Subjective activity as a chance for self-realization and development (in the light of the assumptions of humanistic and critical education)

Abstract

The subject of consideration undertaken in the paper is the issue of social and educational implications of
human activity. The article focuses on that kind of behavior which lead to optimal development of personality
traits. Activity is therefore understood both as an individual development al need and a natural kind of relations between a human being and the world. A humanistic version of human activity, expression of which can be easily found in the writings of E. Fromm seems to be particularly interesting. In the light of this idea,
a multidimensional, authentic and optimizing human development activity can be considered as an indicator  of psychophysical health, ‘healthy activity’, and a sign of a creative self-realization. In his concluding remarks, the author claims that in today’s world, the world dominated by a neoliberal market system and a superficial democracy, both of which play a fundamental role in the process of socialization, man is becoming a being unable to perform self-motivated actions, a being prepared mainly to a passive consumption, ‘conveyor-belt’ production and responding to external stimuli. Such an ‘inhumane’ lifestyle dominated by an overarching corporate social-economical system seems to shape not only the passive and non-creative authoritarian personalities but also, taking into account an idea of ‘healthy activity’,non-healthypersonalities resulting from people’s lack of chances for self-realization and self-actualization.