What it Means to Be Human

Around the globe, there are
many traditions that deal with the human need for belonging and formation: To
be part of a group and to evolve as an individual and become You.

In Europe, this goes by the
name Bildung, in parts of Africa, it is called Ubuntu, and in Latin America
Buen Vivir. In other parts of the world, it has different names.

It is a hallmark of
humanity and our ability to build civilizations and keep social peace that we
educate and form our minds and hearts so that we can live peacefully in mutual
disagreement and even get to the point where we may appreciate differences and
plurality.

This book is about these
traditions from around the globe.

It is also about what
happens to humanity when we are confronted with the challenges of the 21st
century, such as social media, AI, and the risk of being bombarded with fake
news. How can we educate for such a complete shift in the human condition?

To make sense of that, we
need to explore what it means to be human.



This anthology has the following contributions and contributors:

Foreword

Klaas van Egmond, the Netherlands



The World That Might Have Been…

Thakur S. Powdyel, Bhutan



Ubuntu & Bildung: Our Common Heritage  23

Mamphela Ramphele, South Africa



Personal growth, Lifelong Learning and Democracy

Joseph Kessels, the Netherlands



The Significance of Bildung

Lene Rachel Andersen, Denmark



Practical Implications of a Philosophy of Humane Education

Julian Nida-Rümelin, Germany



Let’s Make Instead of Follow

Peter Mesker and Hanke Drop, the Netherlands



Bildung and Worldviews: Education through Ubuntu, Buen Vivir and Happiness

Dorine van Norren, the Netherlands



The Transformative Encounter

Marcos Sarasola, Uruguay



Confucian Bildung Past, Present, and Future

Cheng Yi-Heng, China



Human Ecology Education and Its Foundational Value for Transforming Society

Sandra Ericson, United States



From Bildung to Identity

Thomas Aastrup Rømer,  Denmark



Technology and the Decline of the Bildung Human

Steve Joordens and Adam Frost, Canada



The Last Educators

Zachary Stein, United States



Bildung Brings Hope and Empowerment in Post-Conflict Contexts

Eliane Metni, Lebanon



What it means to be human. Kōtahitanga, Unity, Togetherness

Noema Toia Williams, Aotearoa, New Zealand