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Existentialism and Its Implication In Education The roots of existentialism can be traced as far back as the Sophists, the paid teachers of ancient Greece specified in teaching morals. Although differences are found between existentialism and phenomenology, the two have much in common.

• Phenomenology deals with the phenomena of consciousness from the first-person point of view and studies the experience of things as they present themselves to the observer.
• Existentialism, on the other hand, examines the existence and the role the individual plays in terms of his or her feelings, thoughts, and responsibilities.

Although have in common and are compatible in principle, hence many philosophers refer to themselves as existentialist-phenomenologist. Sartre was identified as a prominent person of existentialism. As these philosophies have been used in the philosophy of education, they have been so closely allied that some advocates refer to their work as existentialist-phenomenology of education.

• Because existentialism is a protest type of philosophy, many of its adherents have not been overly concerned with the methodology and systematic exposition.
• However, some philosophers have seen existentialism as providing a rigorous methodology for describing lived experience, as well as an interpretative approach to individual experience.

Jean-Paul Sartre was a prolific writer and produced major works in many different genres, including a novel, plays, and formal philosophical treatises. He offers a defence of some of his ideas and, in the course of his defence, presents some central themes of his philosophical views.

He claims that existentialism is humanistic and provides insight into human freedom and human responsibility. Although Sartre did not write directly about education, his views have been applied to learning, curriculum, and the ethical aspects of education. Existentialism offers an array of interpretations because it is spread across so many different cultures.

Its seemingly tortured and mixed varieties could be a result of nature. In the education perspective, existentialist believes that most philosophies of the past have asked out people to think deeply about thoughts and abstractions that had little or no relationship to everyday life.

• Scholastic philosophy, in which thinkers debated such questions as how many angels could sit on ahead of a pin.
• The answers to such metaphysical question provided nothing except perhaps some psychological satisfaction at winning a debate through argumentation.
• Existentialists believe that in their philosophy, the individual is drawn in as a participant, ready to be filled with knowledge based on his ideas.

Sartre believes that “existence precedes essence” he added that if people have created ideas and practices that are harmful, then they could also create ideas and practices that are beneficial. Existentialist pose that an individual is always in transition, so that the moment people believe they know themselves is probably the moment to begin the examination all over again.

They also believe that a good education emphasize individuality. It attempts to assist each of us is seeing ourselves with our fears, frustrations, and hope. For educators, existentialist want change in attitude about education. Instead of seeing it as something a learner is filled with, measures against, or fitted into, they suggest that learners first be looked as individuals and that they be allowed to take a positive role in the shaping of their education and life.

For the existentialist, no two children are alike. They differ in background, personality traits, interests, and desires they have acquired. Also, they wanted to see an end to the manipulation of the learners with teachers controlling learners along predetermined behavioral path.

1. Existential theories are widely used in education.
2. According to existentialists, a good education emphasizes individuality.
3. The first step in any education then is to understand ourselves.
4. Making existential methods in the classroom requires a balance in which both teachers and learners as human beings preserve its identity.

As Sarte believed that “Existence precedes essence” because the individual human is important as the creator of ideas. Hence, here are some aims of education in this philosophy, to wit: a) Fostering Unique Qualities and Cultivating Individualities. Existentialists believe that every individual is unique and education must cater to the individual differences.

Therefore, the objective of education is to enable every individual to develop his unique qualities, to harness his potentialities and cultivate his individualities. b) Development of Complete Man. Existentialists want that education helps a man to be a complete man in his natural environment. For the development of complete man, freedom is the essential requirement.

Freedom is given to a man with a view to realizing his self and understanding his “being”. c) Becoming of a Human Person. According to existentialists, one of the most important aims of education is the becoming of a human person as one who lives and make decisions about what the learners will do and be.

• Nowing’ in the sense of knowing oneself, social relationships and biological relationships development are all parts of this becoming. iv.
• Making Better Choices.
• As choice determines perfectibility and happiness, education should train man to make better choices.
• As such, aim of education is to enable man to hammer out better choices in one’s life.

d) Leading a Good life. Good life, according to existentialists, is authentic life which is possible when an individual starts realizing his individuality and makes his/her own independent choices. Therefore, education aims at teaching him to lead a good life with its noble obligations an summit.

1. E) Fostering of Values.
2. According to existentialist, the aim of education should be developing a scale of supreme values consistent with his freedom.
3. The learners must develop a commitment to these values and act for them.
4. In this philosophy, the role of a teacher is to initiates the act of education and influences the lives of his learners throughout his own life.

The teacher is very active and welcomes challenges to his ideas from the learners. As Kneller quoted ” If there is anything that the existentialist teacher can do for his learners, it is to bring them to a more critical analysis and understanding of the meaning and purpose of existence, so that with time men may become more than a mere repetitive creature perpetuating the bestial habits of his similar ancestors”.

• REFERENCES Bhwana, B.
• May 2014).
• Essays on Existentialism.
• Retrieved from www.articlelibrary.com Koirala, M. (1).
• Existentialism in Education.
• Academic Voices: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 1, 39-44.
• Https://doi.org/10.3126/av.v1i0.5309 Retrieved from https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/AV/article/view/5309 Ginny (2012).

Existentialism: Roles of Teacher and Learner. Constructivist and Existentialist Education. Retrieved from https://constructivismandexistentialism.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/existentialism-roles-of-teacher-and-learner/ Magrini, J. (2012). Existentialism, phenomenology, and education.
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What is an example of existentialism in education?

In order to understand the role of existentialism in education, one must first develop a through comprehension of existentialism in general. This can be very difficult at times, largely due to the fact that this field of philosophy, like many, is a bit abstract.

1. Once understood, it it easy to see how existentialism could potentially benefit both the student and the teacher.
2. It’s also apparent that this is a controversial subject.
3. Existentialism is premised on the individual.
4. It is geared toward the fact each person’s reality is based on themselves.
5. There is no universal concept of what is real rather only unlimited variations of personal perspectives of life.

What might be real to one person may not be the case for the next and so on and so forth until the end of time. Existentialism in education may be embodied by passionate teachers in the classroom who feel that their work is beneficial to the lives of others. This is not the end of existentialism but only the beginning. While the many hardships that plague humanity are somewhat universal, existentialists claim that the difference between the happy and sad are in which reality each person creates for him- or herself.

It is up to the individual to build a reality in which he or she feels important and fulfilled, and accomplishing this is what brings a life meaning or allows a person to feel sorrowful and empty. This is the backbone of existentialism. Existentialism in education is significant in a number of ways. Some argue that existentialism should be taught to students of all levels.

Others feel that the role of existentialism in education should be reserved for higher education, Existentialists believe that the differences between sad and happy people depend upon the reality each person creates for him or herself. In many ways, existentialism in education could also manifest itself at the teacher level. For example, teachers who feel that what they are doing for a living is beneficial to others are more likely to do a better job than those who are simply in it to get by.

Most teachers who embody a deeper meaning in their work are more passionate, personable, and effective in the classroom. This is another example of how existentialism in education can be critical. Like most beliefs of philosophical or religious nature, there is always room for debate. While some scholars, administrators, teachers, or students may feel that existentialism has a role in education, others are likely to argue the two should be separated.

Whether being taught as part of a curriculum or embodied by a teacher or student, there is no doubt that this philosophical outlook has ties with the educational system.
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What does existentialism mean in simple terms?

If you’ve ever pondered the meaning of existence or questioned your purpose in life, you’ve partaken in existentialist philosophy. – It would be hard to find someone who hasn’t asked themselves the big questions. What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose? Why do I exist? For thousands of years, these questions were happily answered by the belief your purpose in life was assigned prior to your creation.
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How is existentialism used in the classroom?

What is Existentialism? – Edupedia Promotes attentive personal consideration about personal character, beliefs, and choices. The primary question existentialists ask is whether they want to define who they are themselves, or whether they want society to define them.

1. Although freedom and individuality are highly valued American principles, existentialists argue that there is an underlying message of conformity.
2. Rather than the belief that the mind needs to understand the universe, existentialists assume that the mind creates its universe.
3. Their beliefs incorporate the inevitability of death, as the afterlife cannot be experienced personally with the current senses, focusing on the fact that the experience we have of the world is temporary and should be appreciated as such.

Education from an existentialist perspective places the primary emphasis on students’ directing their own learning. Students search for their own meaning and direction in life as well as define what is true and what is false, what is pleasant and satisfying, what is unpleasant and dissatisfying, and what is right or wrong.

• The goal of an existentialist education is to train students to develop their own unique understanding of life.
• An existentialist classroom typically involves the teachers and school laying out what they feel is important and allowing the students to choose what they study.
• All students work on different, self-selected assignments at their own pace.

Teachers act as facilitators, directing students in finding the most appropriate methods of study or materials, and are often seen as an additional resource, alongside books, computers, television, newspapers, and other materials that are readily available to students.
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How do teachers apply existentialism?

Existentialist Teacher This post will examine the mysterious position of existentialism, which is basic a school of thought that denies that it is a school of thought. We will look at the origins of existentialism, the characteristics, and its role in education.

• Background Existentialism is all about the individual.
• In an interesting paradox, existentialism is so individualistic that they do not see themselves as a group with set of beliefs as other philosophies do.
• There is a rejection of any unified body of beliefs, thoughts, or system.
• Early proponents of existentialism include Soren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche.

These two 19th century philosophers were reacting to the nature of Christianity during their time. Kierkegaard focused on emphasizing the responsibility of the individual believer and their choices within religion. Nietzsche went in a different direction and became convince that there was no God and that man was responsible for his actions alone.

• This conclusion eventually drove Nietzsche crazy in a literal manner.
• Between the extremes of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche is where most beliefs of existentialism are.
• Primarily, existentialism is trying to regain the lost of the individual.
• This sense of lost may have come from more and more people living in cities to work for others along with the growth of the government in providing services.

The existentialist longed for the day when people were independent and could do what they wanted in returned for the responsibility for their actions. Philosophical Implications According to existentialism, a person must define who they are. Defining who you are is not left to an Absolute Self or Natural Law but to the person who existence.

Reality is found within the individual person. This is a major shift from idealism view that reality is beyond this world and realism’s belief that reality is in the physical world. Truth is based on a person’s choice. People believe what they want because they want to. This seems confusing but it is laying the foundation for post-modernism min the near future with its view of relative truth.

Now, the individual is the source of authority and not any other code. With a lack of external authority existentialism has to determine right and wrong with no source of authority. This source of freedom has been called a slavery to freedom by some. Slavery is bad but paradoxically too much freedom can be burdensome as well since there is no guidance in terms of how to act.

Most people want some freedom but perhaps nobody wants complete freedom as this would be injurious to themselves and others if they could truly do whatever they wanted. Existentialism and Education A teacher with an existentialist perspective would be surprised at how students are taught. They would see it as oppressive and even with tendency towards being a form of propaganda.

Students would need much more choice and responsibility for their own actions since the current form of teaching destroys individualism. The existentialist teacher is not the center of the instruction but rather a facilitator. The goal is to help students better understand who they are as individuals.

1. This also means that the student should have a choice in what they learn and that the curriculum needs to be somewhat flexible.
2. The goal is the development of the individual and not the society as the society does not care for the ultimate development of the individual.
3. Conclusion Existentialism is a system of thought that claims not to be a system because everyone within the system wants total freedom.

This is contradictory yet considered consistent among existentialist. The reaction they have towards the growing power of large society gives this philosophy a romantic longing for almost a wild pre-industrialization world. However, though many people may not agree with some of the tenets of this group many do wish that they could have at least a little more personal freedom and individuality.
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What is the goal of existentialism?

Preface – In 2014-2016, an international group representing a cross-section of contemporary existential therapists joined together in a cooperative effort to create this broad definition. It was written in the spirit of inclusiveness and diversity that characterizes this unique orientation, toward the goal of arriving at an accessible, succinct, “good enough” working definition of existential therapy.

What is existential therapy? Existential therapy is a philosophically informed approach to counselling or psychotherapy. It comprises a richly diverse spectrum of theories and practices. Due partly to its evolving diversity, existential therapy is not easily defined. For instance, some existential therapists do not consider this approach to be a distinct and separate “school” of counselling or psychotherapy, but rather an attitude, orientation or stance towards therapy in general. However, in recent years, existential therapy is increasingly considered by others to be a particular and specific approach unto itself. In either case, it can be said that though difficult to formalize and define, at its heart, existential therapy is a profoundly philosophical approach characterized in practice by an emphasis on relatedness, spontaneity, flexibility, and freedom from rigid doctrine or dogma. Indeed, due to these core qualities, to many existential therapists, the attempt to define it seems contradictory to its very nature. As with other therapeutic approaches, existential therapy primarily (but not exclusively) concerns itself with people who are suffering and in crisis. Some existential therapists intervene in ways intended to alleviate or mitigate such distress when possible and assist individuals to contend with life’s inevitable challenges in a more meaningful, fulfilling, authentic, and constructive manner. Other existential therapists are less symptom-centred or problem-oriented and engage their clients in a wide-ranging exploration of existence without presupposing any particular therapeutic goals or outcomes geared toward correcting cognitions and behaviours, mitigating symptoms or remedying deficiencies. Nevertheless, despite their significant theoretical, ideological and practical differences, existential therapists share a particular philosophically-derived worldview which distinguishes them from most other contemporary practitioners. Existential therapy generally consists of a supportive and collaborative exploration of patients’ or clients’ lives and experiences. It places primary importance on the nature and quality of the here-and-now therapeutic relationship, as well as on an exploration of the relationships between clients and their contextual lived worlds beyond the consulting room. In keeping with its strong philosophical foundation, existential therapy takes the human condition itself – in all its myriad facets, from tragic to wondrous, horrific to beautiful, material to spiritual – as its central focus. Furthermore, it considers all human experience as intrinsically inseparable from the ground of existence, or “being-in-the-world”, in which we each constantly and inescapably participate. Existential therapy aims to illuminate the way in which each unique person – within certain inevitable limits and constraining factors – comes to choose, create and perpetuate his or her own way of being in the world. In both its theoretical orientation and practical approach, existential therapy emphasizes and honours the perpetually emerging, unfolding, and paradoxical nature of human experience, and brings an unquenchable curiosity to what it truly means to be human. Ultimately, it can be said that existential therapy confronts some of the most fundamental and perennial questions regarding human existence: “Who am I?” “What is my purpose in life?” “Am I free or determined?” “How do I deal with my own mortality?” “Does my existence have any meaning or significance?” “How shall I live my life?” Why is it called “existential” therapy? Existential therapy is based on a broad range of insights, values, and principles derived from phenomenological and existential philosophies. These philosophies of existence stress certain “ultimate concerns” – often in dialectical tension with each other – such as freedom of choice, the quest for meaning or purpose, and the problems of evil, isolation, suffering, guilt, anxiety, despair, and death. For existential therapists, “phenomenology” refers to the disciplined philosophical method by which these ultimate concerns or “givens” are addressed, and through which the person’s basic experience of being-in-the-world can best be illuminated or revealed, and thus, more accurately understood. This phenomenological method begins by deliberately trying to set aside one’s presuppositions so as to be more fully open and receptive to the exploration of another person’s subjective reality. Though there can be many different motivations for individuals choosing to engage in this explorative process, as with most forms of counselling, psychotherapy, or psychological and psychiatric treatment, existential therapy is commonly sought by people in the throes of an existential crisis: some specific circumstance in which we experience our basic sense of survival, security, identity or significance as being threatened. Such existential threats may be of a physical, social, emotional or spiritual nature, and may be directed toward one’s self, others, the world in general or the ideas and perceptions we live by. They shock and shake us out of our sense of safety and complacency, forcing us to question and doubt our most deeply held beliefs or values. Because, according to existential therapists, human existence is, by its very nature, continually changing or becoming, we are naturally prone to experiencing such existential challenges or crises across the lifespan. In existential therapy, these disorienting and anxiety provoking periods of crisis are perceived as both a perilous passage and an opportunity for transformation and growth. How does existential therapy work? Existential therapists see their practice as a mutual, collaborative, encouraging and explorative dialogue between two struggling human beings – one of whom is seeking assistance from the other who is professionally trained to provide it. Existential therapy places special emphasis on cultivating a caring, honest, supportive, empathic yet challenging relationship between therapist and client, recognizing the vital role of this relationship in the therapeutic process. In practice, existential therapy explores how clients’ here-and-now feelings, thoughts and dynamic interactions within this relationship and with others might illuminate their wider world of past experiences, current events, and future expectations. This respectful, compassionate, supportive yet nonetheless very real encounter – coupled with a phenomenological stance – permits existential therapists to more accurately comprehend and descriptively address the person’s way of being in the world. Taking great pains to avoid imposing their own worldview and value system upon clients or patients, existential therapists may seek to disclose and point out certain inconsistencies, contradictions or incongruence in someone’s chosen but habitual ways of being. By so doing, some existential therapists will when necessary, constructively confront a person’s sometimes self-defeating or destructive ways of being in the world. Others will deliberately choose to avoid viewing or addressing any experience or expression of the person’s being in the world from a perspective that construes it as being positive/negative, constructive/destructive, healthy/unhealthy, etc. In either case, the therapeutic aim is to illuminate, clarify, and place these problems into a broader perspective so as to promote clients’ capacity to recognize, accept, and actively exercise their responsibility and freedom: to choose how to be or act differently, if such change is so desired; or, if not, to tolerate, affirm and embrace their chosen ways of being in the world. To facilitate this potentially liberating process, existential therapy focuses primarily on enhancing the person’s awareness of his or her “inner” experiencing, “subjectivity” or being: the temporal, transitory, vital flux of moment-to-moment thoughts, sensations and feelings. At the same time, existential therapy recognizes the inevitable interplay between past, present and future. In this regard, existential therapists respect the impressive power of the past and the future and directly address it as it impacts upon the present. What makes existential therapy different from other therapies? In addition to its unique combination of philosophical worldview, phenomenological stance, and core emphasis on both the therapeutic relationship and actual experience, existential therapy is generally less focused on diagnosing psychopathology and providing rapid symptom relief per se than other forms of therapy. Instead, distressing “symptoms” such as anxiety, depression or rage are recognized as potentially meaningful and comprehensible reactions to current circumstances and personal contextual history. As such, existential therapy is primarily concerned with experiencing and exploring these disturbing phenomena in depth: directly grappling with rather than trying to immediately suppress or eradicate them. Consistent with this, existential therapy tends to be more exploratory than specifically or behaviorally goal-oriented. Its principal aim is to clarify, comprehend, describe and explore rather than analyze, explain, treat or “cure” someone’s subjective experience of suffering. What techniques or methods do existential therapists employ? Existential therapy does not define itself predominantly on the basis of any particular predetermined technique(s). Indeed, some existential therapists eschew the use of any technical interventions altogether, concerned that such contrived methods may diminish the essential human quality, integrity, and honesty of the therapeutic relationship. However, the one therapeutic practice common to virtually all existential work is the phenomenological method. Here, the therapist endeavours to be as fully present, engaged, and free of expectations as possible during each and every therapeutic encounter by attempting to temporarily put aside all preconceptions regarding the process. The purpose is to gain a clearer contextual in-depth understanding and acceptance of what a certain experience might signify to this specific person at this particular time in his or her life. Many existential therapists also make use of basic skills like empathic reflection, Socratic questioning, and active listening. Some may also draw on a wide range of techniques derived from other therapies such as psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioural therapy, person-centred, somatic, and Gestalt therapy. This technical flexibility allows some existential practitioners the freedom to tailor the particular response or intervention to the specific needs of the individual client and the continually evolving therapeutic process. However, whatever methods might or might not be employed in existential therapy, they are typically intentionally chosen to help illuminate the person’s being at this particular moment in his or her history. What are the goals of existential therapy? The overall purpose of existential therapy is to allow clients to explore their lived experience honestly, openly and comprehensively. Through this spontaneous, collaborative process of discovery, clients are helped to gain a clearer sense of their experiences and the subjective meanings they may hold. This self-exploration provides individuals with the opportunity to confront and wrestle with profound philosophical, spiritual and existential questions of every kind, as well as with the more mundane challenges of daily living. Fully engaging in this supportive, explorative, challenging process can help clients come to terms with their own existence, and take responsibility for the ways they have chosen to live it. Consequently, it can also encourage them to choose ways of being in the present and future that they, themselves, identify as more deeply satisfying, meaningful and authentic. Who can potentially benefit from existential therapy? An existential approach may be helpful to people contending with a broad range of problems, symptoms or challenges. It can be utilized with a wide variety of clients, ranging from children to senior citizens, couples, families or groups, and in virtually any setting, including clinics, hospitals, private practices, the workplace, organizations, and in the wider social community. Because existential therapy recognizes that we always exist in an interrelational context with the world, it can be especially useful for working with clients from diverse demographic and cultural backgrounds. While existential therapy is particularly well-suited to people who are seeking to explore their own philosophical stance toward life, it may, in some cases, be a less appropriate choice for patients in need of rapid remediation of painful, life-threatening or debilitating psychiatric symptoms. However, precisely due to its fundamental focus on a person’s entire existence rather than solely on psychopathology and symptoms, existential therapy can nonetheless potentially be an effective approach in addressing even the most severe reactions to devastating psychological, spiritual or existential disruptions or upheavals in their lives, whether in combination with psychiatric medication when needed or on its own. What scientific evidence is there regarding the efficacy of existential therapy? A range of well-controlled studies indicates that certain forms of existential therapy, for certain client groups, can lead to increased well-being and sense of meaning (Vos, Craig & Cooper, 2014). This body of evidence is growing, with new studies showing that existential therapies can produce as much improvement as other therapeutic approaches (e.g., Rayner & Vitali, in press). This finding is consistent with decades of scientific research which shows that, overall, all forms of psychotherapy are effective, and that, on average, most therapies are more or less equally helpful (Seligman, 1995; Wampold & Imel, 2015), with specific client characteristics and preferences determining the best therapeutic approach for any given individual. There is also a good deal of evidence indicating that one of the core qualities associated with existential therapy – a warm, valuing and empathic client or patient-therapist relationship — is predictive of positive therapeutic outcomes (Norcross & Lambert, 2011). Additionally, existential therapy’s central emphasis on finding or making meaning has been shown in general to be a significant factor in effective treatment (Wampold & Imel, 2015). Where can I find out more about existential therapy and/or professional training to become an existential therapist? Until recently, there were few if any formal training programs for existential therapists. In recent years, this situation has changed, with the creation of various training programs in the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Canada, Scandinavia, Israel, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Lithuania, Greece, Australia and many other countries.

A full list of training courses is available on the website.
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What is the main idea of essentialism in education?

ERIC Number: ED593579 Record Type: Non-Journal Publication Date: 2018 Pages: 12 Abstractor: As Provided ISBN: N/A ISSN: EISSN- EISSN: N/A Essentialism in Philosophy, Psychology, Education, Social and Scientific Scopes Sahin, Mehmet Online Submission, Journal of Innovation in Psychology, Education and Didactics v22 n2 p193-204 2018 Essentialism is an approach assuming that people and things have natural and essential common characteristics which are inherent, innate and unchanging.

1. Thus, it is regarded as an educational philosophy.
2. However, having the common essence and the same essentials at the same levels can lead to undesired practices in real life too.
3. Even nouns and pronouns used in daily communication reflect some connotations of a philosophy as a system of beliefs about reality based on how we perceive ourselves and others in terms of our existence.

How we address ourselves and others also represents our point of view related to the relationship and interaction between us and others. Essentialism as a philosophy has impact on our differentiation or unification ways while addressing. In this sense, the pronoun we represents a kind of unification while the pronoun you refers to a kind of discrimination or differentiation, which can be referred as a kind of taxonomy used in communication.

• This paper seeks to present how essentialism is used as the basis of our daily communication and its role in our discriminating and unifying efforts in social, cultural and scientific domains.
• Essentialism in education asserts that common and essential ideas and skills belonging to a certain culture should be taught to all citizens at the same level at especially primary school level.

To do this, the teacher’s authority in the classroom is emphasised and the subject matter is the centre of the curriculum. The essence or the centre of education is the core curriculum which is a combination of hard work and rigorous effort. The unification role of essentialism is represented in the core curriculum that aims to transfer the essential knowledge and skills needed for the equal and well-balanced citizens.
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What is existentialism and example?

Common Existential Actions –

Taking responsibility for your own actionsLiving your life without regard to commonly-held religious or social beliefsBelieving as an educator that that being a teacher is a providing a beneficial and critical role in the growth of studentsSelling all of your belongings and riding a bike across the U.S. to earn money for autism.Determining your career choice based on what you think is an important way to spend your future.

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What is the most important in existentialism?

The fundamental contribution of existential thought lies in the idea that one’s identity is constituted neither by nature nor by culture, since to ‘exist’ is precisely to constitute such an identity.
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How do you explain existentialism to a child?

Existentialism is a way of thinking that focuses on what it means for people to exist, It is a philosophical movement that was started by the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855). It became well known in books and movies of the 19th and 20th centuries,

1. Existentialism says that humans have will and consciousness, and they must make choices about their life always bearing in mind that they are mortal,
2. People who believe in existentialism think that the world and human life have no meaning unless people give them meaning,
3. This means that we find ourselves existing in the world first, and after that we give ourselves meaning, or ‘essence’.

One of the leading existentialist philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre said, “We are condemned to be free”. This means that we have no choice but to choose, and that we have full responsibility for our choices. Another way to put it is that we are always making choices even if we don’t realize it.

Existentialists believe that the only nature we as humans have is the nature we make for ourselves. As a result of this, existentialists think that the actions or choices that a person makes are very important. They believe that every person has to decide for themselves what is right and wrong, and what is good and bad.

People who believe in existentialism ask questions like ‘what is it like to be a human (a person) in the world?’ and ‘how can we understand human freedom (what it means for a person to be free)?’ Existentialism is often connected with negative emotions, such as anxiety (worrying), dread (a very strong fear ), and mortality ( awareness of our own death ).
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What are the benefits of existentialism?

– Existentialism has the benefit of helping people create meaning in their lives. By becoming aware of freedom and choice, individuals can mitigate their anxiety about the unknown. Living meaningful lives may reduce the dread of unexpected events and can help us cope with overwhelming emotions such as fear.
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Is existentialism student or teacher centered?

3. Existentialism in the Classroom – Existentialism is another student-centered philosophy. “Existentialism places the highest degree of importance on student perceptions, decisions, and actions” and individuals are responsible for determining for themselves what is true or false, right or wrong, beautiful or ugly (Sadker and Zittleman, 2007).

To sum it up, students make choices and then take the time to evaluate those choices. “The teacher’s role is to help students define their own essence by exposing them to various paths they may take in life and by creating an environment in which they can freely choose their way” (Sadker and Zittleman, 2007).

This philosophy means that students think for themselves and are aware of responsibilities assigned to them. Existentialism philosophies say no to tradition and focuses on the students’ unique talents. The teacher views each student as an individual and students learn how to achieve their full potential by trying new concepts.
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Why is it called existentialism?

e. Existence – Although, of course, existentialism takes its name from the philosophical theme of ‘existence’, this does not entail that there is homogeneity in the manner existence is to be understood. One point on which there is agreement, though, is that the existence with which we should be concerned here is not just any existent thing, but human existence,

There is thus an important difference between distinctively human existence and anything else, and human existence is not to be understood on the model of things, that is, as objects of knowledge. One might think that this is an old idea, rooted in Plato’s distinction between matter and soul, or Descartes’ between extended and thinking things.

But these distinctions appear to be just differences between two types of things. Descartes in particular, however, is often criticised by the existentialists for subsuming both under the heading ‘substance’, and thus treating what is distinctive in human existence as indeed a thing or object, albeit one with different properties.

(Whether the existentialist characterisation of Plato or Descartes is accurate is a different question.) The existentialists thus countered the Platonic or Cartesian conception with a model that resembles more the Aristotelian as developed in the Nichomachean Ethics, The latter idea arrives in existentialist thought filtered through Leibniz and Spinoza and the notion of a striving for existence.

Equally important is the elevation of the practical above the theoretical in German Idealists. Particularly in Kant, who stressed the primacy of the ‘practical’, and then in Fichte and early Schelling, we find the notion that human existence is action,

Accordingly, in Nietzsche and Sartre we find the notion that the human being is all and only what that being does. My existence consists of forever bringing myself into being – and, correlatively, fleeing from the dead, inert thing that is the totality of my past actions. Although my acts are free, I am not free not to act; thus existence is characterised also by ‘exigency’ (Marcel).

For many existentialists, authentic existence involves a certain tension be recognised and lived through, but not resolved: this tension might be between the animal and the rational (important in Nietzsche) or between facticity and transcendence (Sartre and de Beauvoir).

1. In the 19 th and 20 th centuries, the human sciences (such as psychology, sociology or economics) were coming to be recognised as powerful and legitimate sciences.
2. To some extend at least their assumptions and methods seemed to be borrowed from the natural sciences.
3. While philosophers such as Dilthey and later Gadamer were concerned to show that the human sciences had to have a distinctive method, the existentialists were inclined to go further.

The free, situated human being is not an object of knowledge in the sense the human always exists as the possibility of transcending any knowledge of it. There is a clear relation between such an idea and the notion of the ‘transcendence of the other’ found in the ethical phenomenology of Emmanuel Levinas.
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What is the best definition of essentialism?

: the practice of regarding something (such as a presumed human trait) as having innate existence or universal validity rather than as being a social, ideological, or intellectual construct.
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What is an example of existentialism?

Existentialism is a controversial philosophical tradition that begins with the premise that there is no pre-defined meaning of life. This opens up a range of questions about how to live a good life, freewill, and how to make choices. Examples of existentialism include believing in individual choice, believing you can choose your own meaning of life, questioning the existence of god, and falling into despair due to overwhelm at having to define your own life.
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What is an example of existential approach?

– Existential therapy can be incorporated into any type of psychotherapy. The techniques of this philosophy involve talking, listening, answering questions, and engaging with your therapist over many weeks, possibly months. But instead of treating a symptom, such as anxiety, existential therapy aims to focus on the person as a whole.

As an example, existential therapy would suggest that people with addiction disorder are dealing with anxiety and fear because of one of the essential givens. But, they didn’t find a resolution that left them reassured. They then turned to substance use and misuse. For an existential therapist, in that case, they would work to help the person with the use disorder face that anxiety head-on.

They may help their patient identify why those anxieties and fears feel so overwhelming. They may even try to introduce patients to experiences that enhance their well-being. These may include relationships, courage, spirituality, and others. This positive affirmation and engagement helps the therapist guide you to thoughtful responsibility — and hopefully the end of substance misuse.

No matter the specific technique, the goal behind existential therapy is to let people grow and embrace their lives, their wishes, and their curiosity without fear of the givens. It aims to address issues of empathy, the here and now, and even dreams, which can reflect unconscious fantasies, with the help of an existential therapist.

According to Yalom, existential therapists are thought of as “fellow travelers,” who can provide empathy and support to help patients make decisions.
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Which of the following is an example of an existentialist sentence?

Examples and Observations –

” There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.” (Friedrich Nietzsche, “On Reading and Writing,” Thus Spoke Zarathustra ) “In the great green room, There was a telephone And a red balloon And a picture of- The cow jumping over the moon.” (Margaret Wise Brown, Goodnight, Moon, 1947) “By using there as a dummy subject, the writer or speaker can delay introducing the real subject of the sentence. There is called a dummy subject, dumS, because it has no meaning in itself-its function is to put the real subject in a more prominent position.” (Sara Thorne, Mastering Advanced English Language, Palgrave Macmillan, 2008) “Rick, there are many exit visas sold in this café.” (Captain Renault, Casablanca ) The term existential sentence is an attempt to capture the meaning conveyed by the following type of construction: There’s a strange cat in the garden There were lots of people in town. There weren’t any apples on the tree. There appeared a bright star in the sky. The word there comes first, It is then followed by the simple present or past tense of be, or a small range of ‘presentational’ verbs, such as: appear, arise, ascend, come, emerge, erupt, exist, float, occur, spring up, stand, The noun phrase following the verb is usually indefinite, as shown by such words as a and any, “What the there construction does is highlight a clause as a whole, presenting it to the listener or reader as if everything in it is a new piece of information. It gives the entire clause a fresh status. In this respect, existential sentences are very different from the other ways of varying information structure, which focus on individual elements inside a clause.” (David Crystal, Making Sense of Grammar, Pearson Longman, 2004)

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How do you explain existentialism to a child?

Existentialism is a way of thinking that focuses on what it means for people to exist, It is a philosophical movement that was started by the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855). It became well known in books and movies of the 19th and 20th centuries,

Existentialism says that humans have will and consciousness, and they must make choices about their life always bearing in mind that they are mortal, People who believe in existentialism think that the world and human life have no meaning unless people give them meaning, This means that we find ourselves existing in the world first, and after that we give ourselves meaning, or ‘essence’.

One of the leading existentialist philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre said, “We are condemned to be free”. This means that we have no choice but to choose, and that we have full responsibility for our choices. Another way to put it is that we are always making choices even if we don’t realize it.

• Existentialists believe that the only nature we as humans have is the nature we make for ourselves.
• As a result of this, existentialists think that the actions or choices that a person makes are very important.
• They believe that every person has to decide for themselves what is right and wrong, and what is good and bad.

People who believe in existentialism ask questions like ‘what is it like to be a human (a person) in the world?’ and ‘how can we understand human freedom (what it means for a person to be free)?’ Existentialism is often connected with negative emotions, such as anxiety (worrying), dread (a very strong fear ), and mortality ( awareness of our own death ).
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