The Plasticity of Bildung - Towards a New Philosophy of Education

Abstract

This is a philosophical study of the concept of Bildung in light of the philosophy of Catherine Malabou. Her work is centred around the concept plasticity, of dialectical and deconstructionist descent and informed by neuroscience. Considering Bildung a particular idea of the relation between education, society, history, and individuality, the thesis identifies change, power, and temporality as foundational aspects of this idea.

These aspects are then critiqued on the basis of plasticity, which sees form as the primordially mutable and foundational unit of thought. Form is the material accumulation of the reception of form, of self-change, and of accidents. In this light, Bildung appears as a plastic form, inhabiting, challenging and changing the material body, doomed to continually renew itself.

Overall, the thesis prepares the ground for a ‘plastic Bildung’, a new metaphor for education. Plastic Bildung exists in the meeting point between symbols, matter, and self-change. It suggests a shift in emphasis from the preparation of children for the future to opening up a space where the student and history – subjects, techniques, ways of thinking – may meet.