Autodidacticism

Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) is self-education or self-directed learning. An autodidact is a mostly self-taught person (also known as an automath), or someone who has an enthusiasm for self-education, and usually has a high degree of self-motivation. Occasionally, individuals have sought to excel in subjects from outside the mainstream of conventional education. Jean Paul Sartre's Nausea depicts an autodidact who is a self-deluding dilettante. However, other autodidacts have excelled at their disciplines and brought innovative perspectives. For example, physicist and judo expert Moshe Feldenkrais developed an autodidactic method of self-improvement based on his own experience with self-directed learning in physiology and neurology prompted by a crippling knee injury. In addition to Feldenkrais, Gerda Alexander, William Bates, Heinrich Jacoby and a number of other 20th-century European innovators worked out methods of self-development which stressed intelligent sensitivity and awareness.

Related Topics:
Jean Paul Sartre - Nausea - Moshe Feldenkrais - Gerda Alexander - William Bates - Heinrich Jacoby

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A successful autodidact may become an autodidact at nearly any point in his or her life. While they may have been educated in a conventional manner in some fields, they may choose self-education in others. And it should be said, self-teaching and self-directed learning are not necessarily lonely processes. Some spend a great deal of time in libraries and/or on educative Web sites. Many (according to their plan for learning) avail themselves of instruction from family members, friends, or other associates, although strictly speaking this might not be considered autodidactic. Indeed, the term 'self-taught' is something of a journalistic trope these days, and is all too often used to signify 'non-traditionally educated', which is not the same thing at all.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Inquiry into autodidacticism has implications in learning theory and educational theory, educational research, educational philosophy and educational psychology.

Related Topics:
Learning theory - Educational theory - Educational research - Educational philosophy - Educational psychology

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~