Johann Friedrich Herbart

Johann Friedrich Herbart was a German philosopher who made major contributions toward the development of educational pedagogy. His early thoughts on education were influenced by the home-schooling experiences and the impact of his mother on his life as the first teacher. After moving to the University of Jena, Herbart’s perception of education psychology and philosophical viewpoints were influenced by his mentors. Kant, Fichte, and Leibniz were some of the professors who had significant influence in his life and education. Based on his interactions, Herbart became a major proponent of progressive education. He emphasized education reforms as the basis of improving learning experiences. Known as the founding father of modern educational theory and psychology, Herbart made significant contributions toward the development of educational theory through his major philosophical projects. Although the direct influence on academic philosophy was narrow, he had much greater influence in pedagogy and psychology. The limited influences on academic philosophy were primarily because of the changing disciplinary borders against German Idealists. On education, he believed in the idea that education should be a key consideration in university studies. His works emphasized the need for developing moral education informed by experience. Herbart’s theory of psychology was developed from his general understanding of realism that considers actual things as the basis of perceived appearances. According to Herbart, it was possible to study and model the interactions just as one would study the mechanics models in physics. He largely based his arguments on experience and considered experimentation as an impossible process in psychology. Herbart also introduced the idea of unconsciousness where he believed on the transfer of ideas from the conscious mind to the unconscious mind.