Wilhelm von Humboldt’s concept of diversity as an integrated component of his idea(l) of Bildung

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper explores the relationship between education and diversity from a different perspective as compared to the current human rights education-based discourse on the subject matter. Instead of portraying education as the means and respect for diversity as the end, the focus rather lies on a concept of education that incorporates diversity as one of its fundamental conditions. I argue that Wilhelm von Humboldt’s concept of diversity as an integrated component of his educational idea(l) of Bildung precisely follows this line of argumentation. In the spirit of Humboldt, exposure to diversity is both a necessary and a sufficient condition for Bildung. Since Humboldt neither explicitly outlined nor systematized his argument, this paper reconstructs and interprets his line of thought. By juxtaposing contemporary policy papers on human rights (education) with Humboldt’s educational theory, rooted in his original work, this paper opens a new – even though more than 200 years old – outlook on diversity and education.