Abstract

Mollenhauer presents his book as a rough sketch of what Allgemeine Pädagogik could be – an outline of "a general study of Bildung and upbringing" – a daring project, which in my view is even more needed today than in 1983. Mollenhauer shows a way to a practically committed, historically-founded and future-oriented theory of emancipatory upbringing and education; built on reliable elements in the cultural and pedagogical tradition, which we, as responsible adults, should not forget, when we, together with the new generation, face present and future challenges. In this essay, I attempt a short interpretation of his sketch and give some brief evaluative comments in the final section.