Existentialism was developed in about 1850. It is neither easy nor simple but a challenging and complex one. It is challenging not because it requires any special talent either to understand or to explain it but because of “the inherent paradoxes and ambiguities in this new doctrine. Because of the ambiguities it is difficult to explain this philosophy in an intelligible manner. In this philosophy, doubts and confusions are not cleared. They are left unclear.
The existentialists don’t like to consider existentialism as a school of philosophy like idealism, naturalism, pragmatism and other schools of traditional philosophy. For instance when Heideger was addressed as existentialists, he expressed his anger. The whole philosophy of existentialism was a revolt against the system-building attitude of Plato, Spinoza, Leibaniz and Kant. During 18th century, more importance was given to reason and nature. As a result there were industrial and technological development and science was given greater importance. Similarly, objectivity was much more encouraged which was the great enemy of existentialism. The situation curtailed the freedom of individual and he became a puppet in the developing industrial society. According to existentialist, all the machines are a man made but s/he has become the slave of them which they think is very bad situation of men. Therefore they advocated the view of existentialism.
The existentialists don’t like to consider existentialism as a school of philosophy like idealism, naturalism, pragmatism and other schools of traditional philosophy. For instance when Heideger was addressed as existentialists, he expressed his anger. The whole philosophy of existentialism was a revolt against the system-building attitude of Plato, Spinoza, Leibaniz and Kant. During 18th century, more importance was given to reason and nature. As a result there were industrial and technological development and science was given greater importance. Similarly, objectivity was much more encouraged which was the great enemy of existentialism. The situation curtailed the freedom of individual and he became a puppet in the developing industrial society. According to existentialist, all the machines are a man made but s/he has become the slave of them which they think is very bad situation of men. Therefore they advocated the view of existentialism.
Existentialists advocates that it is not enough if you “know” the truth, you must “exist” the truth because life is not a riddle to be solved but reality to be experienced. According to them, we should develop our philosophy of our life out of reflections over out experiences of life and not develop out of wonder. Man is nothing other than what he makes himself such in the first principle of existentialism. The existentialists advocate that the individual alone creates values. Reality is state of becoming. In every moment of life, existence increase and essence is a consequence of the everlasting becoming. According to these philosophers, life contains a magnificent element of risk the invitation to the life or the true to destruction. “Education for happiness is a danger. There can be no happiness without pain, no ecstasy without suffering. Their slogan is educational for adjustment to human sufferings, misery, anguish and the dreadful responsibilities of adult life. When other traditional and contemporary educational thought advocate education for complete living, education for life, for happiness and for freedom, existentialism advocates “education for death”.
Historically, existentialism was originated out of the horrors of the two world wars. During that time, some individuals started writing stories, novels and pays on despair, death, suffering, anxieties, horror, dread and human sacrifice caused mainly by the two world wars. In this “Ism” individuality has been considered above the society and the state. It considered individuality of supreme importance. According to Harper, “Tragedy, death, guilty, suffering all force one to consider one’s total situation much more than do happiness, joy, success, innocence, since it is in the former that momentous choice must be made. Such writings influenced a group of philosophers, who spread all over Germany , France and Italy
There are social different orientations within the existentialist philosophy. Soren Kierkegard(1813-1855) a Danish minister and philosopher, is considered to be the founder of existentialism. His view was supported by all the existentialists. The entire existentialists were against any kind of universalities and generalities in philosophy. The founders of this philosophy are Soren Kiegard, Freidrich Nietdhe(1844-1900), Martin Heideggar (born in 1899) and Jean-Paus satre who was born in 1905.
Meaning of Existentialism
According to Existentialism, the existence of the individual doesn’t mean only being alive. It stands for the full responsible and progressive life of the individual in the ever developing industrial society. In its view, the most important in our life is self respect. If we respect ourselves then others will also respect us. It says man must be given all the opportunities to self expression.
It mostly emphasizes on freedom and individual responsibility. Existentialists think that modern industrialization has finished individual freedom. Man is deprived of the realities of life and individual responsibilities. It gives attention on human weakness and insecurity. They think that the individual is leading a life full of worries, frustrations, tensions, fear and sense of guilt. For the security of him, he should be given an environment free of worries anxieties, frustrations and tensions.
There is not the similar view between the existentialists. The contradiction of existentialism can be shown as below:-
- Martin Heidegger: - Analyze death to understand life.
- Soran Kierkga :- You are free man if you deny God.
- Jean-paul Sartre: - You are a free man if you deny God.
- Nietzch: - “God is dead and we have killed him you and I.
“Is it not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must not we ourselves become Gods simply to be seen worthy of it.”
- Dostevsky :- “If God did not exist, everything would be possible”.
Basic Principles of Existentialism
Every ‘Ism’ has its own principle. Likewise, existentialism has its own principles. It’s basic principles are:-
1. Existence precedes essences:-
This theory believes that first of all, man exists, turns up and appears on the scene and only afterwards defines him. He will be something and he himself will have made what will be only after his existence. Man is cast into this world knowing not why but simply that he exists. The world has its own existence, he has not created it. It was before he came and it is still there now and it will be there in the future. Man is nothing other than what he makes himself such in the first principle of existentialism. Not only is man what he conceives himself to be but he also what he wills himself such in the first principle of existentialism.
2. By itself the universe is without meaning or purpose:-
The world itself has neither meaning nor aims. Man has given its name and meaning to save himself. Only those people are happy when they find that their definitions are supported by others and others are trying to define the world in different way again whose definitions have not been supported. Man who knows meaning must live and die in a world without meaning.
3. Absolute freedom of man:-
According to Existentialism that man is not the part of the world that is why s/he is not determined to the world. What he makes himself and what he becomes in the future is determined by himself. Not only man is free to choose what he will become, but also he is responsible for what he chooses to become. Since man is free, he “makes himself”. In fact man is born free in nature but he is in chain everywhere.
4. Death is the goal of life:-
In reality we are cast into an alien world, for which we are not especially created but within which we must sooner or later die. Their concept for human being is that a man is afraid of man but he is very much scared of himself. Man is always lost in worry and anxiety. Man means disillusion and experience of sorrow. The main objectives of existentialism are:-
- An examination and analysis of the nature of human existence.
- Calling of man’s attention of the fact of their freedom and its consequences.
In fact, the man can not accept the ready-made concepts of existence forced upon him.
5. The centre of existence is man:-
According to Existentialism, man is in the centre, his relation to god, his desires and choices are forwarded by his intuition. Man and the search for his existence are always mysterious. He can not explain and analyze with scientific thinking and analysis. For it he needs spiritual and moral practices.
6. The previous definition of man is completely unsatisfactory:-
Man is the supreme of civilization and its founder. He is not alone in the world. S/he has to try to avoid the obstacles that appear before her or him while finding her or his self in life. Actually man is the product of his choices who has very deep relation with other persons. So he is different from others.
Existentialism and Education
The new doctrine, existentialism has not developed any specific educational program comparable to those of the traditional and contemporary educational theories. However we can not overlook some important aspects of its educational implications. While discussing the meaning of the education according to the existentialists, we are put into a disadvantaged position since they had very little to say about the education. When some leading spoke-men attempt to explain the meaning of the education, they define it on the basis of their own experiences than in their existentialism.
However, in broad sense education for them is that which helps an individual to realize the best he is capable of. Therefore education should help an individual to realize the contingency/possibility of his existence to face the categories of this existence dread, anguish, anxiety and fear, so as to help him to meet death with pleasure. According to these philosophers, life contains a magnificent element of risk the invitation to life or the true to destruction. Education for happiness is a danger. There can be no happiness without pain, no ecstasy without suffering. Their slogan is educational for adjustment human sufferings, misery, anguish and the dreadful responsibilities of adult life.
When other traditional and contemporary educational thought advocate education for complete living, education for life, for happiness and for freedom, existentialism advocates “Education for death” since it believes that education for happiness is a danger. An existentialist can realize the ‘self’ by being in the world itself. The external environment of the world is the main means for education. Man has to understand his self by believing living in this world. The education of this philosophy gives importance to subjectivity in place of objectivity. Then only he can recognize his self.
Hundred years ago, man was not full of tension as at present. They are having tension due to the development of science and technologies. Due to objectivity of modern times the subjectivity of the individual is repressed. A man wants to understand a situation in relation to others, but he does not want to understand the same in his own relationship. Existentialism is against of complete vocational education instead of liberal education. It is not completely opposite to the vocational education but it should be to enable man to earn a living but not to lose the identity of his self. It believes that education should be for the full development of individuality and not too much importance of objectives knowledge in the curriculum.
Aims of Education
The philosophy of existentialism believes in concept of individual difference from the stand point view of psychology. Therefore, it advocates that education should aim at the development of unique qualities, to cultivate his individuals and to use or control his potentialities. The main aim of education is to create awareness among the students about freedom and individual uniqueness is the message of existentialism for the philosophy of education today. The education had two specific aims i.e. authentic freedom and individual difference. The aims of education are given in point below:-
Anguish and Death:-
Let our school take the attitude that it is only the thought of death which makes us truly aware of the values of life. If you want to know the value of life, first of all know the meaning of death. Every choice we make should be made as though it were our last.
The individual and the others:-
Man is completely free means. According sarte man always conflicts with others either in family or with neighbors or in other places. Man is totally free which can be defined in two ways as to dominate others in which he doesn’t consider the others freedom. Man is not concerned with his own freedom, to be dominated by others.
According to Lasper and Marcel, that true freedom and authentic existence leads to a warm participation in the activities of others. As free men we are bound to recognize the freedom of others, and this recognition leads, in turn, to love and mutual sharing.
The universalization of education decreases the quality. They think that if the education is same for all there are no rooms for the bright students. Equal opportunity doesn’t mean that all the students should be given the same type of education with same pace. They think that the mass education is meaningless and useless. The group will either obstruct the development of its slower members by going at the speed of the faster or else clip the wings of the fastest by adopting the pace of the average.
Knowledge and the knower:-
They don’t give priority to the hypothetical testing. For them, if knowledge couldn’t touché the feelings of knower then that can’t play a very important role for the person. Man is not only rational but also a social animal that has soul. S/he should match the knowledge with his or her personality. They don’t believe in specialization. Science is inevitably limited in its scope by the mystery of being, and that truth in it’s entirely must always elude us. Education should be a means for the cultivation of the self.
Values and the individual:-
Values that are not freely chose are valueless. The teacher should not impose his own values but should present the principles in which the believe and the reasons for them, and ask the pupil to choose whether he will accept them or not.
The teacher and the student:-
The teacher is not in his classroom primarily to impart knowledge (realism) or as a consultant in problem situation (Pragmatism), or as a personality to be emulated (idealism). His function is to assist each student personally his journey towards self-realization. The teacher urges or exhorts them never to take the opinions of others, whether read of heard, for granted.
The educational process:-
Existenialists emphasis the liberal education or humanities in the curriculum. Since the History, literature, philosophy and art leads man and his conflict with the world in depth than any other subjects. The student should make himself disciplined by understanding the reality around his inhabitant.
Existentialism and Curriculum
The existentialists advocate that to achieve the aims of education, education must be conceived as liberal education. By liberal education they mean freeing the mind from ignorance and confusion. They do not prescribe a curriculum. They allow the child to choose his own curriculum according to his abilities, needs and station of life. Due to this the curriculum will be according to their need, interest and experience which helps them to achieve the goal of education. Though they aim at transmitting some fundamental knowledge about the universe, they relate the curriculum to immediate social, economic, political and other group problems which an individual faces during his existence.
Ralph Hasper advocated the following ideas about the curriculum in the existentialism which are:-
- Everybody must be taught certain things-reading, airthematic, writing, history and so forth.
- The pupil is not the one to decide what he should learn. This is the teacher’s right. It is not injurious to be made learn airthmetic or read the Bible or the Odyddey.
- The human mind always works in certain ways and therefore it is essential for man to learn logic for it leads to truth.
Sartre and Heidegger consider humanistic study as most valuable as scientific subjects. It is humanistic education, which helps to understand human sufferings, anguish, anxiety and death. Then any scientific study, humanistic study helps man to remain more closely to himself. It is humanistic that deals with subjective knowledge, but science deals with objective knowledge. It is, in fact, self-knowledge which proceeds universal knowledge. There must be provision for self-knowledge.
In short, curriculum should bring close to the external world. Various subjects of arts, science and humanities may be taught about the purpose to be acquiring subjective knowledge with the help of objective. Education of the entire humanity as represented in an individual.
Role of the teacher
In existentialism system, a teacher is required to authenticate his existence at every moment of his life. He should facilitate his students t think about life. “If there is anything that the existentialist teacher can do for his students, it is to bring them t a more critical analysis and understanding of the meaning and purpose of existence, so that with perpetuating the bestial habits of his series ancestors.” Therefore the teacher in this system should teach his students as free individuals. He should also enter into their emotional life.
The teacher is the main pillar of the entire educational process. The teacher has to be a guide so that he will be able to lead the students towards realizing their self. A teacher should be introvert in order that he may change the objectives into subjective. Only the teacher can help the students to experience themselves.
Teacher-student relationship
This philosophy also advocates that the teacher student relationship be more personal and interactive. The teachers should initiate or make the act of education as an authentic man. Its philosophy is the protest against the mass education, mass society, mass religion and mass communication. It always emphasizes on the individual but not his environment.
The students should feel completely free for realizing self. They accept the discipline prescribed by the teacher and doesn’t become irresponsible. The purpose of giving freedom to them according to existentialist is to effect the full development of his individuality.
Education of an individual can take place only by his choosing. He can be educated even without a school, while concluding his discussions on existentialism Kneeler stated. The only safe conclusion to be drawn is that the last developments in this philosophic school are yet to be made and that all the avenues pursed by the man will be explored further and to some extent perhaps reconciled.
Branches or phases of Existentialism
Metaphysics of Existentialism:-
According to George R. Knight “Man is faced with the stork realities of life, death and meaning and he has the untterable freedom of being responsible for his own essence…… The traditional philosophies surrender man’s authenticity to a logical system, the Christian on the God, the realist looks to nature for meaning, and the pragmatist relies on the community. All of these paths are ways of removing man from the frightful reality of being responsible for his choices.
Epistemology of Existentialism
Existentialists believe that there is indifference between one’s external world and internal world. What is true is represented by personal choice. We know ourselves as actors on life’s stage and act according to individual choice. Since it is the individual who gives meaning to such things as nature, meaning and truth could not be built into the universe. Knowing is based upon the authority of the individual, who makes the ultimate decision as to what is true.
Axiology of Existentialism
Existentialists advocate that people are free to choose values freely. Choice of beauty of them differs from the public norm. Each person makes and is responsible for his or her ethical decision and aesthetic view points. Others can not make away the judgment for these persons. So, each of us is free to determine the nature of good conduct. Similarly, beauty is in the ‘eye of the beholder’ rather than in public standards. What is beautiful to me is not beautiful to others; nevertheless, existentialism stress responsibility. While personal choice is important, once the choice is exercised, the existentialist accepts the responsibility accompanying that choice.
In brief, reality grows out of individual experience and one’s frame of reference. Kiekegaard, Buber, Satre and Camus think that life is structured individually through one’s choices. True to be oneself and others is authentic being. Actually authenticity orders a chaotic and absurd world. Existentialism theory oppose exploitation of man and is against the repression of his individuality. Krekegaard emphasized the existence of individuality, thinking as introvert and subjective. Other thinker Jepers thoughts show dissatisfaction with material world, completeness in subjectivity. For Heideegger the objective knowledge may be both true and untrue. Education is to contribute in the realization of self and subjective knowledge is considered as more important.
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