Abstract
A little bit more than twenty years ago, the attention of bioethics community was attracted by the discovery of the work of Fritz Jahr (1895-1953), a theologian and teacher from Halle (Germany), who had conceived both the term and the discipline of bioethics (Bio-Ethik, 1926) by broadening Kant’s categorical imperative onto animals and plants. Today, dozens of papers deal with Jahr’s bioethics ideas, but his work related to other topics remains almost unknown. In the present paper, we address Jahr’s article from 1930, devoted to education ("Gesinnungsdiktatur oder Gedenkfreiheit? Gedanken über eine liberale Gestaltung des Gesinnungsunterrichts" [Dictatorship of worldview or freedom of thought? Considerations on the liberal structuring of teaching of attitudes]). In the article, published in Die neue Erziehung, Jahr advocates a set of ten quite progressive and free-minded principles, including objectivity, pluriperspectivism (verschiedene Gesinnungseinstellungen), tollerant dialogue, autonomy, rationalism, liberalism, and democratization of education system and of the development of worldview at school. We devote particular attention to the comparison of Jahr’s ideas to the doctrine of Pietism and August Hermann Francke, who established the Foundation in which Jahr spent a significant part of his life, first as a student, and later as a teacher.
Highlights
It is justifiable to reach for analyses of all educational systems, even those that have fallen into oblivion or have never been pulled out of it, such as the ideas of Fritz Jahr, a German theologian and teacher from Halle, who has gradually become known over the last twenty years as the first author of the term and concept of bioethics
Jahr spent a significant part of his own schooling in the educational institutions of the Francke Foundation (Franckesche Stiftung), at first in the higher classes of elementary school (Mittelschule), and from 1905 in secondary school (Realgymnasium) (Francke Foundation Archive in Halle)
The foundation founded by August Hermann Francke (1663-1727) based its charitable work and teaching on Pietism – a variant of Lutheran Protestantism that was conceived and brought to Halle by Francke and his role model Philipp Jakob Spener
Summary
It is justifiable to reach for analyses of all educational systems, even those that have fallen into oblivion or have never been pulled out of it, such as the ideas of Fritz Jahr, a German theologian and teacher from Halle, who has gradually become known over the last twenty years as the first author of the term and concept of bioethics. The article was published in 1930 (when Jahr was 35 and still not married, but already with health problems that would result in his retirement three years later) in the Die neue Erziehung: Monatschrift für entschiedene Schulreform und freiheitliche Schulpolitik [New Education: The Monthly Journal for Resolute School Reform and Liberal School Policy] magazine, which was published from 1919 to 1933 in Jena.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
