Education as a means of effecting life change and achieving a state of self-autonomy

Abstract

In this article, the author discusses the concept of the individual as essentially autonomous. Subsequently, each individual, in theory, is capable of directing the course of his/her own life. Yet, as persons, we are continually required to confront and even overcome new challenges in life. The potential of every human being to respond to such life experiences in a positive or constructive manner is considered in this article. In short, an individual's power to assume control over unanticipated events, as opposed passively to allowing those events to command the dictates of human existence, is examined. The role and importance of education in equipping individuals to confront and adapt to new life situations is debated. Submissions made by theorists such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Viktor Frankl and Paulo Freire are also included.