Gemidias Merkys: Epistemological Lessons of Materialistic Dialectic in Pedagogy

The author argues that materialist dialectic, one of the most influential philosophies of the twentieth century, did not affect pedagogy only in one aspect. The analysis of its influence, especially of its conceptual and epistemological aspects might offer fundamental heuristic stimuli for modern pedagogy. The analysis of the epistemological characteristics of material dialectics highlights how it shaped pedagogical thinking in the former Soviet Union and the Eastern Block. The epistemology of the resulting pedagogy was characterised by conceptual monopoly, isolationism and authorianism as well as the emphasis on the forms of theoretical cognition and the negative attitude toward quantitative research and empirical methods. At the same time, however, the author argues that positive effects can also be identified, such as the experience of conceptualisation and theoretical research or the independent identity of pedagogy as a discipline.

MAGYAR PEDAGÓGIA 96. Number 4. 319-328. (1996)

Levelezési cím / Address for correspondence: Gediaminas Merkys, Siauliai Pedagógocal Institute, Faculty of Education, P. Visinskio 25, LT-5400 Sianliai, Litvania.

 
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