Editing Learning theory (education) (section)

===Philosophical anthropology===
{{Main|Philosophical anthropology}}
According to Theodora Polito, "every well-constructed theory of education [has] at [its] center a philosophical anthropology," which is "a philosophical reflection on some basic problems of mankind."<ref name=Polito2005>Polito, Theodora. (2005). Educational theory as theory of culture: A Vichian perspective on the educational theories of John Dewey and Kieran Egan. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 37(4).</ref><ref name=Padilla2013>Padilla, G. J. (2013). Philosophical anthropology: An introduction. In Padilla, G. J. (Ed.), Aporia: Philosophical anthropology: Wittgenstein's perspective (pp. 7-14). Munchen, DEU: Walter de Gruyter.</ref> Philosophical anthropology is an exploration of human nature and humanity. [[Aristotle]], an early influence on the field, deemed human nature to be "rational animality," wherein humans are closely related to other animals but still set apart by their ability to form rational thought.<ref name=Koterski2013>Koterski, Joseph W. (2013). Anthropology, Philosophical. In New Catholic Encyclopedia Supplement 20122013. (Vol. 1, pp. 7679). Detroit: Gale.</ref> Philosophical anthropology expanded upon these ideas by clarifying that rationality is, "determined by the biological and social conditions in which the lives of human beings are embedded."<ref name=Padilla2013/> Fully developed learning theories address some of the "basic problems of mankind" by examining these biological and social conditions to understand and manipulate the rationality of humanity in the context of learning.<ref name=Padilla2013/>

Philosophical anthropology is evident in [[behaviorism]], which requires an understanding of humanity and human nature in order to assert that the similarities between humans and other animals are critical and influential to the process of learning.<ref name="Phillips2009" /> [[Situated cognition]] focuses on how humans interact with each other and their environments, which would be considered the "social conditions" explored within the field of philosophical anthropology.<ref name="Phillips2009" /> [[Transformative learning]] theories operate with the assumption that humans are rational creatures capable of examining and redefining perspectives, something that is heavily considered within philosophical anthropology.

An awareness and understanding of philosophical anthropology contributes to a greater comprehension and practice of any learning theory. In some cases, philosophy can be used to further explore and define uncertain terms within the field of education.<ref name="Hirst1963">{{Cite journal |last=Hirst |first=Paul H. |date=1963 |title=Philosophy and Educational Theory |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3118921 |journal=British Journal of Educational Studies |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=51–64 |doi=10.2307/3118921 |jstor=3118921 |issn=0007-1005}}</ref> Philosophy can also be a vehicle to explore the purpose of education, which can greatly influence an educational theory.<ref name=Hirst1963/>