KARL JASPER
• created a uniquely
humanistic
existentialism
• he was a
psychopathologist, a
philosophical
anthropologist, and a
political scientist
Concept of the ‘all embracing’ and
Highlight its importance for Education
• He draws a distinction between ‘all-embracing’
phenomenon of the world and transcendental
essence and specifically human phenomena
which he divides into being,pure
consciousness, intellect and possible existence
Theoretical Foundations
• All-Embracing is rooted in the existentialist
tradition of philosophy, which emphasizes
individual freedom, responsibility, and choice.
• Jasper drew on the work of other existentialist
thinkers, such as Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul
Sartre, to develop his own unique understanding of
human existence.
• All-Embracing is also influenced by Christian
theology, particularly the idea of the Incarnation,
which asserts that God became human to reconcile
humanity with divinity.
• The concept of All-Embracing is comprised of
several key elements, including transcendence,
communication, and the limits of human
knowledge.
• Jasper posited that human beings have an innate
desire for transcendence
• Communication, for Jasper, is essential to achieving
transcendence, as it enables us to share our
experiences and connect with others
• He recognized the limits of human knowledge,
asserting that there are aspects of reality that are
beyond our comprehension.
Practical Implications:
• All-Embracing has practical implications for individuals
and society
• It provides a way of understanding and navigating the
complexities of life, offering a framework for personal
growth and development.
• It has implications for social and political issues, as it
emphasizes the importance of communication and
dialogue in resolving conflicts and promoting
understanding across diverse perspectives.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
• One of its strengths is its comprehensive nature,
which enables individuals to make sense of their
experiences and find meaning in life.
• It also promotes a sense of connectedness and
community, which can help to counteract feelings
of isolation and loneliness
Weakness
• Some critics have pointed out that All-Embracing
can be overly abstract and difficult to apply in
practical contexts.
• According to Jaspers, this concept is crucial for
education because it allows individuals to recognize
the limitations of their own knowledge and
perspective, and to strive towards a deeper
understanding of the world around them.
Different dimensions of man can be defined
conceptually as:
• Man as being
• Man as pure consciousness
• Man as intellect
• Man as existence
• Being is given absolute form in pragmatism,
biologism, psychologism and sociologism
• Pure consciousness in rationalism, the spirit in
education
• Existence in existentialism the world
inmaterialism, naturalism, idealism and
pantheism, and the transcendental in acosmism
• Man as being
- this is the man who is conceived and born,
grows up, achieves maturity and dies as
a living being, an individual
- Man is determined by his inclinations and the
environment and each individual differs
from all others
• Man as pure consciousness:
- this term denotes man with the unique possibility
of moving beyond his consciousness as an individual
living creature and focusing that consciousness on the
nature of being as such, which is made the subject of
critical perception and enjoys general validity.
- This consciousness is the ‘locus of valid thinking’ of
which only man is capable.
• Man as intellect
- man with the ability to ‘generate ideas’ which
create order among the confusing profusion of
disparate knowledge that can be extended at will,
which highlight the relationship between individual
factors and whose aim is to establish unity among the
diversity of phenomena.
- Intellectual understanding is more than mere
logical thinking.
• Man as existence:
- man in the irreplaceable historicity of his unique
origin, in his unconditional resolve to become himself
- Existence is the sign that being, pure consciousness
and the mind cannot be understood on their own and
do not have their own reason, that man is not
confined to immanence but remains essentially
dependent on the transcendental.
• However existence is impossible without being,
pure consciousness and the mind. These are
essential conditions if existence is to come into its
own and become reality. ‘It is embodied in being,
made clear by the pure consciousness and its
content is revealed in the mind’
• Education, as an aid to becoming a total human
being, takes place by allowing for the existence of
the whole man.
• Education as a reality is always something more
than we can perceive with our conceptual
structures and links, more than we can empirically
ascertain or determine by speculative thought
• Education has the supreme task of helping man to
achieve his selfness.
• Education extends beyond integration into society
• If man is understood as pure consciousness,
education means leading him on to clear
perceptions, imparting usable knowledge, training
in vital thinking and disciplining him to take part in
an orderly dialogue with others.
• Education facilitates critical thinking, using methods
skillfully and reliably to guide objective action.
• Education is more than the creation of an
ability to behave rationally
• In appealing to man’s mind, education guides
him on to assimilate the products and values
created, preserved and handed down by the
human spirit
• Education as a pointer to selfness is directly bound
up with the educator who dares anew to become
himself, to be himself and to remain himself,
despite all the levelling tendencies and all the
compulsions inherent in the system.
• The educator takes the decision to communicate by
which he remains linked to the person who is being
educated, even when conflicts occur between them.
He arouses a sense of responsibility by assuming his
own responsibility.
• Jaspers argues that without an awareness of the All-
Embracing, individuals may become trapped in a
narrow, limited view of reality that prevents them
from truly engaging with the world and each other
• By cultivating an awareness of the All-Embracing,
individuals can develop a more expansive, holistic
perspective that allows them to better navigate the
complexities of life and engage with others in a
more meaningful way
• The concept of "All-embracing"
- refers to the idea that the human being is not
simply a physical body, but a complex and
multidimensional entity that includes spiritual,
intellectual, and emotional dimensions. Jaspers
argues that in order to fully understand human
existence, we must take into account all of these
dimensions.
• In the context of education, the concept of All-
embracing has important implications.
Traditional education systems often focus on
the cognitive and intellectual dimensions of
learning, but neglect the emotional and
spiritual dimensions.
• An All-embracing approach to education recognizes
the importance of addressing all dimensions of the
human being.
• This can involve incorporating activities and
practices that cultivate emotional intelligence,
creativity, and spiritual development, alongside
more traditional academic subjects. It also involves
recognizing the uniqueness of each individual
learner and creating an educational environment
that fosters their holistic growth.
