Evolve or perish: A theoretical proposition for development of the bildung concept

Abstract

The contemporary idea of Bildung is in danger of becoming a concept of mere historical significance as its content is poorly elaborated upon in terms of underlying processes. The main aims of the present paper are to (1) argue that this concept must evolve by specifying its content or perish from contemporary use in educational settings (2) present a model of Bildung which builds on a combination of current global educational movements and basic adaptive psychological processes common to all people regardless of their diverse backgrounds. The present conclusions point in the direction that Bildung, if sufficiently outlined, might be of significant importance for future educational contexts by providing an overarching perspective in terms of values and clear directions in terms of practice. The theoretical and practical implications are also discussed along with the possible limitations of the current analysis.