The Famous Educator

We already know many famous ideology and philosopher in previous blog.  Educators are people involved in the practise of education. Now I want to introduce some famous educator that have great contribution in education aspect. 

Amos Bronson Alcott 

The first educator i want to introduced is an American educator, Amos Bronson Alcott. Besides educator, Alcott is also a writer, philosopher, and reformer. As an educator, Alcott focusing on the conservation skill, and avoided traditional punishment. Alcott's philosophical teachings have been criticised as inconsistent, hazy or abrupt. He formulated no system of philosophy, and shows the influence of Plato, German mysticism, and Immanuel Kant as filtered through the writings of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. On September 22, 1834, Alcott opened a school of about 30 students, mostly from wealthy families. 

Ian Bradly

The next educator i want to introduced is modern British educator, Ian Bradly. Bradly born on 28 May 1950 and he is a retired British academic. Besides that, he is also a author, theologian, Church of Scotland minister, journalist and broadcaster. At the University of St Andrews, he is Emeritus Professor of Cultural and Spiritual History, and was previously Principal of St Mary's College and a University chaplain. He also served as the associate minister of Holy Trinity Church, St Andrews. Bradley subsequently worked in radio and television production with the BBC (British public service broadcaster). He spent five years on the staff of The Times (and was a features writer for The Times for eight years). Bradly also combined freelance writing with teaching at Cranleigh School in Surrey. 

Albert Einstein

You may be shock while noticed this name, Albert Einstein. I am not mistake about this. Einstein is not only a German-born theoretical physicist, he is also a educator. The 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics winner has put many effort on the field education of physics . In December of 1999, Time Magazine named Albert Einstein “Person of the Century” arguing that his discoveries revolutionized humans’ understanding of the universe. As Einstein was a professor of physics, quite a few of his most known sayings relate to education. These sayings are known as Einstein’s educational philosophy. Take a look at five pieces of Einstein's educational philosophy:

1. “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

2. “Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler.”

3. “Information is not knowledge.”

4. “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”

5. “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

Anne Sullivan

The last educator i want introduced is a female educator, Anne Sullivan. Her full name is Johanna Mansfield Sullivan Macy. She born on April 14, 1866 in Feeding Hills Agawam, Massachusetts, U.S. Anne was a American teacher best known for being the instructor and lifelong companion of Helen Keller (an American author, political activist, and lecturer). Sullivan lost her sight at a young age and therefore had no skills in reading, writing, or sewing and the only work she could find was as a housemaid; however, this position was unsuccessful. Although her rough manners made her first years at Perkins humiliating for her, she managed to connect with a few teachers and made progress with her learning. While there, she befriended and learned the manual alphabet from Laura Bridgman, a graduate of Perkins and the first blind and deaf person to be educated there. Also while there, she had a series of eye operations that significantly improved her vision. In June 1886, she graduated at age 20 as the valedictorian (farewell speaker) of her class. The summer following Sullivan's graduation, the director of the Perkins Institution, Michael Anagnos, was contacted by Arthur Keller, who was in search of a teacher for his 7-year-old blind and deaf daughter, Helen. Anagnos immediately recommended Sullivan for this position and she began her work on March 3, 1887. It was the beginning of a 49-year relationship: Sullivan evolved from teacher to governess and finally to companion and friend. 

The Famous Ideologist

Ideologist is the people who collect the normative belief and values that an individual or group holds for other than purely epistemic reasons. There are many well-known ideologist, which cover a wide range of human activity. Now let me introduce some famous ideologist.

Aristotle

I think most of you had already knew him in your secondary school history textbook. Aristotle born in the city of Stagira, Chalkidiki, in the north of Classical Greece on 384 BC. Besides ideologist, he was also a philosopher and scientist. Aristotle was considered the "Father of Western Philosophy", which inherited almost its entire lexicon from his teachings, including problems and methods of inquiry. With the Prior Analytics, Aristotle was credited with the earliest study of formal logic, and his conception of it was the dominant form of Western logic until 19th century advances in mathematical logic. The logical works of Aristotle were compiled into a set of six books called the Organon around 40 BC by Andronicus of Rhodes or others among his followers. The books are 'Categories', 'On Interpretation', 'Prior Analytics', 'Posterior Analytics', 'Topics' and 'On Sophistical Refutations'.

Karl Marx

Karl Marx was a German ideologist, philosopher, economist, historian, political theorist, sociologist, journalist and revolutionary socialist. He was born in Trier on 5 May 1818 to a middle-class family, Marx's view of history, which came to be called historical materialism, certainly shows the influence of Hegel's claim that one should view reality and history dialectically. However, Hegel had thought in idealist terms, putting ideas in the forefront, whereas Marx sought to rewrite dialectics in materialist terms, arguing for the primacy of matter over idea. Marx's polemic with other thinkers often occurred through critique and scolding and thus he has been called "the first great user of critical method in social sciences". Marx's ideas have had a profound impact on world politics and intellectual. Followers of Marx have often debated amongst themselves over how to interpret Marx's writings and apply his concepts to the modern world.

 
Confucius

Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. It is thought that Confucius was born on September 28, 551 BC, in the district of Zou, near present-day Qufu, China. Although Confucianism is often followed in a religious manner by the Chinese, many argue that its values are secular and that it is, therefore, less a religion than a secular morality. However, that despite the secular nature of Confucianism's teachings, it is based on a worldview that is religious. Confucianism discusses elements of the afterlife and views concerning Heaven. Confucius is said to have believed in astrology, saying: "Heaven sends down its good or evil symbols and wise men act accordingly". Confucius had some very famous quotes,

"What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others."

 (己所不欲，勿施於人)

“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realise we only have one.”

Herbert Spencer

Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher, biologist, anthropologist, sociologist, and prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era. Spencer was born in Derby, England, on 27 April 1820. Spencer developed an evolution as the progressive development of the physical world, biological organisms, the human mind, and human culture and societies. Spencer is best known for the expression "survival of the fittest", which he coined in Principles of Biology, after reading Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (达尔文的物种起源). This term strongly suggests natural selection, yet as Spencer extended evolution into realms of sociology and ethics, he also made use of Lamarckism. He have been publish many books in his whole life. His books has attracted many readers. In 1869, he could rely on the income of his books to survive. His books have been translated into many languages, such as German, Italian, Spanish, French, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and has won many honours in Europe and North America.