The logic of modern education revisited: rediscovering the ethical dimension of bildung in times of climate crisis

This article addresses the climate crisis from an educational perspective and explores its implications for education and Bildung theory. Drawing on the German tradition of Allgemeine Pädagogik and the concept of the ‘logic of modern education,’ it understands education as the enabling of Bildung. The article pursues two aims: First, it reconstructs the core concepts embedded in this tradition to contribute to educational reflections on the climate crisis. Second, it argues that the climate crisis calls for a renewed emphasis on the ethical dimension of Bildung, conceived as a self-commitment to supra-individual responsibilities. This idea is elaborated in relation to two basic forms of modern education: teaching, which supports the development of differentiated problem awareness regarding the climate crisis, and Zucht, which encourages the educand to take a stand on what is individually and collectively desirable in light of the challenges we face.