Anthropology and Pedagogics – Evolutionary Pedagogics

The broad anthropological approach presented by evolutionary pedagogics (EP) provides a clear understanding of education, learning and – to use Kant`s terms - all processes leading from “animal rationabile” to the “animal rationale”. Kant´s question „What is man?“ can be taken as a basic guideline. In contrast to numerous anthropological approaches that are focused on very specific and detailed aspects of humans, EP considers anthropology as a holistic discipline with an emphasis on inter- and transdisciplinary approaches.

With respect to evolutionary theory, EP takes into account the evolutionary heritage of human beings (e.g. anthropological universals) and its profound influence on human existence. Evolutionary theory (integrating genetics, epigenetics and systems theory) provides a solid theoretical background for the vertical (diachronic) dimension of anthropology. The horizontal (synchronic) dimension, which includes actual developmental, learning and teaching (educational) processes, is more closely related to cultural and social sciences.

In integrating both the horizontal and vertical dimensions, EP tries to avoid reductionist, e.g. purely naturalistic or culturally oriented approaches for achieving a deeper understanding of what it is like to be human. EP considers man as a bio-psycho-social unit and educational processes as privileged examples of natural and cultural dynamics.

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Summary: This contribution states deficits and makes proposals in order to overcome them.
First there is the question as to why the Biological Anthropology - despite all its diversifications
- hardly ever deals with educational aspects ofits subject. Second it is the question as
to why Educational Science neglects or even ignores data of Biological Anthropology which
are recognizably important for its subject.
It is postulated that the stated deficits are caused by several adverse influences such as, the
individual identity ofeach ofthe involved single sciences; aspects ofthe recent history ofthe
German Anthropology; a lack of conceptual understanding of each other; methodological
differences and, last but not least, the structure ofthe universities. The necessity to remedy
this situation was deduced from two groups of facts. First, more recent data of the Biological
Anthropology (e.g. brain functions and learning, sex specificity and education) are of substantial
relevance for the Educational Science. Second, the epistemological requirements of
complex subjects like education need interdisciplinary approaches. Finally, a few suggestions
of concrete topics are given which are related to both, Educational Science and Biological
Anthropology.