5. Essentialism and Existentialism (video)

Essentialists say that the mind is the essential element of reality (that's called idealism). Whereas the mind learns from the physical world and the contact with the physical world is called realism. So, realism and idealism by some definition are both branches of Essentialism. The Essentialist wants us to teach the essentials to live well in the modern world. The child is a learner to be shaped and developed. Now remember, from the Perennialist view, the child is there to learn from the ideas of the past and from Progressivist view, the child should have the opportunity to interact and to shape his or her own Learning. But the Essentialist says that the child is a learner to be shaped and developed. The Progressivist would have the child doing the shaping and developing as well as being shaped and developed. So there is a big difference there between Progressivism and Essentialism. Now the Existentialists, the folks who are way off the chart in the other direction, are the ones who say the child is free. Our job as teacher from an existentialist point of view, is to think of the children as those beings that fit across our screen and as they go by we have little impact on them, but they are going on in their wonderful journey of freedom. And the most important thing for us to realize is that human nature is free. In many ways existentialism is a key philosophy of the United States, because existentialism is very much akin to the individualism of the United States. Everyone is free to do their own thing. The child is who he or she chooses to be and the child's quest is the quest for personal meaning. So the Existentialist has this view of the child on this quest, going on the journey of life, shaped by all of its experiences. You learn to be what you are, it's your job. Other people can help you, but it is basically your responsibility. And so, the answers for the Existentialist come from within and not from outside. I can suggest things to you if I am an Existentialist, but I have no idea what you are going to do with them. I just have to sit there and admire whatever you do with the ideas I teach you, because you are free. You are this wonderful being that is wandering on this journey of life. Whereas if I am a Progressivist, I have a real job to give you the skills to help you problem solve and to engage you in this democratic dialogue, because we are in this together. There is a difference between, "we are in it together" and "you are on your own."

	According to the existentialists, how should teachers approach their students?	Answer Here
	Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Johnson co-teach an eleventh grade English class. Mr. Wilson is an essentialist while Mrs. Johnson is an existentialist. Both teachers assign a term paper to their students. What kind of guidelines would each teacher set for the papers?	Answer Here