Flipped Learning Activity on Existentialism

Existence Comes Before Essence

Here is infograph of this blog:

Introduction: 

Many of us feel restless late at night, wondering: Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life? This confusion is natural. Humans have always searched for a guidebook to life.

In ancient times, philosophers like Plato and Aristotle believed in Essentialism. According to them, everything is born with a fixed purpose. For example, a knife is made to cut. In the same way, they believed humans are born with a fixed purpose decided by God or nature.

Existentialist philosophers rejected this idea. They said “existence comes before essence.” This means we are born first, without any fixed purpose, and later we decide what kind of person we will be. Life has no ready-made meaning. We create meaning through our choices and actions.

 You Create Who You Are: 

According to Jean-Paul Sartre, human beings are not born with a fixed role. A chair is designed to sit on, but humans are not designed for anything specific.

This idea gives us great freedom. You are not born to be something already decided by society, family, or religion. You become what you are through your actions. Your job, your beliefs, and your character are results of your own choices. In short, you are the maker of your own life.

Individual, Free, and Passionate:

Existentialism focuses on three important ideas:

• Individuality – Truth begins with your own experience.

• Freedom – You are free to choose your path.

• Passion – You must live sincerely and deeply.

This philosophy believes that truth is personal. Even religious thinkers like Soren Kierkegaard believed that faith is not about following society or rituals. It is a deeply personal choice. Whether one believes in God or not, what matters is that the choice is genuine and personal.

Understanding the Absurd:

The philosopher Albert Camus explained the idea of the Absurd. The Absurd comes from the clash between:

• Our desire for meaning and order

• A universe that gives no clear answers

The world is silent, but humans keep asking “Why?” This conflict creates the feeling of absurdity. Life may feel routine and meaningless, like repeating the same tasks every day without knowing why.

Camus said the most serious question is whether life is worth living. His answer was not suicide, but accepting life as it is and continuing to live bravely.

Do Not Escape the Absurd:

When life feels meaningless, many people try to escape by blindly believing in false hope or faith. Camus called this “philosophical suicide.”

Some thinkers jumped into faith when reason failed them. Camus rejected this. He believed that escaping into blind belief destroys human reason. Instead of running away, we must face the Absurd honestly, without pretending that easy answers exist.

 We Are Forced to Be Free:

Sartre famously said we are “condemned to be free.” This means we cannot avoid making choices. Even not choosing is a choice.

He gave an example of a young man during war who had to choose between caring for his mother or joining the army. No rule or religion could decide for him. Whatever he chose became right only after he chose it. Living honestly means accepting that we alone are responsible for our actions.

My favorite video and the reason behind my choice:

https://youtu.be/Kvz0CjtwH2k

I like this video very much because it explains big and difficult ideas in a very simple way. The teachers in the video teach big things to small children, and that is very appreciable. It shows that real knowledge does not depend on age. Even complex ideas can be understood if they are explained with care and clarity.

This video follows a good knowledge system because it believes that learning should be easy, interesting, and open to everyone. The language is simple, the examples are clear, and the ideas become easy to remember. It does not confuse learners but encourages them to think.

I like this video because it respects the learner. It proves that teaching is not about showing how much the teacher knows, but about how well the student understands. Such teaching creates curiosity, confidence, and a love for learning. That is why this video is my favourite.

Questions:

1. What role does the conflict between human desire and cosmic silence play here?

2. Is 5 or 6 year old todlers understand this concept as us?

3. Which thing conects Absurd and Existamtialism?

4. In both Existantialism and Humanism I saw the concept of freedom is it connected or not?

5. According to Jean-Paul, Leaving in 'Bad Faith' mean?

6. Why is absolute freedom considered both a liberating gift and a heavy burden?

Conclusion: 

Existentialism is often misunderstood as a negative philosophy. In reality, it offers hope. After the World Wars, old values collapsed, and people felt lost. Existentialism gave them freedom.

Like the Dada artists, who rejected old traditions after war, existentialists believed that if humans created values, they can also change them.

Life has no fixed meaning but that is not a curse. It is a blank page. And a blank page means freedom, creativity, and possibility.

References:

Barad, Dilip. “Existentialism: Video Resources.” Dilip Barad | Teacher Blog, 19 Sept. 2016, https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2016/09/existentialism-video-resources.html

Barad, Dilip. “Flipped Learning Network.” Flipped Learning Network, 24 Jan. 2016,

https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2016/01/flipped-learning-network.html?m=1