In the pedagogy of Pestalozzi and Fichte there is a fundamental difference as the former entertained a nostalgia toward the past whereas the latter was filled with a desire toward the future; however, there is agreement among them as they both postulate education as an urgent matter. Because of this urgency in the traditional meaning of educational theory as oughtness has been exhibited in a typical form by both thinkers.
If, however, educational theory in general is expressed in the form of setting up a particular situation, the setting up of the traditional educational theory issuing exclusively from oughtness, this theory assumes a certain air of unreal imagination. Both, Pestalozzi's “education of the paret mind” and Fichte's “state isoleted education” signify, from the viewpoint of educational history, the last product of setting up such an imaginary situation,
In the time after Pestalozzi and Fichte education became a matter of urgency and educational theory centered on oughtness was no longer allpowerful, and the setting up of an imaginary situation lost its validity. Thus, during the 19th century, educational reflection originated, i. e. the question was raised “what is education.”