Education. An essay
"Education. An essay ” is a text by the German educator Hartmut von Hentig . First published in 1996 by Hanser Verlag, it is recognized as a fundamental contribution to the education debate in Germany.
Its aim is to formulate “standards” for education based on the question of what education actually is.
Criteria for education
In the course of his work, von Hentig developed six such educational criteria :
Disgust and defense against inhumanity
Humanity is too high a requirement. But: "Where inhumanity is recognized - in one's own behavior, in the living conditions, in the deeds of others, especially those in power - the most important thing is set in motion: the restlessness about its causes, the reflection on a humanity possible for me and you, a piece of responsibility for the world in which we live. "
The perception of happiness
There is happiness and joy even without education. The criterion should read: “Where there is no luck at all, there was no or the wrong education; It then says: Education should open up opportunities for happiness, receptivity to happiness, responsibility for one's own happiness. "
The ability and the will to communicate
The demand for a global ethic goes too far. There is not yet enough togetherness in the world. It can only arise from mutual understanding in many specific cases. Education should enable this and promote and deepen insight and understanding among one another.
An awareness of the historicity of one's own existence
We all live in cultures , e.g. T. in mixed cultures. These cultures conflict with one another.
- The required awareness tells me
- - that cultures take a long time to emerge,
- - that they are the house of the individual, but only chambers of humanity ,
- - that they are destructible,
- - that their death can be quick and irreversible.
It does not help to prevent conflict between cultures, only to alleviate it. It would be dangerous to believe that an immigration culture could be kept alive and unchanged in the new environment, as well as the claim that "in constant exchange with the environment it will gradually merge into our rational procedural culture."
Alertness to final questions
It is about philosophical and religious questions such as the meaning of life , about God , about the possibility of freedom .
Last questions in the religious sense are: “Where do I come from?” “Where am I going?” “What is the point?”.
These last questions can raise the question of God.
Willingness to take personal responsibility and responsibility in the res publica (community)
“ The sentence: 'They should have taught me that; I wasn't told that! ' testifies that education has not done what it should do in this person. The educated person takes his education into his own hands. “However, responsibility means more:“ I don't owe my citizens accountability for everything, but for everything that affects them too. And so I am responsible for myself. I can not and must not myself behind other hide - parents, teachers, supervisors, majorities , my state , my family, not even after the applicable law . “At the same time, this means that we all work together in our community to ensure that all citizens take this responsibility seriously. “ That is why an education that does not lead to politics , that is, has not instructed and enabled me to exercise my role - or responsibility - in the community is not 'education'. "
Available editions
- Hartmut von Hentig: Education. An essay. 5th updated edition. Beltz Verlagsgruppe, Weinheim 2004. ISBN 3-407-22158-4 .