HOLISTIC EDUCATION -
ACCELERATING HUMANITY'S PATH TO WHOLENESS
What do some leading thinkers and educators have to say about holistic education? A holistic perspective is rooted in an epistemology of wholeness, context, and interconnectedness. A whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Greater wholes do not cancel or destroy lesser wholes, but include them in a more widely encompassing context. A holisic conception of education recognizes wholes within wholes, that is, it strives for integration and meaning at each level of organization (R. Miller, 1991, Fall) A holistic viewpoint recognizes that we need healthy families and communities in order to fully develop our personalities. Holistic educators have argued that education requires an active engagement between each learner and the complex world around us. Holistic education seeks to build cooperative democratic communities and is founded on a deep reverence for life and its source. There is a fine model given by The Basic School in Iowa City, Iowa of the synergistic and mutally supportive relationship between parents, children, community and school.
The Basic School has four priorities:
John Miller in The Holistic Curriclum feels that holistic education tries to align education with the fundamental realities of nature. For him, nature is interrelated and dynamic at its core. "We see this dynamism and connectedness in the atom, organic systems, the biosphere, and the universe itself. " (Miller and subsequent writers mentioned in this position paper were all cited in Ron Miller's What are Schools For? Holistic Education in American Culture, p. 78)
John Miller emphasizes that holistic education is essentially concerned with making connections between those areas of life that have become fragmented and polarized, such as mind and body, rational and intuitive knowing, self and community and human society. Making deep connections is another one of the themes of my educational philosophy. I seek to connect deeply with my students on all levels of their body, mind, heart and spirit. I seek to enliven their own deep understandings of life, knowledge, to explore information not just horizontally, but vertically. (see article - "Deep Teaching" by Ruth Wilson.)
Anna Lemkow identifies the main teachings of the "perennial philosophy" as "the oneness and unity of all life; the all pervasiveness of ultimate Reality or the Absolute; the multi-dimensionality or hierarchical character of existence": (R. Miller, p. 23) Holistic educational approaches acknowledge with a deep sense of awe and reverence that human life has a purpose, a direction, a meaning that transcends our personal egos and our physical and cultural conditioning. A holistic education gives students a vantage point and context for examining and evaluating the otherwise unconscious assumptions that would guide their lives. Matthew Fox: "Room is made for the magnitude of each individual soul set in the sparkling context of the cosmos itself."
Like other holistic theorists, Sloan sees the wholeness and integrity of individuals within wider contexts - community, culture, ecosystem, and spirit. (Sloan, 1983) "Holism emphasizes the challenge of creating a sustainable, just, and peaceful society in harmony with the Earth and its life. It involves an ecological sensitivity - a deep respect for both indigenous and modern cultures as well as the diversity of life forms on the planet." (Holistic Education Review 3(4), Winter, 1990., p. 65)
Another holistic theorist emphasizes the importance of the self of the student and the vital role of education in nourishing the student's inner, spiritual life. "The most important , most valuable part of the person is his or her inner, subjective life - the self or the soul...We believe that education must nourish the healthy growth of the spiritual life, not do violence to it through constant evaluation and competition." (Gate, 1991)
The humanists also contributed to holistic education with their claim that the natural unfolding of the human being can and should be trusted. Carl Rogers argued that true learning involves the whole person, including feelings, concern, and creativity: that the human being aspires toward growth and integration, but needs an emotionally supportive environment that encourages exploration and self-discovery; and that every student, and every teacher should be respected as a unique and precious person. Abraham Maslow argued that human development naturally aspires toward "self-actualizing". Within the human potential movement, self- actualization included spiritual development as well, which meant the transcendence of ordinary states of consciousness.
Joseph Pearce (Magical Child) spoke of a "higher self" as being the true aim of human development, giving meaning to all organic, intellectual and social unfolding (1986, p. 147) Philip S. Gang recognized the natural affinity between Montessori principles and a holistic worldview and urged that education follow the following principles in order to "accelerate humanity's path to wholeness."