The word philosophy is a derivation from the Greek and Latin words philosophos and philosophia

respectively. Both terms mean love of wisdom or love of knowledge. Philosophers use scientific and logical
systems to investigate,ratiolise and solve problems. In a broader sense, philosophy is an academic discipline
concerned with making explicit.

Before getting down to the scope, this assignment endeavors in its capacity rather estimated boundaries to;
explain why the study of the aspect of philosophy should be supported in colleges of education. Therefore, an
icon term will be defined i.e. ‘philosophy’ and alternative definitions will follow where appropriate.
Philosophy will be discussed, thereafter a conclusion shall be drawn.

The nature and significance of ordinary and scientific beliefs and investigating the intelligibility of concepts
by means of rational arguments concerning their presuppositions, implications and inter-relationships.It also
deals with the structure of reality, the resources and limits of knowledge, the principles and input of moral
judgment (Waghid,2004:56). Charles 91975:6) adds that philosophy in its technical terms comprises of an
activity, a set of attitudes and a body of content.

However, there are three main components of philosophy. According to Knight (1980:14), the components
are Metaphysics, Epistemology and Axiology. These three components are essential in the discipline of
history and philosophy of education as discussed in the preceding work.

Metaphysics is the component of philosophy that looks at the study of ultimate reality. In other words, it is
the study of things not yet known, the theory about nature of man and nature of the world in which man lives.
In metaphysics, (1989) comments that there are certain questions like does God exist? What is the nature of
God? How did a human being come into existence and what is the nature of human kind? It is therefore
important to verify any given answer to these questions.

That is why metaphysics is referred to as ‘beyond physics.’ Knight (1980:15) states that ‘it essentially
represents the speculative and synthesizing activities of philosophy and provides the theoretical frame work
that allows the scientist to create his world view and develop hypotheses that can be tested according to his
basic assumptions.

Further, metaphysical questions can be divided into four main aspects. These are cosmology, theology
anthropology and otology. Cosmology is the study of the origin, nature and development of the universe as
an orderly system. It also looks at the essence or purpose of the universe. There are two main classes of
people who have different views on the origin of the universe. These are religious and
evolutionalists.Religious people believe in God as the sole creator of the universe while evolutionists believe
in randomness.

Theology looks conceptions and issues of the existence of God. Anthropology deals with the study of man in
terms of the relationship between mind and soul as well as morality issues. On the other hand, otology is the
study of the nature of existence.

Metaphysics is cardinal in the history and philosophy of education. It helps us understand man in all aspects
of life. In the learning environment, the educator will be able to have an understanding of the learner’s
strengths and weaknesses, understand the circumstances and changes that take place in the school.

The field of metaphysics also helps us to answer difficult and challenging questions of philosophy and
education. It is central to the concept of education because it is important that the educational activities of the
schools are based upon the fact and reality. In addition, metaphysics help to perceive different educational
approaches, methods and systems of education. In the formulation of curriculum, society is able to put those
contents which are valuable to man and society.

Epistemology is another component of philosophy that studies the nature, sources and validity of knowledge.
(Frankena,1965). Knowledge is also divided into two types: the apriori and aposteriori knowledge. Apriori
knowledge is independent of human knowing and true irrespective of humans. It is prior and independent of
human experiences and awareness. Aoposteriori knowledge is the opposite of apriori in the sense that the
former (aposteriori) is dependent on human experience and awareness.

There are various sources of knowledge which include senses, revelation, authority, reason and intuition.
Senses are sources of knowledge in that we are able to know what surrounds us through seeing, touching,
feeling, tasting and hearing. The discipline that states that knowledge is discovered through the senses is
called empiricism.

Epistemology is practically applicable to the history and philosophy of education in several ways. It is a
primary determinant of educational practices. One of these is the fusing in of various sources of knowledge
in the learning and teaching enterprise. The curriculum must include various strategies that enable learners to
find knowledge. These include discovery, question and answer, experimentation and brainstorming. The
teacher must carefully what technique to use at what time. Teaching also must move from what learners
know to what they do not know and from simple to complex.

In the sphere of philosophy, epistemology helps to justify and verify the truthfulness of what people perceive
or hear. It means thinking things through rather than taking statements and recommendations for granted
(Akinpelu, 1981:17).This component also enables educators to have the knowledge of the problems facing
educationthe education sector and think through to be innovative in finding solutions to such problems. To
add on both learners and teachers will be able to use available facts, not accepting or rejecting knowledge on
the basis of who is making them but rather on that of its soundness.

Moreover, epistemology is applicable in the synthesis of both student-centered and teacher centered through
which a great deal of philosophical thoughts, knowledge and wisdom can be generated. With a careful use of
teaching strategies and learning aids, the teacher should engage the learners in the search of meaning through
critical, creative and analytic thinking. The learning process must be holistic and productive so that learners
will not only master the mental concepts but also use the knowledge to become self reliant individuals
(wanghid, 2004).

Axiology is the study of human values used to identify the internal valuing systems that influence man’s
perceptions, decisions and actions. It is the theory of value that seeks to answer the question, ‘what is of
value or what is the value of something?’Axiology is branched into ethics and aesthetics. Ethics is the
rightness and goodness of an action. It looks at the rules of conduct. In other words, ethics is concerned with
moral questions related to different kinds of activities and situations such as morally correct or wrong.
However, aesthetics is the criteria of beauty in relation to art, music, poetry and literature. It relates to
imagination and creativity, high personal and subjective.

In the philosophical and educational point of view, axiology helps to make preferences over other areas
which are less desirable. This implies curriculum development, planning and teaching. In simpler terms,
axiology enables philosophers and educators to develop a clear vision regarding the purpose of education. It
means to know what is valuable as an end product and why such a product is desirable above other outcome.
When a desired goal is in mind, then one can come up with the relative value of various methodologies and
comprehensive programs that will assist learners to achieve desirable goals (Apps, 1985).

In conclusion, Wisdom, leadership, and the capacity to resolve human conflicts cannot be guaranteed by any
course of study; but philosophy has traditionally pursued these ideals systematically, and its methods, its
literature, and its ideas are of constant use in the quest to realize them. Sound reasoning, critical thinking,
well constructed prose, maturity of judgment, a strong sense of relevance, and an enlightened consciousness
are never obsolete, nor are they subject to the fluctuating demands of the market-place. The study of
philosophy is the most direct route, and in many cases the only route, to the full development of these
qualities. Due to the above factors, philosophy stands to be taught in colleges.
 References

Akinpelu, J.A., (1987). Anintroduction to philosophy of Education. London: Macmillan.

Apps. J.W., (1985).Improving the practice in continuity Education. San Francisco; Jossey Bass.

Charles,D., (1975). Philosophy and Schooling. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Ewing, A.C., (1989).The fundamental Questions of philosophy. London: Routledge.

Frankena,W.K.,(1965). Philosophy and Education. Historical over view, current Trends. New York: New
York : Macmillan.

Knight, .A.,(1980). Philosophy and education. An Introduction in Christian perspectives.

Michigan: Andrews University press.

Wanghid,Y.,(2004).African Philosophy of Education: Implications for teaching and Learning. South African
Journal of Higher Education.18, 56-64.