Text Mining Analysis and Concept Mapping

Perceiving the Purpose of Education from Ancient Greece to Postmodern Era

Nathanael Pribady

Teachers College, Columbia University

np2903@tc.columbia.edu

Abstract

This study utilizes machine learning techniques, including natural language processing and sentiment analysis, to dissect and interpret the evolution of educational philosophy across 60 key Western philosophical texts. By employing methods like Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), knowledge inference, concept mapping, and sentiment analysis, we investigate how philosophers from different historical periods have conceptualized the role, methods, and outcomes of education. Key findings include the identification of dominant themes in various eras, such as ethics and human nature in the Ancient period, shifting to science, language, and socio-economic considerations in the Modern era.

Research Methodology

Data Source

History of Philosophy Dataset containing over 300,000 sentences from more than 60 philosophical texts, spanning ten major schools of thought: Plato, Aristotle, Rationalism, Empiricism, German Idealism, Communism, Capitalism, Phenomenology, Continental Philosophy, and Analytic Philosophy.

Primary Research Questions

  1. What insights can we draw regarding the trends in philosophical topics over time?
  2. What inferred knowledge can be derived about philosophical evolution based on overlapping themes?
  3. How do different philosophers conceptualize the purpose, methods, and outcomes of education?
  4. What themes and emotional tones emerge from the analysis of philosophical texts?

Analytical Methods

  • Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA): Topic modeling to identify dominant themes
  • Knowledge Inference: Analyzing co-occurrences of authors' references
  • Concept Mapping: Visualizing relationships between philosophical ideas
  • Sentiment Analysis: Identifying emotional tones in philosophical texts

Approach

We utilized a combination of text analysis, topic modeling, and sentiment analysis to identify dominant themes and emotional tones in philosophical works across different eras. We employed association rule mining to explore relationships between philosophical schools and constructed knowledge graphs and concept maps to visualize semantic interconnections and thematic evolution.

Key Findings

Trends in Philosophical Topics Over Time

Identified Topics

  • Topic #0: world, point, language, truth, time, possible, meaning, way, science, sense
  • Topic #1: things, different, true, thing, ideas, does, case, say, motion, number
  • Topic #2: object, body, consciousness, self, reason, existence, animals, form, concept, movement
  • Topic #3: man, good, things, say, men, think, reason, god, know, said
  • Topic #4: labor, great, women, woman, capital, time, value, price, state, water

Key Insights

  • Ancient Era: Focus on ethics, metaphysics, human nature, and religion (Topic #3)
  • Modern Era: Shift towards science, empirical truth, language, and socio-economic issues (Topics #0 and #4)
  • Evolution: Clear trend from fundamental human questions to more abstract, systemic, and socially-oriented discussions
  • Influences: Likely shaped by historical events like the Enlightenment, Industrial Revolution, and rise of social sciences
Topic distribution across eras

Figure 1: Distribution of topics across Ancient and Modern philosophical eras

Philosophical Influence Networks

The most frequently mentioned philosophers across the corpus were Descartes, Russell, Kant, Aristotle, and Plato, indicating their central influence in Western philosophical thought.

Descartes' Influence

Referenced frequently by Foucault (125), Malebranche (119), and Heidegger (86). His ideas bridge early modern philosophy and contemporary discussions across phenomenology, analytic philosophy, and existentialism.

Russell's Influence

Heavily referenced by Kripke (448), Quine (53), and Wittgenstein (35). Russell's impact is particularly evident in analytic philosophy, with strong ties to logic, philosophy of language, and epistemology.

Kant's Influence

Referenced by Hegel (144), Husserl (77), and Heidegger (68). Kant's foundational role in German Idealism and impact on phenomenology and existentialism is clearly evident in the network analysis.

Philosophical influence network

Figure 2: Network visualization of philosophical influences and connections

Educational Concepts Across Philosophical Traditions

Wittgenstein (Analytic Philosophy)

  • Purpose: Facilitate learning through engagement with language and concepts
  • Methods: Learning through use, experiential learning, imitation and interaction
  • Outcomes: Practical skills, deeper concept understanding, social and cognitive development
  • Teacher-Student: Collaborative learning experience with guided understanding

Foucault (Continental Philosophy)

  • Purpose: Produce knowledge for identifying diseases and training medical professionals
  • Methods: Clinical observation, dual framework of theory and practice, collaborative learning
  • Outcomes: Effective treatment of diseases, patient-oriented medical knowledge
  • Teacher-Student: Hierarchical yet collaborative dynamic with mentorship

Nietzsche

  • Purpose: Understanding oneself and underlying human instincts, critical questioning
  • Methods: Critical thinking, challenging norms, engaging with ethical dimensions
  • Outcomes: Self-awareness, harmonizing inner drives with external expectations
  • Teacher-Student: Mutual respect with teacher as guide for critical thinking

Lenin (Communism)

  • Purpose: Provide political knowledge to working class, cultivate class consciousness
  • Methods: Propaganda, political agitation, direct participation in political life
  • Outcomes: Revolutionary mindset, organized political struggles, understanding of oppression
  • Teacher-Student: Guidance and empowerment with clear revolutionary goals

Sentiment Analysis and Thematic Visualization

2D visualization of philosophical ideas with sentiment analysis

Figure 3: 2D visualization of philosophical ideas with sentiment polarity indicated by color

Visualization Insights

  • Clusters: Philosophers with similar ideas are grouped together, indicating consistent thematic content
  • Proximity: Philosophers located near each other share conceptual similarities (e.g., Nietzsche and Kierkegaard)
  • Color Scale: Indicates sentiment polarity from blue (neutral/negative) to red (positive)

Philosophical Groupings

  • Classical: Plato and Aristotle close together with slightly positive sentiment
  • Critical Theorists: Marx and Foucault grouped with more neutral/negative sentiment
  • Existential: Nietzsche and Kierkegaard positioned near each other with positive sentiment
  • Analytic: Wittgenstein and Russell close together with neutral sentiment

Conclusions

Key Insights

  • Thematic Evolution: Educational philosophy shifted from ethical and moral focus in Ancient times to more diverse exploration in modern era
  • Sentiment Analysis: Emotional tones provide insight into how philosophers view education's role in society
  • Interconnectivity: Knowledge graphs illuminate influence and cross-pollination among philosophers
  • Methodological Insights: Machine learning approaches circumvent limitations of traditional hermeneutic methods

Implications & Future Research

  • Educational Systems: Need to reflect on historical roots while adapting to contemporary societal needs
  • Policy Relevance: Historical context for current debates about educational reform
  • Future Directions: Extend analysis to include non-Western philosophical texts for a global perspective
  • Interdisciplinary Approach: Bridge between technology and philosophy for understanding education