Bildung (Self-cultivation)
Bildung (German), or “self-cultivation”, refers to the broad concept of individual talents, abilities or learning skills through the mental and mature development of people. The humanistic ideal of Bildung is intrinsically associated with human autonomy and independence, with the emphasis on using critical reasoning as well as the modern concepts of conscious, reflective-conscious, and reflective being. In addition, a critical examination in being and an effort for cultivating prevalent mindsets are central to Bildung.
Bildung activities are organically linked to democracy and the promotion of inclusion for all within human interaction, communities, and societies. The Finnish concept of Bildung (sivistys) is based on the German conception of Bildung. At its core, Bildung-thinking is the thought achieved through self-cultivation with the help of education and training, which are ideally ethical and enigmatic in nature before becoming scientific. However, the traditional concept of Bildung is nevertheless very individualistic and needs to complement the world of today. The current concept of Bildung is strongly connected with the ecosocial dimension.
In ecosocial Bildung, ecological and social perspectives combine so that there is a foundation in public cultural shifts and for defining public wellbeing. The starting point is human activity within the limits of sustainable ecosystems. This lifelong cultivation is fundamentally human based, in that individuals take care of themselves and their culture as well as others and the planet overall.
(See Saari, Salmela & Vilkkilä, 2017; Salonen & Bardy, 2015)