Humanistic Education

The term humanistic education has been interpreted by various educators and philosophers over many centuries. Though specific definitions vary widely, several characteristics are commonly agreed upon. Education that is humanistic in nature cultivates the individuals for their own and society's good, promotes respect for human dignity, and seeks to help learners attain the highest goals possible.

The roots of humanistic education can be traced to Plato, whose educational principles included improving human beings' self-awareness and nurturing the expansion of knowledge and critical thinking abilities. By providing these learning opportunities, Plato believed students would become lifelong learners, allowing them to able to live and learn to their full potential, as well as to contribute to a strong and cultured society. This became a theme that appeared in many forms as humanistic education evolved over the centuries.

During the Renaissance period, humanistic educators attempted to cultivate in their students an appreciation of the arts and inquiry into sciences along with an understanding of classic literature and philosophy. They believed that through this form of education, individuals and society would be at their best. In the eighteenth century Age of Enlightenment, the primary goal of humanistic education became more focused on developing the ability to think independently and analytically. Kant identified the need to fully develop people's potential by providing an education that nurtured the spirit at the same time as it developed thinking and reasoning skills.

In the nineteenth century, the term humanism came into use to represent the ideal education, which included the study of the classical languages and culture. The purpose of this classical-humanistic education was to help students become more aware of their abilities, develop the values and attributes required for participating in a democratic society, and promote the underlying knowledge that would be needed in order to be vocationally successful as adults. Philosophers Dewey, Freire, and Whitehead contributed extensively to the body of literature regarding humanistic education during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By the latter half of the twentieth century, Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers developed theories of humanistic psychology that were highly influential on the humanistic education movement. For Maslow, humanistic education was one of the methods by which a person could achieve selfactualization, the highest level of his or her needs hierarchy. Rogers described educator attitudes of care, trust, empathy, positive regard, and respect for the learner as those that would promote learning. Recently, Noddings has popularized the practice of caring in education. This extension of the humanistic ideals suggests that in order for students to develop the abilities to be sensitive and caring members of society, students should be taught such values by teachers who themselves demonstrate the ability to care. Present literature indicates that students value teachers who care, develop relationships, and build trust.

Currently, the term humanistic education can be identified as referring to two separate but historically related concepts. The first is the use of the phrase as it is associated with study of the humanities. Liberal arts educators may be referred to as humanists, as their focus is on providing an education that will provide students with a wide base of knowledge and cultural appreciation such that they may appreciate and contribute to society. The terminology of humanistic educators can also be seen to refer to a set of educational tenets that encompass a humane approach to education. This aspect of humanistic education emphasizes collaboration, trust building, care, and respect. In this sense, humanistic education is a way of approaching education that places high priority on the dignity of each person and promotes respect for self and for others.

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