The Ideal of Bildung in the 20th Century: Crisis – Reconfiguration – Erosion?

Abstract

The following article addresses a peculiar development, namely the abandonment of the concept of Bildung in Germany; the same state where it has been developed, discussed, and refined. This development can be traced back to the 1950s – despite humanistic Bildung also being under attack during National Socialism – and be ascribed to different dynamics which mutually reinforced each other. Therefore, this article will cover three key aspects regarding the reconstruction of the here hinted at dynamics: Firstly, it will further sketch out the peculiarity of this specific dynamic and further contextualize it historically. Secondly, it will identify Bildung’s main adversaries (the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory and the empirically-minded educational science) and illustrate their axiomatic presuppositions as well as their coming-into-being. Thirdly, the paper will elaborate on two positions (Reinhart Koselleck and Hans Georg Gadamer) which attempted to argue for the usefulness of the concept despite them ultimately failing, at least nationally. The paper will close with a reflection on key aspects and an informed speculation regarding Bildung’s future.