EXISTENTIALISM

PHILO-SOCIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

Rikka Reischelle S. Espedilla

 TOPICS:
HISTORY OF EXISTENTIALISM
EXISTENTIALISM
THEMES
TERMS AND CONCEPTS
THE EXISTENTIALISTS
SARTRE, NIETSZCHE, KIERKEGAARD, CAMUS, DE BEAUVOIR
EXISTENTIALISM IN EDUCATION
SUMMARY
QUESTIONS
What gives meaning to your life?
Where does this meaning rooted from? (i.e. religion,
personal, philosophy, etc.)
To what extent is your freedom? (i.e. absolute, limited)
What is your view of the world? (i.e. chaotic, problematic,
filled with sufferings, etc.)
What challenges may you encounter in finding your life
meaning?
How would you respond to these challenges?
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
• began on the 19th-20th century in Europe
• It rose to fame in 1945 after the World War II
credits to Jeannie Maraya for her existentialism presentation
credits to Jeannie Maraya for her existentialism presentation
credits to Jeannie Maraya for her existentialism presentation
credits to Jeannie Maraya for her existentialism presentation
credits to Jeannie Maraya for her existentialism presentation
credits to Jeannie Maraya for her existentialism presentation
 NO SCHOOL NO NO BELIEF
OF THOUGHT, UNIVERSAL/ SYSTEM, NO
AUTHENTIC SUBJECTIVE
RULES, LAWS, OBJECTIVE TRANSCENDENT
TRADITIONS FORCE
STANDARDS

ESSENCE/MEANING (CHANGEABLE)
RESPONSIBLE CHOICES
EXISTENCE WITHOUT PURPOSE

RATIONALITY (BAD FAITH), INAUTHENTICITY,

FREEDOM
RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS

ABSURDITY, SUFFERINGS, ANXIETY, ANGST, DESPAIR

RESPONSIBLE ACTIONS
ALIENATION, DEATH, CRISES
CONSEQUENCES
WITH
ACCOUNTABILITY

INDIFFERENT IRRATIONAL,
AMBIGUOUS
UNIVESRE ILLOGICAL
IN A CAPSULE
no pre-ordained no universal
our independent standards for a
meaning of life
actions define human life
We are free to who and what we must create
choose how to live we are purpose for
ourselves
Philosophy Can be
of freedom Being rational
atheistic,
in an irrational
Moral theistic,
universe
individualism agnostic
ACTIVITY 2
CREATE 2-3 ORIGINAL EXISTENTIALIST QUESTIONS
AND POST THEM ON YOUR ASSIGNED WALL.
THEMES
1. Rejection of Meaning-giving narratives
2. Existence precedes essence
3. Life is absurd
4. We live a life of despair
5. We always have freedom and choice
6. We have the responsibility to be authentic
7. Existentialism is a Humanism
• Humanism is a philosophy that believes we should focus on enhancing human life.
KEY EXISTENTIAL TERMS & CONCEPTS
•ABSURDITY
•ANXIETY
•ALIENATION
•THE UBERMENSCH (LITERALLY, OVERMAN)
•SUBJECTIVITY
•EXISTENTIAL CRISIS
 • Heidegger’s pupil
PROPONENTS • Leading French existentialist
• Philosopher, novelist,
playwright, and political
We are condemned activist
to be free! JEAN PAUL SARTRE
Existence
precedes
essence.
There is no
fundamental
meaning to life.

To lie to
reassure
MANTRA: ourselves is
Engagement in the BIGGEST EXISTENTIALIST PHILOSOPHER BAD FAITH.
world “ATHEIST EXISTENTIALIST”
 • Danish son of a wealthy
merchant
PROPONENTS • Wrote voluminously
• Founder of existentialism
SOREN KIERKEGAARD
Rejection of
organized “Anxiety is the
religion dizziness of
freedom”

Despair
and
Anxiety

Responsibility
of choices, Absurdity,
Irrationality of anguish,
human life “Father of Existentialism” authenticity
PROPONENTS • Devout son of a Lutheran
minister in Prussia which later
on broke with the church and
FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE became one of its staunch
GOD IS DEAD critics
• Another founder of
Existentialism

Find vs.
HEALTH OF
create value
THE SOUL
or meaning

The
Ubermensch TRUTH IS
ATHIEST EXISTENTIALIST SUBJECTIVE
NIETZSCHE
• There is no God and life is filled with pain and suffering
• Humans get everything out of life and set out to find out how best to
do that.
• In order to achieve anything worthwhile, hardship and effort are
necessary.
• No pain, no gain
• Superhuman concept
• Will to Power
• God is dead
NIETZSCHE
• The scientific assumption hides the meaninglessness of existence.
• In order to harvest great happiness in life live dangerously and take
risks.
• Any justification or meaning that life has must be derived from within
the self.
 PROPONENTS
• The most thoroughly academic of the
existentialist.
• Involved with the Nazi party
• German philosopher

Let’s turn
existentialism into a
systematic study of
existence,
particularly of
Dasein.

MARTIN HEIDEGGER
PROPONENTS • Brilliant thinker in her own
right
SIMONE de BEAUVOIR • Applied existentialism in
literature and feminism

MOUTHPIECE
OF SARTRE GROUNDED MODEN
FEMINISM IN AN
EXISTENTIALIST
FRAMEWORK

DEVELOPED A
SOPHISTICATED
EXISTENTIALIST ETHICS
PROPONENTS • Conscience of Existentialism
• Compassionate man
ALBERT CAMUS • Died at a young age

Infused existential
philosophy with
compassion and
genuine humanity. DEATH – The universe’s
greatest injustice.

EXISTENTIALISM –
Philosophy of
Absurdity
ACTIVITY 3
•Having learned major beliefs of
Existentialism, formulate 3 ways how this
philosophy can be manifested in the
classroom?
IMPLICATIONS TO EDUCATION
• Educators should help students find meaning for their lives.
• We should not enforce ‘right’ way to live onto students.
• Teachers should encourage students to exercise individual
choice.
• Project based learning
• Negotiation of rules
• Student led curriculum
IMPLICATIONS TO EDUCATION
• Students must learn that their choices have
consequences.
• Students need to accept responsibility for themselves
regardless of their circumstance.
• Educators should make students aware of the infinite
choices they have in their lives.
• Expression of an authentic self should be encouraged.
ACTIVITY 4
• Give your comments about Existentialism.
• Do you agree or disagree? Why?
• What did you like or dislike about it?
• What queries do you have about this philosophy?
• Would you contemplate on adopting this as a personal philosophy?
• What issues can be raised from this philosophy?
• Other opinion
STRENGTHS
• The emphasis on choice and freedom is empowering for children.
• Children are shown that they must work hard and make smart choices
to achieve what they want.
• Authenticity is encouraged which may help with inclusion of LGBTQ
students.
• Traditionalist and conservative models of education like ROTE learning
are discouraged, while more active forms of learning like project-
based learning are encouraged.
WEAKNESSES
• Messages about despair and the meaninglessness of life may be scary
for young children.
• The belief of “no moral core” could lead students to lack any sense of
obligation to their classmates or society.
• Existentialism lacks structure and direction as there is no clear life
course that students have laid our before them.
ISSUES

•We use religion to give ourselves meaning

because we can’t handle the fact that life is
meaningless? How many people in this
world have succumbed to this self-delusion
out of despair and fear?
ISSUES
• But we don’t have free choice all the time! What
about poor people or prisoners? They have less
choices and freedoms than rich people!
• We are shaped through our situation but we can make
something out of any given situation through our choices.
So no matter how bad life gets, we should always think
about what our options are and act upon them. There are
always options.
 sourced out from:
SUMMARY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaDvRdLMkHs
REFERENCES
• https://constructivismandexistentialism.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/existentialis
m-roles-of-teacher-and-learner/
• https://owlcation.com/humanities/Existentialism-Explained
• https://www.neatoroma.com/2013/04/19/Understanding-Existentialism-in-Four-
Easy-Steps/
• https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-existentialism.html
• https://www.dummies.com/education/philosophy/existentialism-for-dummies-
cheat-sheet/
• https://helpfulprofessor.com/existentialism-in-education/
• https://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_existentialism.html
• https://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/existentialism.htm
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaDvRdLMkHs
• https://www.slideshare.net/jrmaraya/existentialism-its-history-proponents-and-
classroom-implications