#18 Lars Løvlie | Philosophy of Bildung and Pedagogy
In this episode of the ResponsAbility Podcast, we are honored to welcome Professor Lars Løvlie—philosopher of education and long-time advocate for a reflective, humane, and relational approach to schooling and teacher education. Drawing on decades of experience and a deep engagement with thinkers like Hegel, Kant, Gadamer, and Dewey, Løvlie shares his reflections on concepts such as respect, recognition, and play—and how these shape both pedagogy and Bildung. We also explore his critique of standardized education reforms and his commitment to the essay as a philosophical form. This conversation is a thoughtful invitation to rethink what it means to teach, to learn, and to live together in a humane society.
00:01:12 - How Lars got interested in the German Bildung tradition
00:11:14 - On Hegel's concept of recognition and Kant's concept of respect
00:17:28 - On the notion of play
00:18:18 - On John Dewey's approach to education
00:20:29 - On the existential dimension of education
00:23:16 - What is the real question of education about?
00:24:31 - How to design a teacher education program that includes the promotion of Bildun and practical wisdom?
00:26:33 - On the test of practice
00:31:48 - On the importance of the academic essay in teacher education
Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection
00:01:12 - How Lars got interested in the German Bildung tradition
00:11:14 - On Hegel's concept of recognition and Kant's concept of respect
00:17:28 - On the notion of play
00:18:18 - On John Dewey's approach to education
00:20:29 - On the existential dimension of education
00:23:16 - What is the real question of education about?
00:24:31 - How to design a teacher education program that includes the promotion of Bildun and practical wisdom?
00:26:33 - On the test of practice
00:31:48 - On the importance of the academic essay in teacher education
Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection
How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.
- Lars Løvlie highlights play as a fundamental dimension of human learning, imagination, and Bildung. To what extent does your own educational or professional practice create space for play—not merely as entertainment or a method, but as a way of exploring possibilities, making meaning, and engaging with the world? What might become possible if play were taken more seriously?
- If responsibility can be understood as the ability to respond thoughtfully to the uniqueness of each situation, rather than merely following predefined methods or goals, how might this understanding challenge or enrich the way you make decisions, relate to others, and navigate the tensions between institutional demands and human needs in your daily work?
Literature:
- Løvlie, Lars. 1979. Dialektikk og pedagogikk: en studie med utgangspunkt i Hegel: åndens fenomenologi: arbeidsmanuskript, skrifter 22. [Dialectics and pedagogy: a study based in Hegel: the phenomenology of spirit]. Lillehammer: Oppland distriktshøgskole.
- Løvlie, Lars.1984. Det pedagogiske argument [The pedagogical argument]. Oslo: J.W. Cappelens forlag.
- Løvlie, Lars. 1990. "Omsorgsperspektiver." [Perspectives on care]. In Moderne omsorgsbilder, edited by Karen Jensen et al, 33-60. Oslo: Gyldendal.
- Løvlie, Lars. 1992a. "Pedagogisk filosofi." [Philosophy of pedagogy]. In Pedagogisk filosofi, edited by Erling Lars Dale. Oslo: Ad Notam Gyldendal.
- Løvlie, Lars. 1992b. «Postmodernisme, språk og filosofi». [Postmodernism, language and philosophy]. In Pedagogisk filosofi, edited by Erling Lars Dale. Oslo: Ad Notam Gyldendal.
- Løvlie, Lars. 1992c. "Moralen og forholdet til de andre." [The moral and the relationship to others]. In Erkjennelse og anerkjennelse: perspektiv på relasjoner, edited by Berit Bae and Jan Erik Waastad, 190-210. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.
- Løvlie, Lars. 1994. Prosjektbeskrivelse. Skolen som kulturinstitusjon (Skole-KULT). [Project description. The school as a cultural institution (Skole-KULT)]. Retrieved June 18th 2013 from https://www.forskningsradet.no/prosjektbanken_beta/#/project/102116/no
- Løvlie, Lars. 1999. "Hegels dannelsesbegrep: noen synspunkter." [Hegel`s conception of Bildung – some viewpoints]. In Dannelse, humanitas, paideia, edited by Øyvind Andersen, 43-62. Oslo: Sypress forlag
- Løvlie, Lars. 2000. "Mot et utvidet danningsbegrep." [Towards an extended conception of Bildung]. In KULT - i kulturforskningens tegn: en antologi, edited by Håkon W. Andersen et al, 211-228. Oslo: Pax.
- Løvlie, L. (2009). Dannelse og profesjon. [Bildung and profession]. I:Kunnskap og dannelse foran et nytt århundre.Innstilling fra Dannelsesutvalget for høyere utdanning.
- Løvlie, L (2013). Verktøyskolen. [The tool school]. I Norsk Pedagogisk Tidsskrift 3/2013Øksnes, M., Sundsdal, E., & Løvlie, L. (2015). Leder. Nordisk tidsskrift for pedagogikk og kritikk, 1. https://doi.org/10.17585/ntpk.v1.92Løvlie, L. (2015). Herbart om oppdragelse, formbarhet og takt. Nordisk tidsskrift for pedagogikk og kritikk, 1. https://doi.org/10.17585/ntpk.v1.91
- Løvlie, L. (2015). John Dewey, phenomenology, and the reconstruction of democracy. Nordisk tidsskrift for pedagogikk og kritikk, 1. https://doi.org/10.17585/ntpk.v1.104
- Løvlie, L. (2017). The Test of Practice–An Essay. Education Sciences, 7(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci7010031
- Løvlie, L. (2022) Hvis teknokratene ikke fantes. I: Schaanning, E., & Aagre, W. (2022). Skolens mening : femti år etter Nils Christies Hvis skolen ikke fantes. Universitetsforlaget.
- Løvlie, L. (2022). Akademisk dygd og politikkens fravær. Nordisk tidsskrift for pedagogikk og kritikk, 8. https://doi.org/10.23865/ntpk.v8.3755
- Løvlie, L., & Løvlie, L. (2021). Politisering og pedagogisk motstand : veien til en barneorientert praksis (1. utgave.). Fagbokforlaget.
