Dialectics of Education and Philosophy in the Arab Culture

Philosophy is an important factor of education policy, like religion, heritage, culture, and customs of the society. It concerns the mind and its implications in our daily life. Philosophy focuses on Logic, Science, Epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics, which are important branches of human thought. Throughout human history, philosophy organizes education, and societies revert to philosophy to regulate education policy. In ancient times, Plato and Aristotle’s educational policy was established for Athens. In the Middle Ages, Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, Al-Razi, Ibn Sina, Ibn Tufail, and Ibn Rushd contributed to setting education policy in Arab culture. John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Karl Marx, and John Dewey elaborated philosophical theories of education. Philosophy contributes to: suggesting education goals, providing the learning outcome, classifying topics and learning activities in educational institutions, and proposing an educational curriculum. In this research, I will address these factors, focusing on the fact that our present civilized societies need a philosophical dimension in organizing education policy. I will rely on philosophical theories, as well as contemporary studies that have been written on education policy in developed countries.