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