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Project

Bildung revisited: the development of a new conceptual framework of Bildung starting from Charles Taylor's philosophical anthropology.

The last decades our higher educational system has known some notable tendencies: growing specialization, functional reduction and dominance of instrumental reason. These evolutions risk to neglect an important aspect in its pedagogical mission which is traditionally linked to Bildung, the development of pupils and students as integral persons. Yet several stakeholders in education feel the need of rearticulating this important dimension. Bildung has been playing an significant -albeit contested- role. It has been developed in a specific context (1770-1830) and can be regarded as an educational answer to socio-political, religious and cultural questions about identity and citizenship. Raising the question about the future of Bildung is tantamount to asking what educational response would be appropriate in our time. Therefore, we need to examine the strains and tensions that our contemporary society and the modern self are facing. We will do this with Charles Taylor as our main guide. His work offers a critical analysis of our time in which he articulates both the failings and the achievements of our modern culture and the difficulties people experience in their quest for autonomy, authenticity and identity. First we will define the main reasons why Bildung has become a controversial concept. Second our aim is to develop a new conception of Bildung starting from Taylor's analysis of the self in modern society. From there we enter into discussion with other authors.
Date:1 Jan 2017 →  31 Dec 2020
Keywords:TAYLOR
Disciplines:Theory and methodology of philosophy, Philosophy, Other philosophy, ethics and religious studies not elsewhere classified
Project type:Collaboration project