ABSTRACT
Idealist philosophers wrote comparatively little directly on education. Despite this, Idealism, as a more general philosophical movement, including the British, American, German, and Italian kinds, featured a strong interest in education. The comparative paucity of direct reflection can be explained by the fact that the Idealists’ interest in education was integral to their whole philosophy. If one takes a slightly more oblique perspective on education, one can argue that between 1870 and the 1920s (in Britain in particular) there were notable examples of sophisticated educational reflection, as well as, in some cases, direct engagement with educational practices. This article will briefly elucidate the meaning of idealism, then move to a consideration of Idealists’ educational philosophy and their involvement with educational practice.
