Danish philosopher Anders Fogh Jensen explains how we have looked at Bildung – German for edification or formative experience – throughout the ages. Bildung can be a bastion against single-mindedness. Bildung can be that something extra that is therefore always threatened by cutbacks. And Bildung can be the knowledge of when to break the rules.
Anders Fogh Jensen also provides his own view of Bildung. May Bildung be entertaining? May it be useful? Have our educational institutions given up on Bildung? And isn’t Bildung especially useful today?