. dedication 10. biographical statement
................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
What is holistic education? see Introduction to Holistic Education www.infed.org/biblio/holisticeducation.htm
Articles by Dr. Ron Miller: wwwpathsoflearningnet/articles.php
schools
Spiritualizing Pedagogy: Education as the Art of Working with the Human Spirit (PhD thesis, University of Sunderland in 2003 by Dr Roger Prentice - Director of the Holistic Education Institute and Developer of the SunWALK model of Holistic Education.) http://sunwalked.wordpress.com/holistic-ed
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