Existentialism is a philosophical approach to understand the human existence and experience.

It
is based on the assumption that individuals are free and responsible for their own choices and
actions; hence we are not the victims of the circumstances because we are what we have chosen
to be. Most of its thinkers came out of continental Europe.

The origin of the name existentialism but it is agreed that it was first used in the early of
1940s to label the works of Simone De Beauvoir, Jean Paul, Sartre and other Parisian writers
who were focused at the time on the nature of human existance.At the end of the second world
war, they lunched what Beauvoir calls the the existentialist offensive which was a series of
books, popular articles and public talks that attempted to influence the new cultural and political
shape of France (Fc:46).

The roots of existentialism started with the so called father of existentialism Soren Kierkegaard
who lived in the 19th century. Existentialisms peak come in the 1940s with great thinkers such
as Sartre, De Beauvoir, Camus and Merleau-Pointy all coming out with not only traditional
philosophical essays, but also plays, novels and short stories that all reflect the existential school
of thought. While this timeline does not cover every existentialist and their work, it does focus
on the most important and most influential existential philosophers and their primary existential
works.

TYPES OF PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENTIALISM

Kierkegaards existentialism, this holds the subject as the centre of existence. Being at the centre,
he must create meaning to whatever is outside since there is no set, absolute meaning. Man is
free and thus is responsible for all his action. Kierkegaards sees God as a necessary belief, by
starting that the tension between man and the absolute (GOD), or what called absurd lead to
anguish and must be resolved by a leap of faith or surrendering to Gods will.

Nietzschean existentialism, this is not exactly existentialism but at least has set ground for other
types. Nietzsche believed that reality is subjective and that not only that objectivity cannot be
found, but it does not even exist, thus the World is open interpretation. Nietzsches central point
however was the will to power which is a vector that leads to greatness, fearlessness and

1
perpetual overcoming, through the will of power, man achieve himself and thus becomes
ubermensch or higher man. He said that man is held above the void between the beast and god,
the beautiful thing however is that he is a bridge, not an end.

Heideggeran thought, which the kind of existentialism is, but Heidegger refused to use the term.
He states that being is not only being as a metaphysical statement. Thus he coined two aspects
of being in-itself or the mind and consciousness ,he puts death as an inevitability.Dealth is the
most certain possibility, thus man is condemned to live in a thought of dealth,but that should not
create despair, it should be fact incite man to engage into authenticity or true being.

Sartrean existentialism, Sartre is chiefly know for having said that existence precedes essence,
and thus man is ovoid of any determinism to which he should obey, instead he is free to be free
to decide whatever he wants to do. man is condemned to be free failure to follow the rules lead
to bad faith also he defines consciousness as nothingness because the nothing nihilities itself
and thus does not need anything to be or not to be.

Camus absurdist, is rooted in Sartre and Kierkegaards existentialism, he states that instead of
finding meaning in the world man tend toward it, but can never actually find it, thus having a
tension that will never be fulfilled, resulting in an absurd situation hence the absturdwhich is
said one has three ways to escape from it suicide which is an absolute escape but should be
avoided, the leap of faith which would be a philosophical death according to Camus and the
acknowledging of the absurd dealing with it in a stoic way and accepting its necessity and hence
the famous quote one must imagine Sisyphus happy

2
Jean Paul Charles (Aymard Sartre)

Was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, political activists, biographer and literary critic.
He was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism and phenomelogy and one of
the leading figures of 20th century.

His work also influences sociology, critical theory and post-colonial theory and literary studies.
Together Sartre and Beauvoir challenged the culture and social assumptions and their
expectations of their upbringing which they considered bourgeois in both lifestyle and thoughts.
His primary idea is people as humans are condemned to be free; his position is that there is no
creator and illustrated using the example of paper cutter.

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) German.

His main interest was anthology or the study of being, in his fundamental treaties being and
time, he attempted to access being (seen) by means of phenomenological analysis of human
existence in respect to its temporal and historical character.Instead of looking for a full
clarification of the meaning of being, he tries to pursue a kind of thinking which was no longer
metaphysical. He criticized the tradition of western philosopher.

EXISTENTIALISM AND THE CLASSROOM

Students will learn more when they are given freedom of choice, to learn according to their
interests. Essence does not flow out of existence; there are two major obstacles to pursuit and
achievement of ones essence, unawareness and fear. Teachers should teach their students to
recognize themselves and promote confidence among themselves.

EXISTENTIAL PRINCPLES AND THE PURSUIT OF ESSENCE

Once teacher is recognize that reality is experienced subjectively, they must then respect and
nurture their students subjective realities .They can do this by applying two existential principles
in their classroom, they can celebrate rather than discourage, authenticity and they can encourage
their students to have what the existentialist calls the courage to be (Tillich 1952). How do
teachers go about applying about the second existential principle, encouraging students to have

3
the courage to be .They can instill in their students the courage to choose freely and authentically
consequences of their choice whether the consequences are positive or negative.

IMOORTANCE (MERITS) OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENTIALISM

Interest is directed on the man-his genuine or authentic self, his choices made with full
responsibility of consequences and freedom. It describes and diagnoses human
weaknesses, limitations and conflicts.
Man cannot be explained by reasons as the idealists emphasize. It traces the origin of all
these and anticipates that man will overcome them. These arise they say, when a man
comes to have a sense of meaninglessness of his life.
They do not want man to be philistine (one whose interest are material and common
place), or mediate who submerges himself. They want the transcendence of man which
means that he should become more and more authentic.
It is important because it insists on human existence, the qualities of individual person
rather than man in abstract of nature and the world in general.
Existentialism philosophy helps education to be edified and enrich mans mind so that it
may be respectable in his own eyes and in the eyes of the others, it should help to make
him human.

LIMITATIONS

The teachers individual relationship and close understanding of every pupils personality
would require great deal of time and efforts.
The concept of being, meaning, person are not very clear and appear nebulous,
it is not easy to build up an educational programmed when the terminology for the
objectives of the educational process is not clear.
Educational standards and practices that manipulate the childs behaviors in arbitrary
manners, violet the principle of free choice.
Many teaching practice, testing procedures and bureaucratic system of classifying
children may be questioned.

4
 Teachers who have learned to provide existential encounters for their students enable the
learners to create meaning in a cosmos, devoid of objective meaning to find reasons for
being in the society with fewer and fewer open doors.
They offer no social theory for solving the complex problems of our scientific age, thus
proposals for individual living might appeal to the hermit or frontier man but they are of
little help to the people who must spend their lives in large cities, work for large
companies, and worship in large congregations and even recreate in crowds. (Man is
responsible not only for himself but for his fellow men.
It limits its application to the modern world, namely the neglect for scientific mode of
knowing in their general theory of knowlegded.After all this is the age of science and
complete philosophy of life cannot relegate the philosophy of science to a position of
minor importance.

REFERENCE

1. Sartre, J.P 1947, Existentialism, New York: philosophical library.

2. Tillich, P. 1952.The courage to be. New Haven: vision press.

5
 3. Sartre J.P (2011), Encyclopedia of philosophy. Stanford press. Retrieved
publishers.
4. Heidegger M. (1889-1976), Post-script to philosophical prayments.Hong press.
Unscientific publishers.
5. Derrida, Jacques, (1995), the gift of death, trans.David wills, Chicago and
London: University of Chicago press.
6. Dooley, Mark, 2001. The politics of exodus:kierkegaards ethics of responsibility,
New York: Fordham University press

FACULTY : EDUCATION.
DEPARTMENT : EDUCATION FOUNDATION
COURSE TITLE : INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
COURSE CODE : PH113.
INSTRUCTOR NAME : FR.MACHAGIJA
ACADEMIC YEAR : 1st YEAR, 2016/2017.
TYPE OF WORK : GROUP ASSIGNMENT.
STREAM : BAED A.

6
GROUP NO. : 04.
NO NAMES REG.NO. SIGNATURE

1. BENSON SHILLA AM/BAED/160291

2. EMILY ERICK AM/BAED/160354
3. JUMANNE SALUMU AM/BAED/160477
4. KALITASI LIMBU SAYI AM/BAED/160482
5. BERNADI ESTER PAULO AM/BAED/160292
6. LEONARD STUMAHI AM/BAED/160567
7. CYPRIAN PIETHA AM/BAED/160330
8. ELIAS JOSEPH AM/BAED/160347
9. DAUD ELISHA AM/BAED/160337
10. ZEPHANIA VERONICA AM/BAED/15352
11. AUGOSTINO NDAYILAGIJE AM/BAED/160272
12. MVUMBA MAGRETH LAITON AM/BAED/160772
13. MASHAKA MUSA AM/BAED/160635
14. MCHEMBA MUSTAPHA AM/BAED/160685
15. MWASIKILI KELVIN AM/BAED/160801
16 MWALONGO DIGNA E AM/BAED/160787
17 RULAKUZE CHRISTINA M AM/BAED/160912
18 GEORGE SAMWEL AM/BAED/160388