Question- State the limitations of Naturalism in education ?

Answer -

Limitations of Naturalism In Education

1. Confused Conception of the aims of Education : Most educationists find it difficult to accept the aims of education propounded by naturalism. Evolutionists believe that the aim of education is biological development, while Spencer specifies it as self-preservation.

2. Too Much Emphasis Upon the Present : In fact, the evolutionist places more emphasis upon the present than upon the future.

3. Many Expectations of Nature : The concept of nature differ from one realist to another. Some evolutionists interpret in the sense of physical nature while others take it to mean human nature.

4. Defects in the Theory of Instincts : Evolutionists believe that the child is possessed of some instincts, and they want education to aim at the development of these. But it is difficult to get the evolutionists to agree about the number and nature of these instincts.

5. Isolation of Man from Environment : Whenever the evolutionist or naturalist talks of adjustment of maturity, his argument often implies a total isolation from the physical or natural environment, as if this has no influence upon man.

6. Adaptation Requires Man’s Subordination to Environment : It is accepted that man can change his environment to a very great extent, but he cannot be believed to be independent of it while interacting with it. Such an interaction demands some subordination from the individual. On the other hand, when adaptation is accepted as the aim of education by the evolutionists, it is often forgotten that struggle has its own significance and value in the process of growth.

7. Defects in the Conception of Evolution : The naturalist is an evolutionist but he often forgets that it is difficult to accept man’s evolution from the animal stage because of man’s language, intelligence and certain other characteristics which distinguish him from the animal.

8. Limits of Free Development of the Individual : Naturalist believes in the free development of the individual but the question is, is man really independent and can he exist when completely independent of nature and society? If nothing else, so much stress on the freedom of the individual can at least lead to uncontrolled egoism, which in itself, is likely to bring any difficulties.

9. Defects of Hedonism : The application of naturalistic principles to ethics leads to the creation of Hedonism. Spencer established the school of evolutionary Hedonism, according to which the aim of the life is not the maximum good of the maximum number, but the preservation of life and of social health, implying social balance. Right and wrong are measured by the extent of happiness.

10. Defects in Education Through Natural Consequences : Naturalism wants to leave the child to the natural consequences of education, on the presumption that he will naturally learn the consequences of his own actions. For example, if he does not wear adequate clothes, he will learn to do so when he feels cold. This is accepted on the presumption that every violation of natural law will bring him pain and thus, compel him to change his pattern of behaviour. It is neither proper nor very humane to accept this principle of natural consequences.

11. Negative Principle : In fact, the evolutionist or naturalist theory is negative because it admits the propriety of an action as long as one can evade the consequences of that action. Can such a principle be applied to social activity? If it is, then it will negative the possibility of achieving any ideal.

12. Negation of all Human Characteristics : Influenced by the concept of evolution, naturalists believe that man is nothing better than the next step after the animals, but man actually possesses many qualities which animals do not possess even in the rudimentary form.

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