Augustine, Wittgenstein, and “the Call” in Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and Upbringing

Augustine’s autobiographical Confessions (1909) contains one of the first accounts of a child learning to speak. This account, in turn, is central to Klaus Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and Upbringing (1983/in press), a book internationally regarded as one of the most important Ger...

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Main Authors: Norm Friesen, Merilee Hamelock
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Alberta 2013-02-01
Series:Phenomenology & Practice
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/pandpr/index.php/pandpr/article/view/19864
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author Norm Friesen
Merilee Hamelock
author_facet Norm Friesen
Merilee Hamelock
author_sort Norm Friesen
collection DOAJ
description Augustine’s autobiographical Confessions (1909) contains one of the first accounts of a child learning to speak. This account, in turn, is central to Klaus Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and Upbringing (1983/in press), a book internationally regarded as one of the most important German contributions to philosophy of education and curriculum theory in the 20th century. This book’s interpretation of Augustine’s description, as well as its divergence from an earlier interpretation by Wittgenstein in his Philosophical Investigations (1953) form the initial focus of this paper, which undertakes close readings of both approaches to Augustine. We argue that Wittgenstein’s account, while quite similar to that of Mollenhauer, arrives at an impasse, particularly insofar as training (Abrichtung), education and upbringing is concerned. In his subsequent attempt to “rescue” Augustine from Wittgenstein’s critique, Mollenhauer develops three highly original notions that are central to his own understanding of upbringing: presentation, representation and Bildsamkeit. Significantly, the divergence of Mollenhauer’s and Wittgenstein’s interpretations also throws into sharp relief Mollenhauer’s particular, dialogical and pedagogical interpretation of “the call,” as it is originally articulated in Augustine.
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spelling doaj.art-6a7e0aab2b4241fe971a1e769532fa8b2022-12-21T17:00:48ZengUniversity of AlbertaPhenomenology & Practice1913-47112013-02-01629410710.29173/pandpr1986419864Augustine, Wittgenstein, and “the Call” in Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and UpbringingNorm FriesenMerilee HamelockAugustine’s autobiographical Confessions (1909) contains one of the first accounts of a child learning to speak. This account, in turn, is central to Klaus Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and Upbringing (1983/in press), a book internationally regarded as one of the most important German contributions to philosophy of education and curriculum theory in the 20th century. This book’s interpretation of Augustine’s description, as well as its divergence from an earlier interpretation by Wittgenstein in his Philosophical Investigations (1953) form the initial focus of this paper, which undertakes close readings of both approaches to Augustine. We argue that Wittgenstein’s account, while quite similar to that of Mollenhauer, arrives at an impasse, particularly insofar as training (Abrichtung), education and upbringing is concerned. In his subsequent attempt to “rescue” Augustine from Wittgenstein’s critique, Mollenhauer develops three highly original notions that are central to his own understanding of upbringing: presentation, representation and Bildsamkeit. Significantly, the divergence of Mollenhauer’s and Wittgenstein’s interpretations also throws into sharp relief Mollenhauer’s particular, dialogical and pedagogical interpretation of “the call,” as it is originally articulated in Augustine.https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/pandpr/index.php/pandpr/article/view/19864phenomenologyhermeneutic phenomenologypractice
spellingShingle Norm Friesen
Merilee Hamelock
Augustine, Wittgenstein, and “the Call” in Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and Upbringing
Phenomenology & Practice
phenomenology
hermeneutic phenomenology
practice
title Augustine, Wittgenstein, and “the Call” in Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and Upbringing
title_full Augustine, Wittgenstein, and “the Call” in Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and Upbringing
title_fullStr Augustine, Wittgenstein, and “the Call” in Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and Upbringing
title_full_unstemmed Augustine, Wittgenstein, and “the Call” in Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and Upbringing
title_short Augustine, Wittgenstein, and “the Call” in Mollenhauer’s Forgotten Connections: On Culture and Upbringing
title_sort augustine wittgenstein and the call in mollenhauer s forgotten connections on culture and upbringing
topic phenomenology
hermeneutic phenomenology
practice
url https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/pandpr/index.php/pandpr/article/view/19864
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