Philosophy of Existentialism

Existentialism in the broader sense is a 20th century philosophy that is centered upon the analysis
of existence and of the way humans find themselves existing in the world. The notion is that
humans exist first and then each individual spends a lifetime changing their essence or nature. In
simpler terms, existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life
through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Existence comes before any definition of
what we are. We define ourselves in relationship to that existence by the choices we make. We
should not accept anyone else's predetermined philosophical system; rather, we must take
responsibility for deciding who we are. The focus is on freedom, the development of authentic
individuals, as we make meaning of our lives.
 Why I am here?
 Why do I exist?
 What is my purpose in life?
 What is my essence?
There are several different orientations within the existentialist philosophy. Soren Kierkegaard
(1813-1855), a Danish minister and philosopher, is considered to be the founder of existentialism.
Other strong proponents were Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert
Camus.
Philosophical stance
Metaphysics
Reality is subjective, with existence earlier essence. Existence creates essence.
Epistemology
Knowing is to make personal choices. To choose or appropriate what I want to know
Axiology
At every moment it is always your own free will choosing how to act. You are responsible for your
actions, which limit future actions. Thus, you must create a morality in the absence of any known
predetermined absolute values. “Values should be freely chosen.”

The Aim of Education

The aim of education, according to existentialism, is the realization of inner truth. Contemporary
mechanical and industrial life has alienated modern man. He is full of anxieties, frustrations,
fears and guilt. He is lonely though in the crowd. His individuality is being corrupt. The
education should make him realize his subjective consciousness. The existential aim of
education is humanitarian and humanist. It aims at self-realization. It provides knowledge of
self- existence.
Child-Centered Education
Existential education is child-centered. It gives full freedom to the child. The teacher should
help the child to know himself and recognize his being. Freedom is required for natural
development. Education should convert imperfection into perfection. Education should be
according to the individual's needs and abilities of the child. The relation of the child to himself
should be strengthened by education.
Classroom
Following the miserable period of World War II, the French philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre,
suggested that for youth, the existential moment arises when young people realize for the first time
that choice is theirs, that they are responsible for themselves. Their question becomes "Who am I
and what should I do? Related to education, the subject matter of existentialist classrooms should
be a matter of personal choice. Teachers view the individual as an entity within a social context
in which the learner must confront others' views to clarify his or her own. Character development
emphasizes individual responsibility for decisions. Real answers come from within the
individual, not from outside authority. Examining life through authentic thinking involves students
in genuine learning experiences.
The Teacher
According to the existentialists the teacher creates an educational situation in which the student
may establish contact with himself, become conscious of it and achieve self – realization. This
requires existential approach in the teacher himself. He should also have an experience of self –
realization so that he may be capable of guiding the students in this process. The teacher’s role is
to help students define their own essence by exposing them to various paths they may take in life
and creating an environment in which they may freely choose their own preferred way.
Existentialist methods focus on the individual. Learning is self-paced, self-directed, and
includes a great deal of individual contact with the teacher, who relates to each student
openly and honestly.
Curriculum
Existentialist's approach to education is almost an inversion of the realist approach. In the field
of curriculum while the realists exclusively emphasize science, the existentialists find out that
science and objective education serves our relation with ourselves. Science cannot help in
inner realization and achievement of peace. This, however, does not mean that science education
should be ignored. It only means that besides science the curriculum must include humanities,
ethics and religion. In keeping with this viewpoint contemporary engineering colleges have
included some philosophy, ethics and social studies, in their curriculum. Without this synthetic
approach to curriculum the aim of character formation and personality development will be
defeated.