Existentialism: Flipped learning

 

Hello friends,

The secret to a meaningful life is simpler than you think.

Some people seem to spend their whole lives dissatisfied, in search of a purpose. In other words, it needs to think that people who feel purposeless actually misunderstand what meaning is.

Here existentialism term is much relatable.

Existentialism

Existentialism is a movement in philosophy and literature that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. It began in the mid-to-late 19th Century, but reached its highest in mid-20th Century France. It is based on the view that humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. It focuses on the question of human existence, and the feeling that there is no purpose or explanation at the core of existence.

It holds that, as there is no God or any other transcendent force, the only way to counter this nothingness is by embracing existence.

This class is a part of Flipped learning task on existentialism assigned in Google Classroom by Pro. Dilip Barad.

Click here to view the task and video resources.

Click here

Let's have a brief introduction of Flipped learning classroom.

Flipped learning

Flipped Classroom brings in sweeter fruits of advantages for both teachers and students. One of the main advantages of Flipped Classroom is that it makes students move away from traditional learning. It gets them closer to active dynamic learning wherein both teachers and students can collaborate actively

One of the very interesting view point of this Flipped learning is that, homework is done into classroom (currently on virtual platforms due to COVID 19) and classwork is supposed to done at home. It helps student in self learning.

Now let's begin our discussion on videos resources:

“Man is a useless passion. It is meaningless that we live and it is meaningless that we die.”

― Jean-Paul Sartre

Philosophers’ answers to this question are numerous and varied, and practical to different degrees. The 19th-century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, for example, said the question itself was meaningless because in the midst of living, we’re in no position to discern whether our lives matter, and stepping outside of the process of existence to answer is impossible.

Both philosophers considered the role of making free choices on fundamental values and beliefs to be essential in the attempt to change the nature and identity of the chooser.

In Kierkegaard's case, this results in the "knight of faith", who puts complete faith in himself and in God, as described in his work "Fear and Trembling".

In Nietzsche's case, the much maligned "Übermensch" (or "Superman") attains superiority and transcendence without resorting to the "other-worldliness" of Christianity, in his books "Thus Spake Zarathustra" (1885).

“But here's how it works: when the world has told you once too often and once and for all that you are nothing nothing nothing then you come to the conclusion that others may be nothing too.”

― J.W. Horton, Angels of the Revolution

 

Which videoI liked the most?

Video 5

Existentialism as Gloomy Philosophy

This video explains very interestingly how and why existentialism is Gloomy Philosophy.

Anxiety, absurdity and despair.

If I say, I like this video then I must have reason behind my liking or disliking. It deals with energetic music which increases attachment and pushes to finish this video along with quality content. Tone of speaker is also polite and kindly smooth with good posing. Animation is also quite interesting.

My questions

Questioning is the key means by which teachers find out what pupils already know, identify gaps in knowledge and understanding and scaffold the development of their understanding to enable them to close the gap between what they currently know and the learning goals.

 

Question 1	(Video 1) Initially and centrally this video tries to explain feeling of absurd. If feeling itself is connected with having meaning then how it can be considered as ‘absurd’ or ‘feeling of absurd’?
Question 2	Albert Camus said, “The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy” When we study the myth of Sisyphus, it is full of pain and to give words to this pain is also very difficult. So, how can it be possible to enjoy pain happily? Does this wants to signify that there will always choice between not ‘one good and one bad’ but between ‘two bad’ or ‘what is lesser painful’ emphasizing on individuality?
Question 3	(Video 6) Which gives meaning or gives value is itself decreasing its importance at some point. Does this supports ‘જે પોષતું તે મારતું એ કર્મ દીસે છે કુદરતી?’ Is death an option or compulsion?
Question 4	We study in Existentialism; humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. Can it be possible that too much thinking can destroy thinking process in a rational way? If it does not destroy, can it damage? Question 4 Absurdity suggests meaninglessness. If we know there is no meaning, we actually know the meaning. Then how to consider it as an absurd?

It helps you uncover the challenges we are facing and generate better solutions to solve those problems. If we are asking a question, we are not rushing in to provide the answer, give the solution, or take on the challenge, but it is the process which makes us learning

Learning outcome of this activity

My learning outcome means that what I am working should achieve, know or be able to do by the end of the activity. Therefore, learning outcomes are set in discussion with the teacher and it is actually a kind of privilege.

Watching these video resources helped me a lot along with reading materials. It helped in remembering, understanding, evaluating, most importantly applying and significantly in creating.

Example of existential struggle in present Covid19 time is,

Thank you.

 

 References:

GLICKSBERG, CHARLES I. “The Literature of Existentialism.” Prairie Schooner, vol. 22, no. 3, 1948, pp. 231–237. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40624001. Accessed 21 Nov. 2020.

Warnock, Mary. Existentialism. Oxford University Press, 2005.