EXISTENTIALISM IN EDUCATION
Meaning . : . This . is . a . post-world . war . philosophy . developed . out . of . frustration . from . war. . The . individuality . of . man . was . very . much . negated . in . the . two . world . wars. . In . order . to . re-establish . the . supremacy . of . man . as . an . individual . again, . this . philosophy . came . into . being. . This . philosophy . prefers . man . to . nations, . body . to . intelligence . and . physical . would . to . nature. . It . also . opposes . everything . that . have . made . a . tools . i.e. . industrial . age, . science, . objectivity . etc. .
Chief . contributors . :
· The . beginning . of . existentialism . can . be . traced . back . to . Protagoras, . the . ancient . Greek . philosopher . who . declared . that . man . is . the . measure . of . all . things.
· Socrates’ . know . thyself’ . and . Vedic . notion . of . ‘ . Aham . Brahmasmi’ . contain . existential . seeds .
· However . in . 19th . century . Danish . philosophers, . Soren . Kierkegaard . is . considered . to . be . the . founder . of . Existentialism.
· Thinkers . like . Descartes, . Satre . also . contributed . to . this . theory.
· Karl . Jasper, . German . philosopher . and . Mortin . Heidegger, . Greek . philosopher . also . explained . their . views . on . existentialism.
Main . philosophical . themes:- . The . main . philosophical . themes . of . existentialism . are . :
I. Truth . : . it . is . not . introduced . by . the . individual, . but . it . is . there . in . himself . all . the . time. . Truth . is . passionate, . inner . commitment, . objective . and . theoretically . uncertain. . Highest . truth . can . only . be . attainable . by . an . individual . and . according . to . existentialism . truth . is . equivalent . to . faith.
II. Choice: . Choice . i.e. . , . either/or . i.e. . decision . between . two . ways . of . life. .
i. Aesthetic . life . : . Devoted . to . art, . music . and . dance.
ii. Ethical . Life: . Seeks . happiness . in . marriage, . business . or . a . profession. .
III. God . : . There . is . a . possibility . of . union . of . individual . with . God, . where . individual . is . not . obliterated . (mystic . men). . Individual . man . exists . in . the . sence . of . having . a . unique . dimention . of . being . characterised . by . choice.
Educational . Implications . of . Existentialism . :
Meaning . : . Education . according . to . existentialism . is . development . of . self . (spirituality) . while . living . in . this . physical . world. . This . philosophy . can . be . considered . as . a . bridge . between . religion . and . the . modern . life . of . the . 21st . century. . Special . importance . should . be . given . to . the . individuality . of . man . in . education . system . to . develop . his . self, . otherwise . man . won’t . attain . perfection.
Aims . of . Education:
i. To . educate . each . and . every . member . of . the . society . in . order . to . develop . his . insight.
ii. To . provide . opportunities . for . all . round . development
iii. To . turn . everybody . from . objective . to . subjective . in . feeling . and . behaviour.
iv. To . give . man . understanding . of . his . ‘being’, . and . this . will . ultimately . lead . him . to . his . heavenly . abode.
v. To . develop . the . ability . of . perseverance . and . tolerance . to . that . man . may . live . and . adjust . in . this . modern . world.
Curriculum . : . Existentialism . do . not . believe . in . perspective . curriculum. . It . should . be . based . on . child’s . needs . and . abilities, . related . to . immediate . social, . political, . economic . and . related . problems . of . child. .
The . main . features . of . the . curriculum . are .
i. It . should . be . not . examination . oriented
ii. Appropriate . to . the . student.
iii. Not . lay . stress . on . mere . studying . of . the . subjects
iv. Emphasizes . on . living, . enacting . and . experiencing . the . values.
v. Enable . the . child . to . learn . about . the . human . suffering, . anguish, . anxiety . and . death
vi. Helps . to . acquire . self-knowledge
vii. It . should . be . child . centred .
viii. Utilitarian
ix. Elective . based
x. Realistic
Role . of . teacher . : . Teacher . should . not . impose . their . ideas, . ideals . and . values . on . children. . Teacher . should . allow . the . children . to . think . about . the . problems . of . life . and . make . them . think . critically . and . understand . the . meaning . and . purpose . of . existence. . Teacher . should . be . sympathetic . to . that . child, . who . is . rebellious . in . nature. . A . teacher . should . not . think . about . such . children . as . problem . children. . Instead . the . teacher . should . empathize . with . problem . children . by . entering . the . emotional . life . and . expressing . concern. .
Discipline . : . Freedom . is . central . to . existentialism, . freedom . to . cultivate . children’s . experiences, . in . the . free . atmosphere. . Children . need . not . to . conform. . A . child . has . its . own . personal . choice . and . action. . No . restriction . should . be . laid . from . outside. . Instead . a . child . should . realize . its . own . responsibility . and . act.
Limitation . of . Existentialism:
i. More . emphasis . on . subjectivity . and . negligence . of . objectivity . cannot . be . practically . followed . in . this . material . world. .
ii. There . is . no . uniqueness . in . this . theory . as . many . of . its . ideas . have . been . covered . under . naturalism . and . idealism.
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