EXISTENTIALISM
BACKGROUND AND MEANING
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
EXISTENTIALISM AND EDUCATION
Background
• This philosophy had more French and German
influence but it has its root in Denmark
developed by Soren Kierkgaard (1813-1855)
Questions posed by Kierkgaard :
 What is the point of Mans’ life?
 What sense can he make out of human existence?
 What is the purpose of human events?
• He concluded that human existence is
meaningless and absurd.
Other philosophers
• Paul Sartre (1905-1980): French
• Albert Camus (1913-1960): French
• Friedrich Nietche (1844-1900): German
• Franz Kafka (1883-1924) Czech Jew
Meaning
A system of thought that holds that neither God nor
value exists except human consciousness that
creates the world.
• The basic principle of existentialism is that
‘existence precedes essence’ (Paul Sartre).
• Existence of man came first then defines himself
by his consciousness, choices, decisions and
characteristics.
• Human beings are trapped in existence without
a way out, freedom of choice, independence and
hope in life.
• All that happen to us can not be avoided or
controlled.
Assumptions
• There is no God or supernatural power that
determines our life, or helps us when we face
problems. He has no effect to our life. If there is
God, He could help us.
• Individual is on top of everything, morality,
choice and actions.
• Faith is irrational, a mere blind choice of belief. It
is only the result of our failure to deal with life
problems, trying to escape from reality.
• Believing in God is only an escape from life of
doubt as man can not escape existence and the
consequences of choices, decisions and actions.
• Universe is disorderly and has no purpose
at all.
• There is no eternal life, and everybody
does whatever he wishes.
• Every person is unique and free to choose
what he likes.
• Every individual is responsible for his
actions which are derived from his own
choice and determination.
• Individual’s choice and determination are
different from one person to another.
• Knowledge is not absolute, not eternal or
collective. It is rather subjective, personal
and provisional, changing according to
circumstances.
• Every individual is a creator of knowledge,
creates his own knowledge as a result of
his awareness of the world and his
response to it and his experience.
• Anything that we know could be false.
Truth changes.
• Human values and morals are personal.
The ultimate reality is freedom to create
our own values.
Existentialism and Education
Goal of education:
• Help the learner to grow, mature and selfactualize so that he can be able to assess
himself and understand his own capacity,
can attain the highest level of attainment
and determine his own life and how to
improve it.
• Serve the needs of the learner
Existentialism and Education
Students must:
• Construct meaning by themselves
• Interpret the material on their own based
on their feelings, values, cognitive
structure, talents and situations.
• Develop and devise their own way of
learning
• Solve their own problems successfully and
meet life challenges
Existentialism and Education
Emphasizes:
• Free learning environment
• Unique interpretation of material
Existentialism and Education
Teacher’s role:
• Propose and create learning environment for
learning
• Help learners develop attitudes and skills of self
assessment
• Help learners understand their responsibility in
learning
• Avoid authoritarianship of knowledge and
imposition of values and ideas on the students.
Existentialism and Education
• Curriculum must contain normative
(history, literature, arts, philosophy and
religion) and cognitive (Math and science)
subjects.
• Normative subjects for stimulating creative
expression and examining ethical values.
• Cognitive subjects for giving factual
subject matter and developing intelligence.
Existentialism and Education
Emphasizes Student’s:
• personal interest
• Uniqueness, individuality and differences;
experience and interpretation of things
• Originality of ideas and construction of
knowledge based on thinking, feeling, interest,
commitment and choice
• Awareness of their commitments, potentialities,
importance of personal will, self dependence
and effort in learning
Existentialism and Education
• Prefers individual learning to group
learning because group learning:
Suppresses individual’s determination and
choice.
Imposes and sometimes forces to support
something defined in others’ perspectives
Forces group consensus and conform to
group values and understanding which may
be different from child values.
References
• Akinpelu, J (1981): An Introduction to Philosophy of
Education. McMillan: Oxford
• Halverson, W (1981): Concise Readings in Philosophy.
Random House: New York.
• Moore & Bruder (1990): Philosophy: The Power of Ideas.
Mayfield Publishing Com.
• Nyirenda, S & Ishumi (2000): Introduction to
Philosophical Concepts, Principles and Practice. Dar-esSalaam University Press: Dar-es-Salaam.
• Thompson, M (): Philosophy. Hodder Headline: London