Existentialism

The Courage to Be

Existentialism

As a philosophical
movement Existentialism
emphasizesIndividual existence
Personal freedom
Authentic choice

Existentialism

Ontology

Reality is subjective, Truth is relative

Epistemology

We learn by making authentic choices

Anxiety comes with the total freedom of choice

To refuse to choose authentically is to live in bad

faith.

Axiology

no universal, rational judgment between right and wrong.

To do good is to act in good faith

To do bad is to act in bad faith

Philosophers described as
Existentialists

Soren Kierkegaard
1813-1855

Friedrich Nietzsche

1843-1900

Jean-PaulSartre

1905-1980

Soren Kierkegaard
Religious Existentialism

Kierkegaard stressed the

ambiguity and absurdity of
the human situation
An individual must live a
totally committed life,
which is only understood
by the individual
He advocated a leap of
faith into Christianity

Although Christianity is
incomprehensible, it is the
only commitment that will
save an individual from
complete and utter despair.

Friedrich Nietzsche
Atheistic Existentialism

God is Dead

All external authority

blinds the individual to
authentic choice

The Judeo-Christian moral

code keeps the individual
from assuming full
responsibility for his or
her decisions
The Scientific assumption
of an orderly universe is
a useful fiction that
hides the meaninglessness
of existence

John-Paul Sartre
Existentialism as a Philosophy

He wrote the first work that

attempted to make
Existentialism into a coherent
philosophy in 1943

It was written in response to the

absurdity of World War II
He argued that humans beings need
a rational basis for their lives
so they developed systematic
philosophies
but this is impossible to
achieve. The human life is a
futile passion.

John-Paul Sartre
existence precedes essence

We exist first and then we

need to create our
essential being

Existential dread- the

cry in the night

By refusing to accept full

responsibility for who we
are and the decisions we
make, we act in bad faith

Living an Authentic Life

Authentic existence (essence) can only

be achieved by those who actively seek
to discover purposefulness for their
existence
This happens by making independent
choices and assuming responsibility
for consequences

It is not a natural flow; is easily stifled by

outside influences

Obstacles to Authenticity

1) Unawareness

Awareness can be stifled through

conformity during the formative years

Students not allowed to make choices are

denied the opportunity to accept
responsibility for their choices

2) Fear

Individual fear of accepting the burden

of responsibility
To refuse to choose is to make a choice

Implications for
Education

The learner should feel valued as an

individual and encouraged to develop his
or her personal style and creativity.

Existentialist educators are generally

against the concept of teaching as
showing, guiding, or directing

Rather, the teacher should prize the

learner and make the learner feel
worthwhile.

Teacher Contamination

Teachers who fail to

recognize that reality is
experienced subjectively
will likely impose on their
students an external
reality, one contaminated by
personal and societal biases

-Gary Hunter

Encouraging the Pursuit of

Authenticity

Teachers must celebrate student

authenticity and what existentialists call
the courage to be

Teachers should help students internalize

the world and make it their own

Teachers must strive to reach each student

individually, although each comes from
different backgrounds and experiences

Cultivating Creativity

Allow students to make their own

choices about individual projects

Suggest projects that encourage the

imagination\

Put student work on display for

other students and teachers to see

Addressing the courage

to be

Make students responsible for

completing their work on time- use
contracts

Have students decide classroom rules

with the understanding they will be
responsible for following them

Let students choose personal ways to

express themselves

Why Should We Encourage Students to

Follow Lead Authentic Lives?

How many times have we read or heard

about successful writers, athletes,
musicians, or artists who rejected
attempts by parents, teachers, counselors,
and peers to dictate and control their
destinies by insisting that they pursue a
more conventional line of work? What would
the destinies of these successful people
have been had they succumbed to these
external influences? (Hunter).