#18 Lars Løvlie | Philosophy of Bildung and Pedagogy
TRANSCRIPT SUMMARY
(This transcript summary was AI-generated and then edited by the podcast hosts for quality assurance)
#18 Lars Løvlie | Philosophy of Bildung and Pedagogy
- a podcast dialogue with Michael Noah Weiss and Guro Hansen Helskog
INTRODUCTION
In this episode of the ResponsAbility Podcast, hosts Michael Noah Weiss and Guro Hansen Helskog engage in a rich, philosophical dialogue with professor Lars Løvlie, a central figure in the field of philosophy of education in Norway and beyond. The conversation touches on core educational concepts such as Bildung, respect, recognition, and play, and reflects on the current state of education, teacher`s development, and the role of the academic essay. Drawing on decades of scholarly work, Løvlie offers an argument for education as a deeply human, relational, and open-ended endeavor.
BILDUNG AND GERMAN PHILOSOPHY
The episode begins with Løvlie reflecting on his early inspirations, including the influence of thinkers like Hans Skjervheim and Jon Hellesnes, and his philosophical journey into the German Bildung tradition. He recounts how his encounter with Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon sparked a deep interest in understanding human experience and political responsibility. This drive led him to study Hegel, particularly the Phenomenology of Spirit, whose preface he describes as foundational in shaping his lifelong commitment to understanding the dialectical relationship between the individual and society.
Løvlie emphasizes that Bildung is about the dialectic between the subjective and objective—the inner life of individuals shaped through engagement with institutions and social contexts. This dynamic process is not about losing oneself in subjectivity nor in conforming to institutions, but about becoming fully human through active, reflective participation in the world. He highlights Hans-Georg Gadamer as a crucial figure who helped him see how this dialectic plays out through language, interpretation, and the notion of play.
RESPECT AND RECOGNITION IN EDUCATION
Drawing on Immanuel Kant and Hegel, Løvlie delves into the ethical foundations of education. Kant's concept of respect—rooted in human dignity and rational autonomy—calls for treating others as ends in themselves, not merely as means to an end outside of the person. For Løvlie, this idea is deeply relevant for education, as it frames the moral responsibility of educators toward students as persons.
On the other hand, Hegel's notion of recognition (Anerkennung) brings attention to the sociopolitical dimension of education. Recognition, Løvlie explains, is about placing individuals within contexts where they can be seen, heard, and valued. Whereas Kant provides the ethical basis for human interaction, Hegel emphasizes the institutional and societal conditions that make mutual recognition possible. In this light, education is both a personal and political act, grounded in relationships of respect and supported by institutional structures that foster recognition.
PLAY AND THE ROLE OF IMAGINATION
Løvlie introduces the metaphor of hopscotch to describe the layered, playful structure of human experience. He notes how childhood games can reflect deeper cultural and existential patterns, such as the floorplan of a cathedral embedded in the hopscotch design. Drawing on Gadamer’s idea of play, he argues that play is a key dimension of both personal formation and hermeneutic understanding. It allows for openness, experimentation, and imaginative exploration—qualities essential to genuine learning and Bildung.
Play, for Løvlie, is not limited to children’s games; it also extends to the intellectual and philosophical process of inquiry. This resonates with his preference for the essay as a form of academic writing. While the essay is open-ended, explorative, playful and personal, standardized scientific articles are rigid and narrow in their structure.
DEWEY, DIALECTICS, AND EDUCATIONAL POLITICS
The conversation turns toward the American philosopher John Dewey, who, despite being a major influence on Løvlie, is also met with some critique. Løvlie appreciates Dewey’s focus on inquiry and rejection of dualisms, but finds Dewey’s instrumentalist approach limiting. Unlike Hegel’s dialectical method, which embraces life’s tragic and joyful complexities, Dewey’s pragmatic emphasis on method and results risks reducing education to technical problem-solving. Løvlie instead advocates for a hermeneutic and dialectical approach that respects the messiness and unpredictability of life and learning.
The critique of Dewey leads into a broader discussion of contemporary educational reforms, particularly the shift toward competence-based education and evidence-based teaching in Norway and across Europe since the 1990s. Løvlie is deeply critical of these developments, arguing that they reflect a technocratic and managerial mindset that reduces education to measurable outcomes. He references initiatives like PALS (a behavioral intervention program in Norwegian schools) as emblematic of a disciplinary and dehumanizing turn in educational policy. In his view, these reforms have alienated teachers and students alike, prioritizing accountability over relationships, and results over meaning.
THE TEST OF PRACTICE AND PRACTICAL WISDOM
One of Løvlie’s recent essays is titled “The Test of Practice”, a phrase that sparks discussion in the podcast. While initially written as a critique of Dewey, the concept also opens up reflections on the relationship between theory and practice. Practice is not just application, but a testing ground for concepts like respect, recognition, and play. When philosophy becomes too detached from lived experience, it risks irrelevance; conversely, when practice is stripped of philosophical depth, it becomes mechanical and unreflective.
This leads to an exploration of phronesis or practical wisdom, which the podcast hosts link to the podcast’s title, ResponsAbility. Løvlie supports the idea that teacher education should cultivate not just competencies but wisdom, judgment, and the ability to respond ethically and creatively to complex situations. He emphasizes the need for contextual sensitivity, suggesting that educators should begin by asking reflective questions. Why are we here? What do we hope to achieve together? What does it mean to be a student or teacher in this context?
THE ACADEMIC ESSAY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FORM
Løvlie is also known for his commitment to the essay as an intellectual form. He expresses concern that the rise of and demand for IMRAD-structured research articles (IMRAD = Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) is crowding out more reflective, exploratory writing in academia. The essay, he argues, aligns more closely with Bildung because it leaves room for openness, uncertainty, and dialogue with the reader. The essay allows for a philosophical style of writing that starts in medias res with a theme, poses a question, and journeys with the reader without necessarily arriving at a definitive conclusion.
He calls the essay a form of unfinished thinking, which stands in contrast to the finished nature of evidence-based research and education. In this sense, the academic essay can serve as a model for pedagogy itself—valuing process over product, exploration over standardization.
THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION AND LØVLIE’S LIFE MISSION
Toward the end of the conversation, Løvlie reflects on his own life mission in education. He speaks of the need to revive philosophical thinking in teacher education, to reclaim space for ethical and aesthetic perspectives, and to empower teachers and students to think deeply about their experiences. He hopes that future generations will carry forward the legacy of critical, humane, and relational education, resisting the pressures of standardization and instrumentalism.
When asked how he would redesign teacher education, Løvlie emphasizes the importance of creating reflective spaces. Rather than starting with predefined goals or content, teacher education should begin with questions and foster the conditions for self-understanding and mutual recognition.
CONCLUSION
This episode with Lars Løvlie offers a masterclass in philosophy of education as a deeply humanistic and reflective practice. Grounded in the German tradition of Bildung, and enriched by dialogues with Kant, Hegel, Gadamer, and Dewey, Løvlie provides a powerful critique of contemporary educational reforms while also pointing toward an alternative vision rooted in respect, recognition, and play.
He urges educators and policymakers to resist reductionist tendencies and to reclaim the space for ethical reflection, narrative, and relational depth. His reflections remind us that education is not merely a technical enterprise, but a profoundly moral and cultural project—one that deserves our fullest attention and care.
