No existentialism exists as a thought system as such.
Not only are differences obvious between theistic and
atheistic fields of thought as practised by the existentialist philosophers$ but there are also fundamental differences between advocates of the system
such as Heidegger and Sartre. Certain common characteristics can be distinguished. It deals with the
existent human being as plunged into a situation, a
rebellion against rationalization, the absolutization
of human freedom the incompleteness and transience
of man, a denunciation of God and the Scriptures.
The above-mentioned characteristics of this philosophy
exercise a profound influence on the thoughts of
modern man and are therefore of immediate importance
to education. As Christians we need to understand
these existentialists because unlike other more complacent modern thinkers, they are honest enough to
voice that sense of despair which is so widespread
in our world. They speak for millions of our contemporaries for whom God is dead. They tear away
the masks of optimism, self-confidence and indifference.
To our mind this philosophy has contributed to a
large extent to the moral decline of this decadent
twentieth century. It would therefore be gross
neglect on the part of Christian education if it
does not determine and define the implications of
this philosophy.
A religious minded people cannot accept the separation of its religion from its education and hence
this study was undertaken in an effort to evaluate
the existentialism in the light of the scriptures in
which God discloses Himself and His relation to all
things.
It was deemed necessary to refer to religion and calling (vocation) as these are integral aspects of
man's life. It was also necessary to refer to the
implications of the belief in God as the foundation
for a science of education with its corresponding aim
and content. Therefore reference is made to an ontological, a cosmological, an anthropological, a
cognizable and a methodological basis for this philosophy of education determined by Word revelation.
The phenomenological approach (method) employed by
the existentialists as well as the denunciation of
the God of the Scriptures, causes the total absence
of any relation to God, hence the neutrality. In
its full reality, however, the God of the Scriptures
and the Word of God cannot for one moment be excluded
from its reality and no neutrality as such is ever
possible. Any educator is a human being and thus
a religious being who stands in relation to God,
whether he is aware of it or not. Whether he accepts
it or not, does not matter. All human activity is an
activity issuing from the heart and qualified by the
heart, be it in obedience to the law of God or not.
Hence all activities of man are religiously centred
and that includes education and educating. Man was
created by God, as a child of God with the task of
governing and ruling over His whole creation, as he
would over himself; over his fellow human being, a
task which includes the rearing and educating of the
child and thereby complying with the responsibility
entrusted to him by his Creator.
Existentialistic anthropology which considers man as
an incomplete and temporary being with no ultimate
goal, severs the bond of the human being at its very
source, viz., God. Anthropology has contributed
largely to contemporary non-recognition of values and
principles in education. The Christian educator sees
man as the creation of God. Only anthropology based
on the Bible can reflect a truly realistic image
and total concept of the child.
Existentialism absolutizes human liberty and self
responsibility which does not subordinate itself
to any authority or principle. This approach is a
cosmologic absolutization of man’s existence. Man
is created by God with a given task and responsibility to do his share in the fulfilment of God’s will.
The Lord God has put a radical yet correlated variety
in the cosmos. This irreducible variety and interdependent relation must be accepted and investigated
without relativization and absolutization and yet with
the acknowledgement of God as sovereign Ruler over and
Creator of man and the cosmos subject to God’s cosmic
law and order.
The subjectivism into which the existentialists have
deteriorated has caused the relegation to total insignificance of the subject-object relationship in
the actual creation. To our mind the concept that
knowledge can be obtained only through subjectivity,
is impossible to accept. Subject and object are
cognizable because God has created them as such. The
educationist as a scientist, should continually
realize that his knowledge can only be partial, but
in the light of Scripture he should acknowledge the
sovereignity of God over the whole cosmos and over
each and every activity of man and this includes
education. In order to combat the godlessness of
existentialism the Christian educator should practise
his education, that is every subject in the light
of Scripture.
The determining approach, the Word of God, has illumined that which has to be researched. An attempt
has been made not only to give a mere description of
the field or research, but also to delve into the
results with full and due consideration of what God
has revealed in connection with it in His Word. The
Word has therefore a function to fulfil in connection
with the field of research as well as the researcher.
These principles have therefore of neccesity determined
the method used. Use has also been made of the analytical and comparative methods.
The conclusion arrived at in this study is that the
answers to questions arising from educational problems
such as those with regard to the eventual aims education should strive for, the very essence of education,
the reason for educating, content and method, freedom
and authority, discipline and punishment, the task of
the teacher, and all questions relating to the full
spectrum of education, cannot be supplied by existentialism. A philosophy of education should be based.
on a Christian philosophy and should include the totality of education that in its entirety depends on the revelation of the Word. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--PU vir CHO
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NWUBOLOKA1/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/10096 |
| Date | January 1978 |
| Creators | Cornelius, Jan Frederick Kotze |
| Publisher | Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education |
| Source Sets | North-West University |
| Language | other |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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