Understand the individual learner

Existentialism, is a philosophy of 19th century, a sort of reaction to traditional philosophy like Idealism, Rationalism, Pragmatism, Absolutism etc. Existentialism is therefore more specifically represented as a kind of philosophical movement. The chief pioneers being Soren Kierkegaard, Jean Paul Satre, Martin Hiedgger, Nietzsche etc. While traditional philosophical thoughts speculated about essence of matter and human, existentialism emphasized on human existence rather than essence. Here in this school of thought existence is central theme and essence rather nature is secondary. While traditional system of thought was more concerned on nature of things, thus skipped the existence of humans.

The human as an individual was lost in crowd, complex societies, and developed towns. His choice of desires and will are defined by society and authorities, while his inner freedom and choice is taken far granted, rather led to astray. His freedom of thought is curtailed and set inside the borders of authority and society which is considered arbitrary through the prism of Existentialism. The individual problems are not given any prominence.

It is in this backdrop that the loss of individual choices and freedom are given prominence by existentialists. According to existentialists, man should define his choice and will, he must not cry inwardly for curtailing of his choices and arrest of freedom by authority which is meaningless and absurd. Man according to existentialists should struggle and fight with his ownself to accomplish his goals which must not get eliminated by any third party. Because, as per this thought, man is essentially alone, while the web of relations cannot dictate and define his choices. Man has to try to reform into more humane, thus an individual has to struggle to understand his own self, to realize his ownself, and move to self actualization. Thus man has to progress and evolve into humane by his own efforts and struggle.

While education is reformation of human resource into more humane, in other words to educate and make all round development. To bring out all intellectual capacities lying dormant by giving a rich and up to mark environment. The modern education system doesn’t flourish creativity, rather gives importance more to rote learning. This kind of education which controls creativity of an individual is dangerous and creates much harm than good as per existentialism. The flourishing of creative ideas in an individual is sine-qua-non of existentialism. Existentialism focuses on individual capacities, thus paving way to diverse thinking and concepts leading to creative ideas, which are fruitful to individual self and collective good. But contemporary education system, traversing the path from formal to informal, is considered vague, null and void, sans memorization and rote learning. Individual choices and will of students are considered absurd and overlooked, rather are designed by single system and decided by one party be it parent, or teacher. Individual choices and will take backseat, while collective decisions take lead and define role and choice of individual, thus leading to conflict and chaos ranging from self, to society and culminating in violence, be it suicide or murder of self.

In contemporary societies, students are forced to learn a set stream by parents to get a job, which is done in absence of learner’s choice and will, thus triggering chaos. Likewise individual choice is not also taken into confidence at schools, colleges, and universities. Teachers need to know, understand, and communicate with learner his choice and limit of freedom and will, after that provide guidance and take him to actuality from his potentiality; this being the significant aim of existential philosophical thought. Also, in current times education has been commercialized by private tuitions and schools, which also focus on accumulation of facts only to achieve a single defined goal.

Thus understanding the individual traits and capacities of learners need to be prioritised in educational system to achieve the aims of education.

Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat is a teacher,

at PM Shri Govt. High School Yaroo zone

D H Pora Kulgam