[Xmca-l] The tradition of BILDUNG

[Larry Purss]

Dewey wrote a passage in "Democracy and Education" which stated:
"If we are willing to conceive education as the process of *forming*
fundamental dispositions, intellectual and emotional, toward nature and
fellow-men, philosophy may even be defined AS THE GENERAL THEORY OF
EDUCATION" [emphasis in original] (p.338)

James Garrison, in the article "Identifying Traces of Hegelian BILDUNG in
Dewey's Philosophical System" has this to say concerning the above quote by
Dewey:

"It is however, easy to interpret this statement if we think of philosophy
and education as BILDUNG. Dispositions are habits or attitudes that are
formed [BILD] primarily by participating in the norms, beliefs, and values
of institutionalized social practices" [page 3]

Dewey wrote passionately about *education THROUGH life* in contrast to the
value of *education FOR life*
The Greek term *dia* in *dialogue* means *through*. Therefore, dialogue is
expression THROUGH logos [word].

The terms *bild* [form] within *bildung* and the term *dia* [through]
within dialogue are intimately related concepts that express a *tradition*
[and a genre] which links Hegel's and Vygotsky's and Dewey's projects in a
bildung tradition which shares a*resemblance* or *affinity* within the
bildung tradition with roots in neo-humanist understandings.

Kozulin, I believe is writing within this spirit of *bildung* as
incarnating *spirit* THROUGH [dia] life.
If we this summer read  chapters four [Tool and Symbol in Human
Development] and five  [Thought and Language] of Kozulin's  book.

Returning to James Garrison, He wrote,

"We could describe this whole process of endless learning and growth as
dialectic, a hermeneutic circle, or, my preference, a trans-action. We
could also call what I have been describing is a philosophy of BILDUNG. My
paper briefly examines some aspects of the architectonic of Dewey's
philosophy as constituents of a philosophy of BILDUNG" [page 2]

The article can be found at this address:

 http://www.philosophy.uncc.edu/mleldrid/SAAP/USC/program.html

Larry Purss