Human Joy of Life : Its Forms and the Significance of their Systematization in Building a positive Upbringing Climate

Abstract

The author puts emphasis on the fact that the ability to experience joy of life as a psychical condition is ontologically important not only because it derives from the very existence of a human being, but also because it plays a therapeutic role in human life. The author also looks into the onto-genetic revolution of joy of human life from its simplest biological forms to the spiritual and metaphysical forms of life affirmation. She also proposes the notion that the upbringing to joy of life is in line with the teacher’s understanding of the numerous sources of human joy, such as among other things: being united with people, co-existence with Transcendence, educational atmosphere1 of love, truth and freedom and a belief that it is up to the educator to lead his/her students out of the states contrary to joy of life. The final part of the text contains praxeological guidelines on educating the youth to joy of life. In concentrating on the ontological aspect of this existential field of science the author was able to explore a new area of the pedagogical research, connecting philosophy of upbringing with the theory and practice of education. The application of phenomenological and hermeneutical methodology to pedagogical sciences proved conducive to essential thinking which was aimed atdiscovering the nature, sense and meaning of various phenomena of upbringing rather than at gathering facts. The essential studies play not only an epistemological role of providing scientifi c knowledge, but also an axiological one, based on the thesis that science is “saturated” with values and that it brings us up using these values. Hermeneutical understanding is a very important cognitive-emotional process, peculiar methodology, a style of research work, a way of interpersonal communication.