I. Maxine Greene's Summary of Her Philosophy of Education
II. Existentialism
III. Literature and Art: Education, Imagination, and Creativity
II. Existentialism
III. Literature and Art: Education, Imagination, and Creativity
II. Existentialism
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What is Existentialism?
Maxine Greene is a self-procalimed existentialist. Existentialism itself is a hard term to pin down; it is probably easiest to see in how it is actually worked out in Greene's ideas about education.
However, in basic philosophic terms, existentialism is the belief that "what is essential to a human being—what makes her who she is—is not fixed by her type but by what she makes of herself, who she becomes" (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2010).
Existentialists emphasize active self-making and becoming, often in the face of meaninglessness. Some well-known names associated with this thinking are Soren Kierkegaard, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Martin Heidegger.
Maxine Greene is a self-procalimed existentialist. Existentialism itself is a hard term to pin down; it is probably easiest to see in how it is actually worked out in Greene's ideas about education.
However, in basic philosophic terms, existentialism is the belief that "what is essential to a human being—what makes her who she is—is not fixed by her type but by what she makes of herself, who she becomes" (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2010).
Existentialists emphasize active self-making and becoming, often in the face of meaninglessness. Some well-known names associated with this thinking are Soren Kierkegaard, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Martin Heidegger.
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What did this Mean for Greene and Education?
In a 2013 interview, Maxine Greene explained how this philosophy of "self-making" affects her ideas about education and learning (Edutopia, 2013):
Greene fears that the "aliveness" and "awakeness" that she values so highly are becoming increasingly rare in modern society: "Technological expertise has taken over; things are done to people or for them. Apathy and passivity increase" (Greene, 1978, p. 1). It isn't difficult to see how the truth of this fear applies to public education.
It is the work of teachers, Greene argues, to battle this trend by encouraging students to become "alive, awake, curious, and often furious" (Edutopia, 2013). This is done primarily by the asking of questions (Arenson, 2001). This type of critical orientation towards the world, Greene believes, will lead to transformation of the world: she refers to this as "social praxis" (Greene, 1978, p. 3).
In a 2013 interview, Maxine Greene explained how this philosophy of "self-making" affects her ideas about education and learning (Edutopia, 2013):
Greene fears that the "aliveness" and "awakeness" that she values so highly are becoming increasingly rare in modern society: "Technological expertise has taken over; things are done to people or for them. Apathy and passivity increase" (Greene, 1978, p. 1). It isn't difficult to see how the truth of this fear applies to public education.
It is the work of teachers, Greene argues, to battle this trend by encouraging students to become "alive, awake, curious, and often furious" (Edutopia, 2013). This is done primarily by the asking of questions (Arenson, 2001). This type of critical orientation towards the world, Greene believes, will lead to transformation of the world: she refers to this as "social praxis" (Greene, 1978, p. 3).
![Picture](/uploads/1/6/6/6/16667488/166875692.jpg)
Possibility and Education
"I am what I am not yet," said Greene in a 2001 interview. For Greene, the driving force behind education should be a sense of possibility, a "sense of what might be" (Greene, 1978, pp. 3-4). This sense of possibility drives imagination, curiosity, and inquiry. As Greene mentions in the video from the first part of this page, school today is often seen as boring by children; in Greene's view, however, if children can be infused with this sense of possibility, school will become a place of excitement.
For Greene, a huge part of cultivating this sense of possibility in children is teachers modeling this "dwelling in possibility" (in the words of Dickinson) themselves:
The objective of educators is to enable others to learn how to learn. If they are personally involved in what can be a most demanding human enterprise, those others--students, or co-investigators--may be caught up much more readily than if the teachers' sense-making efforts have all taken place in the past. (Greene, 1978, p. 3)
"I am what I am not yet," said Greene in a 2001 interview. For Greene, the driving force behind education should be a sense of possibility, a "sense of what might be" (Greene, 1978, pp. 3-4). This sense of possibility drives imagination, curiosity, and inquiry. As Greene mentions in the video from the first part of this page, school today is often seen as boring by children; in Greene's view, however, if children can be infused with this sense of possibility, school will become a place of excitement.
For Greene, a huge part of cultivating this sense of possibility in children is teachers modeling this "dwelling in possibility" (in the words of Dickinson) themselves:
The objective of educators is to enable others to learn how to learn. If they are personally involved in what can be a most demanding human enterprise, those others--students, or co-investigators--may be caught up much more readily than if the teachers' sense-making efforts have all taken place in the past. (Greene, 1978, p. 3)
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Dissenting Voices
Not everyone has found Greene's philosophy of education compelling or practical. Chester E. Finn, Jr., former United States Assistant Secretary of Education and an advocate of rigorous educational standards, leveled this charge at Greene: "You can't structure a policy regimen for any kind of large education system around those artistic, romantic, ideas" (Arenson, 2001).
It is true: Greene's philosophy of education does not value efficiency, systems, or standardization. The applicability of Maxine Greene's existential philosophy to education depends, then, on one's answer to the question, "What is the purpose of public education?" Clearly, Greene and Finn would have different answers to this question.
Not everyone has found Greene's philosophy of education compelling or practical. Chester E. Finn, Jr., former United States Assistant Secretary of Education and an advocate of rigorous educational standards, leveled this charge at Greene: "You can't structure a policy regimen for any kind of large education system around those artistic, romantic, ideas" (Arenson, 2001).
It is true: Greene's philosophy of education does not value efficiency, systems, or standardization. The applicability of Maxine Greene's existential philosophy to education depends, then, on one's answer to the question, "What is the purpose of public education?" Clearly, Greene and Finn would have different answers to this question.