Research on Existentialist Philosophy of Education

Abstract: Existentialism is a philosophical school with wide influence in today's world, and its influence on education leads to existential educational philosophy. The author mainly expounds the educational purpose, teaching content and the positive influence of teacher-student relationship of existential educational philosophy on modern education.

Keywords: Existentialism Existentialism educational thought practical significance

China Library Classification Number: B087 Document Identification Number: A

1 existentialism

Existentialism is a philosophical school with extensive influence in the world today. It is the product of the prosperity of western industrial civilization and the rapid development of science and technology in the early 20th century. With the development of industrial civilization, there has been a serious social crisis in western society. Unemployment, bankruptcy, depression and lack of emotional sustenance were the true portrayal of society at that time. People's enthusiasm for reason and material is gradually becoming indifferent, replaced by their own examination and appeasement. Existentialism is an anti-traditional philosophy, which pays attention to the existence of people in real life. Because existentialism takes people as the research object from beginning to end, it raises the research on people to an unprecedented height. No school of philosophy can care about human existence like existentialism, so Sartre, the representative of existentialism, insists. Existentialism is a humanism. ?

2 Existentialist educational thought

Existentialism emphasizes human subjectivity and freedom of choice, and it is difficult to form an all-encompassing philosophical system. But? Existentialism is a philosophy about personal life, and it will certainly show profound insight into education, because education is a process in which individuals shape themselves or are shaped? Therefore, as a philosophy that pays attention to people's own destiny, existentialism naturally looks at education, and its influence on education leads to existential philosophy of education.

Existentialist educational philosophy is a typical representative of western humanistic education. It attaches importance to individual freedom and choice, emphasizes human responsibility, advocates human subjectivity and creativity, and holds that human existence is a process of continuous transcendence, perfection and self-realization. Since the 1950s, the philosophy of existentialism education has exerted a wide and profound influence on education all over the world.

3 the basic content of existentialism education thought

Existentialist educational philosophy runs counter to the traditional educational philosophy that overemphasizes social value and ignores human existence, and has distinct characteristics in educational purpose, teaching content, teacher-student relationship and so on.

3. 1 Existentialist view of educational philosophy

Existentialist educational philosophy advocates that human existence is more important than anything else. The fact that I exist is more important than who I am, that is? Existence precedes essence? . The so-called essence refers to what constitutes things, that is, the essence of things. However, existentialism believes that people are not born like this? Natural? . So, do people have to create their own nature or? Essence? . Jaspers also thinks? People will never exhaust themselves. The essence of man is not static, but a process. ? So, pursuing a diversified life? Meaning? It's no use. In other words, we are destined to create this meaning ourselves. We are like actors who have been dragged onto the stage before reciting their lines. There is no script and no one tells us what to do in a low voice. We must decide for ourselves how to live. Therefore, the philosophy of existentialism education holds that the purpose of education is to help students discover the meaning of their existence, cultivate their ability of self-selection and make them free. Compared with existential educational philosophy, other educational theories have the same disadvantages, that is, the development of students' personality is put in a secondary position, while the main goal is the cultivation of students' rationality or the training of skills and skills, ignoring the development of students' emotions and needs. On the basis of criticizing the traditional educational thought, existentialism puts forward that the ultimate goal of education is to cultivate students' self-awareness, develop students' self-evaluation ability, promote students to judge their own behavior, make choices about the future, and make them become free people.

3.2 Existentialist philosophy of education teaching content view

With regard to the teaching content, the existential philosophy of education holds that the teaching materials of all subjects, namely knowledge, can not be used as the purpose of education, nor can they be used as a means for students to find jobs in the future, let alone as materials for mental training. The real function of teaching materials should be the means for students to develop and realize themselves. Existentialists oppose the unchangeable curriculum, thinking that such a curriculum can hardly meet the actual needs of students and is not helpful to their development. The formulation of the curriculum should be completed by the students themselves. Existentialists insist that students should focus on the study of humanities, supplemented by the study of natural science. In the view of existentialists, natural science should not be the focus of curriculum, because it is objective and impersonal. Because pure vocational training cannot make a person truly free, he can only become a certain kind of person. On the contrary, the knowledge of humanities directly reflects human nature and the relationship between man and the world, so it should be the focus of the course.

4 the practical significance of survival education

Existentialism emphasizes humanization, subjectivity, individuality, people-oriented educational thought and a series of educational propositions, which embodies the concern for people and respect for life, and has important reference significance for the theory and practice of education reform in China today.

Existentialism education emphasizes the study of human beings, and considers that human beings are the most respectable people in the world. Existentialists think that people in real life are real people? Alienation? . They believe that society should not only pay attention to the meaning of life, but also pay attention to people's life world and their irrational worlds such as emotions, beliefs, ideals and hopes. Descartes stressed? I think therefore I am? Existentialist emphasis? I'm thinking about it? And emphasizes the ontology of his knowledge-human existence.

Existentialism pays attention to the cultivation of students' subjective consciousness and innovative spirit. In order to enhance students' subjective consciousness, we should attach importance to students' individual differences while persisting in imparting knowledge. Only in this way can we help students develop their potential and creativity, and finally realize their value. Existentialism emphasizes that the purpose of education is to cultivate, develop and carry forward students' subjectivity. In teaching methods, advocate between teachers and students? Dialogue? Types of teaching methods. The choice of course content should reflect the position of human subjectivity in social development, so that students can master it more actively and consciously. Existentialism education pays attention to students' character and moral education, advocates humanistic spirit, and emphasizes the most basic qualities of people, such as honesty, compassion, human dignity and politeness. The most important thing is to emphasize students' sense of social responsibility, requiring students to be responsible not only for themselves, but also for others, the nation, the country and even the whole world.

In a word, the 20th century's existential education thought is only a flash in the pan, but the educational idea that education should be based on human existence has brought us positive influence and produced beneficial social value, which is an important criterion to consider the success or failure of our education.

References:

[1] Chen Yousong. Contemporary western educational philosophy [M]. Education Science Press, 1982: 106.