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