본 연구의 목적은 Neill의 아동교육 사상이 갖는 실존주의적 성격을 실존주의의 핵심개념 하나인 ‘본래성(authenticity)’의 관점에서 해석하는 것이다. 이를 위해 본래성의 개념을 자유의 존재로서의 자기인식, 존재의 주체성, 존재의 관계성을 중심으로 서술하였다. 이러한 본래성을 구성하는 개념들의 관점에서 Neill의 교육사상과 실천을 해석하였다. 우선, 존재인식과 관련, Neill 교육의 대전제는 자유이며 이는 니일의 사상 전체를 관통하는 개념이다. Neill은 그의 서머힐 학교(Summerhil School)에서 아동들이 자유와 선택의 원리에 의해 배우고 생활하도록 하였으며 그 교육의 목적은 자기자신이 되는 것(to become oneself)이었다. 주체성의 관점에서 Neill은 학습에서 아동들에게 학습 선택의 자유를 폭넓게 부여하고 흥미에 기초한 학습을 하게 함으로서 학습자와 학습이 일체가 되는 학습의 주체성을 실현하였다. 나아가 관계성의 관점에서 Neill은 자유에 따른 책임의 문제를 서머힐 학교의 자치(self-government)를 통해 해결하였다. 자치를 통해 인간관계에서 발생하는 책임의 문제를 강제적 권위가 아니라 상호 합의된 공동체적 권위에 의해 해결하였다. 이는 아동들에게 타인을 의식하고 존중하는 능력을 자연스럽게 길러주는 결과를 가져다 주었다. 결론적으로 Neill의 아동교육 사상과 실천은 실존주의의 본래성을 학교단위의 교육에서 가장 이상적으로 실현한 사례로서, 오늘날 자신의 본래성 추구와는 거리가 먼 우리 아동교육의 현실을 되돌아보게 한다.

This study aims to explore the characteristics of existentialism in Neill's educational ideas on children, focused on the concept of authenticity. This study examines the concept of authenticity as the subject's self-awareness, the subjectivity, and the subject's relation with others. Based on the perspective of authenticity, this study mines Neill's educational ideas and practices in a wide-range of educational philosophy. First, from the perspective of the subject's self-awareness, this study argues that the major premise of Neill's educational philosophy is to fulfill the freedom of children, which is penetrated into his whole ideas on education. In his worldly well-known “Summerhill School,” Neill let children learn the value of freedom and the principle of choice by themselves; the aim of “Summerhill School” education was to become oneself. From the perspective of the subjectivity, Neill successfully accomplishes the ultimate goal of education, in which the learner was unified with the learning; in Neill's education, children were allowed to have the freedom of learning choice and to enjoy learning by focusing on the learner's interests. Furthermore, from the perspective of the subject's relation with others, this study points out that Neill solved the delicate issues of freedom and responsibility by operating self-government system. Through the self-government system, children was able to deal with the conflicts caused by human relations, not depending on the enforced authority, but having harmonized agreements with the community authority. Neill's educational practice shows that children can lean how to respect others by self-government system. Lastly, this study demonstrates that Neill's educational ideas on children can be appraised as the best example of existentialistic authenticity, based on school education.

This study aims to explore the characteristics of existentialism in Neill's educational ideas on children, focused on the concept of authenticity. This study examines the concept of authenticity as the subject's self-awareness, the subjectivity, and the subject's relation with others. Based on the perspective of authenticity, this study mines Neill's educational ideas and practices in a wide-range of educational philosophy. First, from the perspective of the subject's self-awareness, this study argues that the major premise of Neill's educational philosophy is to fulfill the freedom of children, which is penetrated into his whole ideas on education. In his worldly well-known “Summerhill School,” Neill let children learn the value of freedom and the principle of choice by themselves; the aim of “Summerhill School” education was to become oneself. From the perspective of the subjectivity, Neill successfully accomplishes the ultimate goal of education, in which the learner was unified with the learning; in Neill's education, children were allowed to have the freedom of learning choice and to enjoy learning by focusing on the learner's interests. Furthermore, from the perspective of the subject's relation with others, this study points out that Neill solved the delicate issues of freedom and responsibility by operating self-government system. Through the self-government system, children was able to deal with the conflicts caused by human relations, not depending on the enforced authority, but having harmonized agreements with the community authority. Neill's educational practice shows that children can lean how to respect others by self-government system. Lastly, this study demonstrates that Neill's educational ideas on children can be appraised as the best example of existentialistic authenticity, based on school education.