In this paper, it will be argued that the concept of ‘Bildung’ has a twofold role in pedagogical research. On the one hand, it holds a position for conceptual analysis and discussions of how a pedagogical relation is established between an individual and the world. In this sense, it belongs to theoretical pedagogics. Humboldt concepts of receptivity and self-determination and Klafki’s theory of categorial pedagogy are central contributions to this discussion. On the other hand, the concept of Bildung has a (...) role as a regulative idea due to the ideas and imaginations of various forms of humanity it contains. In this sense, it fulfills an ethical dimension since it is regulative for the pedagogical relationship between individual and world. (shrink)

The paper explores the concept of duty in the moral philosophy of the Danish educational philosopher Knud Grue-Sørensen. The aim is to discuss how Grue-Sørensen’s view on duty might contribute to answering the question of what the content of moral education should be. Grue-Sørensen is inspired by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, but even though he in his prize dissertation from 1937 addresses the possibility of objective morality, he adopts a more pragmatic approach regarding what it means to do one’s (...) duty. In an actual Danish daily life context, the concept of duty has lost its moral meaning and decayed into a matter of domestic duties such as cleaning and dishwashing. Grue-Sørensen’s view on duty in an educational context might contribute to revitalizing the concept in a more pragmatic sense, which is useful for teachers, social educators, children, and parents. (shrink)