Subjectification and Existentialism in Contemporary Educational Theory

Abstract

In the present paper, I will investigate contemporary neo-existentialism in educational theory, by exploring the reasons which have recommended the rediscovery of an existentialist stance in our age, the significance of these endeavours for contemporary undertakings and also the manner in which the existentialist thrust has been spelled out. In particular, after situating present-day neo-existentialism against the backdrop of the mid-20th century educational existentialism and after specifying its topicality as a response to neoliberal stranglehold on education, I will focus on two models – “subjectification” and “existential learning” – and show that they ultimately represent two alternative pedagogical options. However, it will be argued, this difference does not exclude the possibility that both models can (and perhaps must) be deployed in contemporary scenarios to counter the human capital invasion of education, by operating in different dimensions of education and in response to different educational tasks. Indeed, together they may allow us to re(dis)cover education as an adventure.

Keywords

• existentialism
• learnification
• liberal learning
• subjectification
• biesta
• bollnow
• arcilla