Educational Philosophy

What is Existentialism?

    Existentialism is the most individualistic of all modern philosophies. Existentialism is the philosophy that highlights the importance of human experience. Søren Kierkegaard is considered the originator of existentialism according to experts. The main idea of existentialism is that humans find themselves and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and responsibility. The belief is that humans will find themselves through the choices they make and experiences they have. An existentialist believes that humans should be responsible and make their own choices without the influence of things like laws and traditions.

     Existentialists believe that humans are best when they are struggling, fighting for life. They also believe that there are things that are not rational, and with decisions comes stress and uncertainty. You also have to deal with the consequences of your choices, but that is what makes you who you are. There are also things that existentialists do not believe in, things like: social values controlling an individual, material items and wealth causing happiness, and the belief that science can and will improve everything.  

Is Existentialism beneficial in the classroom?

     Under existentialism students gain independence and self-discipline. They also make choices and solve problems through experience and trial and error. Teachers advocate the importance of students exploring their own ideas about life while promoting and accepting their personal freedom. In an existentialist classroom, the teaching style is focused on discussion and analysis, as well as researching and recognizing freedom of choice-making in the students life, and others' lives.

     In my opinion, I think that existentialism can be extremely beneficial. I am a firm believer in learning through experiences. I think that if at a young age students learn to make their own decisions and to learn from the consequences, both negative and positive, they will be more prepared for harder choices later in life. By allowing students to make their own choices and deal with the consequences on their own, they are learning about who they are as individuals in life.

http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/existentialism.htm