Philosophical issues have always had an impact and still do on schools and society. Contemporary society and the schools in it are changing fundamentally and rapidly, much more so than in the past. The special urgency that dictates continuous appraisal and reappraisal calls for a philosophy of education. As William Van Til puts it, "Our source of direction is found in our guiding philosophy……... Without philosophy, [we make] mindless vaults into the saddle like Stephen Leacock’s character who ‘flung himself from the room, flung himself upon his horse, and rode madly off in all directions.' “In short, our philosophy of education influences, and to a large extend determines, our educational decisions, choices, and alternatives.