Existentialism is a sort of reaction to traditional philosophy like Idealism, Rationalism, Pragmatism, and Absolutism etc. Existentialism is therefore more specifically represented as a kind of philosophical movement. The chief pioneers being Soren Kirkegaard, Jean Paul Satre, Martin Heidegger, Nietzsche etc. While traditional philosophical thoughts speculated about essence of matter and human essence rather than existence. Existentialism emphasized on human existence rather than essence. In this school of thought existence is a central theme and essence , rather nature, is secondary. While traditional system of thought was more concerned with the nature of things, it skipped the existence of humans. The human as an individual was lost in the 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 for granted. His freedom of thought is curtailed and set inside the borders of authority. The individual problems are not given any prominence. It is in this backdrop that the loss of individual choice 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 own self 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 is to 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 doesnt flourish creativity, rather gives importance to rote learning. This kind of education, which controls creativity of an individual, is dangerous and causes more 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, 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, and void. Individual choices and will of students are considered absurd and overlooked, rather are designed by single system and decided by one party be parent, or teacher or any other party. Individual choice and will take backseat, while collective decisions take lead and define role and choice of individual, thus leading to conflicts 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 learners choice, thus triggering chaos. Likewise individual choice is not taken into consideration at schools, colleges, and universities; choice needs to be nurtured by giving rich environment.

Thus teachers need to know, understand, and communicate with a learner to know his choice, and limits of freedom and will. After that he should 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 to achieve a single defined goal. Thus understanding the individual traits and capacities of learner need to be prioritized in educational system to cherish the real aims of education which is the focal point of Existentialists.

Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat is a teacher

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Existentialism and Education - Greater Kashmir