Education Based on Christian Values as a Response to the Crisis of the Sense of Meaning in the Modern World

Abstract

There is an increasing sense of the loss of any meaning, including its most dangerous (from the individual and social point of view) form – the loss of sense of meaning of the individual life. The goal of this article is to indicate the pedagogical concept, practical application of which in the upbringing of young people would prevent certain individual from the loss of the meaning of life and to indicate to others the infallible path towards rediscovery of such a meaning. Such pedagogy is built upon the philosophy of man as a person i.e. the physical – spiritual being. Such a being in its essence is a being asking about the meaning of itself and its proper actions. It is also a being, which ontological structure is not satisfied with temporary (horizontal) meanings and goals but is searching for the meaning transcending its accidental nature. It is searching for the transcendental meaningfulness. Such meaningfulness can be provided only by such a being in which the accidental nature of the human being is anchored i.e. the absolute Being – God. Thanks to the integral concept of the meaning of life in Christianity, the upbringing based on the values embedded in this religion, it does not stop at indicating the absolute meaning of life but it connects it with the ethically just meanings – purposes realized in everyday life.

Keywords

• meaning of life
• christian upbringing
• pedagogical teleology
• philosophical anthropology