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CHAPTER 3
Educa ion Wi hou a Face in he Age o Exis en ial De ici :
How Globaliza ion, Pos -T u h, and he Poli ics
o Meaninglessness Dehumanize Pedagogy
Abs ac
This chap e in es iga es he exis en ial c isis o con empo a y educa ion, emphasizing how
globaliza ion, he cul u e o pos - u h, and echnoc a ic discou se con ibu e o he e osion o
human digni y and subjec i i y in pedagogy. Despi e decla a ions o placing " he human a he cen-
e ", educa ion inc easingly educes he lea ne o a se o unc ions, compe encies, o indica o s,
esul ing in aliena ion and loss o au hen ic p esence. D awing on philosophical pe spec i es om
Byung-Chul Han, Ma ha Nussbaum, Le inas, Foucaul , Ricoeu , Bube , and o he s, he ex c i i-
cally analyzes how manage ial language, global ankings, and e iciency-d i en e o ms depe sonalize
bo h eache s and s uden s. The chap e in oduces he concep s o " auma o mis ecogni ion"
and "pedagogy o disconnec ion", highligh ing he psychological and e hical consequences o sys-
emic neglec o he indi idual. As a esponse, i p oposes a linguis ic and e hical econs uc ion o
pedagogy h ough a "cul u e o digni y", whe e wo ds egain hei humanizing powe , and educa ion
is ede ined as a space o ecogni ion, p esence, and dialogical us . Ul ima ely, he chap e a gues
ha es o ing language, digni y, and lis ening as cen al elemen s o educa ion is essen ial o
coun e ing exis en ial agmen a ion and eclaiming he ace o pedagogy.
KEYWORDS
Educa ion, pedagogy, globaliza ion, pos - u h, digni y, echnoc a ic discou se, ecogni ion,
aliena ion.
3.1 Diagnosis o loss
In oduc ion: Educa ion ha has los i s human ouch
We li e in a ime when educa ion has ound i sel a he epicen e o global change – no
only echnological, economic o poli ical, bu abo e all an h opological. I s ill unc ions, e o ms,
DOI: 10.15587/978-617-8360-20-7.CH3
Te iana Ko obkina, Na alia Dashenko a, Olena Bakalenko,
Vik o iia Omelchenko, Olha My se a, Hanna Ho іachko ska
© The Au ho (s) o chap e , 2025. This is an Open Access chap e dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he CC BY license
71
chap e 3. Educa ion Wi hou a Face in he Age o Exis en ial De ici :
How Globaliza ion, Pos -T u h, and he Poli ics o Meaninglessness Dehumanize Pedagogy
CHAPTER 3
digi ises, epo s – bu a he same ime loses i s abili y o see he human being, hea hei e-
ques s, espond o hei exis en ial challenges. In an e a o adical ci ilisa ional uphea als – wa ,
clima e change, pandemics, algo i hmisa ion o hinking – educa ion, ins ead o being a esponse
o anxie y and agmen a ion, is inc easingly becoming ye ano he ool o managing ins abili y.
This sense o loss begins a he le el o language. Educa ional discou se is sa u a ed wi h
e ms such as "human capi al", " esou ce p o ision", "s a e iciency", "knowledge pla o m", and
"educa ion quali y managemen ". These o mulas a e no jus s ylis ic con eniences, bu linguis ic
ma ke s o he loss o a humanis ic pe spec i e. A language ha hinks o educa ion as a ma ke ,
people as ca ie s o compe encies, and lea ning as a ce i ica ion p ocess excludes he subjec o
digni y om he pedagogical space [1].
Unde he slogans o e o m, inno a ion, and digi al ans o ma ion, we see no an upda e o
he con en o educa ion, bu a g adual educ ion o he human being o an indica o unc ion. They
mus "mee equi emen s", "show esul s", and "adap o change". Bu whe e is he eedom o
hink in his? Whe e is he place o doub , silence, e hical sea ch, a ec ? As B.-C. Han no es,
in mode n p oduc i i y cul u e, " a igue o being onesel " p e ails, and educa ion is inc easingly
becoming no a space o libe a ion, bu an ins i u ion o loss o subjec i i y [2].
Agains his backd op, a new anomaly is eme ging: a pe son is physically p esen in educa ion
bu on ologically absen . They may ha e access o knowledge bu lose hei sense o meaning; hey
may ecei e g ades bu no expe ience digni y as ecogni ion. This gi es ise o he phenomenon
o cogni i e simula ion: lea ning con inues, bu wi hou in e nal g ow h. All his c ea es a new
pedagogical eali y, which would be mo e accu a ely called pos -educa ion – ha is, one ha has
los he abili y o keep he pe son a he cen e.
This p ocess has clea poli ical dynamics. Despi e i s p omise o equali y, solida i y and p og-
ess, he globalisa ion o educa ion o en u ns ou o be an a chi ec u e o depe sonalisa ion.
In e na ional ankings, he uni ica ion o s anda ds, he manage ial logic o uni e si ies and min-
is ies – all his p oduces a model whe e local e hical con ex s, ulne abili y and iden i y a e ma -
ginalised. Re o m becomes a sel -su icien goal, no always aking in o accoun he kind o pe son i
shapes. As a esul , educa ional policy loses i s e hical ex u e, becoming mechanical, agmen ed,
and de oid o empa hy [3].
No less dange ous is he in luence o pos - u h cul u e on he educa ional ecosys em. Today,
i is inc easingly di icul o main ain a space o c i ical con e sa ion i i is no adminis a i ely
o ideologically bene icial. Educa ion ha is incapable o elling he u h – abou inequali y,
psychological exhaus ion, alue diso ien a ion – u ns in o a simula ion o hinking. In an e a when
u h i sel has become he subjec o poli ical ba gaining, he educa ional p ocess isks becoming
no an in ellec ual encoun e , bu a i ual o o mal p esence wi hou mo al weigh [4].
Bu he key challenge lies e en deepe han ha . I lies in he exis en ial de ici ha has
become a s uc u al ea u e o educa ional exis ence. Young people who ha e li ed h ough a pan-
demic, wa , and in o ma ion collapse a e li ing wi h he expe ience o a cancelled u u e. When he
ho izon is unce ain, when plane a y h ea s seem insu moun able, when echnology is ad ancing
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Educa ional policy and e o ms: he impac o globaliza ion
as e han e hics, he e is a demand no o compe ence, bu o exis en ial suppo . And his
is whe e educa ion is o en powe less: i does no o e answe s, does no p o ide a meaning ul
amewo k, does no suppo people in hei momen s o anxie y. And ha is why digni y becomes
no a me apho , bu a p ac ical answe [5].
As M. Nussbaum poin s ou , a democ a ic socie y canno exis wi hou educa ion ha os e s
emo ional li e acy, e hical sensi i i y, empa hy and c i ical hinking. Educa ion wi hou digni y is
educa ion wi hou democ acy. Con e sely, educa ion in which digni y is no a slogan bu a s uc u e
o in e ac ion is a space in which eedom is bo n [6].
This sec ion is no jus a c i ical ca ea . I is a mani es o o he e u n o he human being o
he educa ional pe spec i e. We will show how he logic o globalisa ion, he language o ins umen-
alism, he cul u e o pos - u h and exis en ial agmen a ion ha e led o a p o ound loss o he
subjec in educa ion. A he same ime, we will show how he me hodology o he cul u e o digni y
can become he a chi ec u e o he e hical econs uc ion o educa ion, whe e e e y wo d, e e y
ges u e, e e y s uc u e e u ns he main con en o he educa ional space – he human being.
We no longe li e in an e a whe e pedagogy is simply he ansmission o knowledge. We li e in
an e a when he ques ion "Why each?" is inc easingly le unanswe ed. The poin o disappea ance
o meaning is no in he lack o echnology, bu in he de ici o p esence, ecip oci y and he meaning
o he common "we". I is his exis en ial acuum ha is he main challenge o mode n educa ion.
We a e ying o e o m o ms, o ge ing he undamen al: we ha e los he language ha
is capable o ecognising he o he . As a esul , we ha e los ou iden i y: as s uden s, eache s,
and as a sys em. Wo ds ha e become an in e ace a he han an add ess. Rules ha e become a
unc ion a he han an ag eemen . T us has become a p oduc a he han a ela ionship. We do
no speak – we unc ion.
In his s udy, we do no jus c i icise. We a e mapping he way back: om depe sonalisa ion
o ision, om linguis ic amnesia o wo ds ha ecognise, om ins i u ional au oma ism o human
p esence. We will alk abou he physicali y o digni y, he language o silence, he neu opsychology
o us , he eache as a bea e o ulne abili y and s eng h a he same ime. This ex is an
a emp no o e o m educa ion, bu o b ing i back o li e.
Educa ion wi hou aces: how globalisa ion has e ased he human being
om pedagogy
The e is an ala ming pa adox: a a ime when he global educa ional communi y decla es " he
human being a he cen e", he human being i sel is absen as a li ing p esence in educa ional
policy, pedagogical language, and he s uc u e o educa ional expe ience. I has been displaced,
delegi imised, eplaced by unc ionali y, oles, and indica o s. Pedagogy is ceasing o be he a
o shaping consciousness and inc easingly esembles he logis ics o se icing p oduc i e bodies,
whe e he subjec loses hei oice and hinking loses i s igh o doub .
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This is no a coincidence o linguis ic inaccu acy – i is a symp om o globalised logic, which
ans o ms educa ion in he image o he ma ke . The uni ica ion o s anda ds, dependence on in e -
na ional a ings, he dominance o English-language o ma s and bu eauc a ic hype -con ol – all his
lea es no oom o any hing else, o any hing un ansla able, o any hing a ec i e. And i educa ion
is subo dina ed o global economies, hen humani y in i becomes a su plus ha canno be mone ised
o anked [7]. Ins ead o a s uden , he e is a clien . Ins ead o a eache , he e is a p o ide . Ins ead
o knowledge, he e is an educa ional p oduc . These ans o ma ions o language a e no neu al.
They ecode he e y essence o he pedagogical expe ience, educing i o ins uc ion and
ansac ion. Bu he e is an e en sub le disappea ance, less no iceable bu mo e des uc i e. This
is he linguis ic blindness o educa ion. We no longe know wha o call hose we each. Be ween
"pupil", "s uden ", "use ", and "clien ", he ace is los – no jus an image, bu an on ological iden-
i y. Once language loses i s abili y o add ess, i loses i s abili y o ecognise. And hen pedagogy
u ns in o a sys em o neu al de achmen , in which no one sees anyone anymo e – only p ocesses,
p oduc s, da a.
In his sense, depe sonalisa ion is no only a poli ical e ec bu also a semio ic de ea . A sys-
em ha has no language o deno e digni y becomes a sys em ha ep oduces i s absence. Tha
is why i is impo an no only o c i icise he e o m bu also o e o mula e i s discou se, o gi e
i wo ds capable o saying: I see you.
As W. Welsh no es, he language o educa ion has become echnological, and pedagogy i sel
has become "pos -an h opic" [7]. We no longe ask "Wha is a digni ied pe son?", we ask "Does
he o she mee ma ke expec a ions?"
This shi has p o ound psychological consequences. S uden s dep i ed o he igh o make
mis akes, o sea ch, o eel anxie y, lose he abili y o o m an au hen ic inne "I". Ins ead, hey
cons uc an adap i e "I-compe i o ", shaped by he logic o ex e nal e i ica ion. As a esul , we do
no o m a subjec , we cul i a e a cogni i ely unc ional shell ha has no hing o do wi h empa hy,
digni y o esponsibili y o he u u e [8].
A a deepe le el, his o ms a pedagogy o aliena ion. Be ween he s uden and he eache
he e is a con ac , be ween hinking and he p og amme he e is a empla e, be ween dialogue
and he sys em he e is a p o ocol. Educa ion becomes silen no because i does no speak, bu
because i no longe lis ens. And his is he momen when he ace disappea s. As Le inas empha-
sises, ue e hics begins when I encoun e he ace o ano he [9]. Bu how can I encoun e wha
he sys em has lea ned no o see?
No less des uc i e is he in luence o adminis a i e me alanguage, which subs i u es mean-
ings: "load" ins ead o "in e ac ion", "con ingen " ins ead o "communi y", "quali y" as a digi al ab-
s ac ion wi hou ques ions o digni y o eedom. The language o educa ional documen s has
become he g amma o objec i ica ion, in which he subjec is ans o med in o an a icula ed
code. This is no longe jus unc ionalism – i is he semio ic e asu e o humani y [10].
Such language no only ep oduces s uc u es o powe – i cons uc s aliena ion as he
no m. The eache does no hink abou us , he hinks abou documen a ion. The s uden does
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Educa ional policy and e o ms: he impac o globaliza ion
no alk abou anxie y because he e is no wo d in he sys em wi h which o a icula e i . And his
is whe e language loses i s humanis ic unc ion – i is no longe ecogni ion, i is con ol, e i ica-
ion, aliena ion.
I is also impo an o pay a en ion o he a ec i e diso ien a ion p oduced by such an edu-
ca ional s uc u e. When s uden s do no see ha hei expe ience is aluable, when eache s a e
no longe a p esence bu me ely a du y, an a ec i e oid a ises ha abso bs all mo i a ion. People
no longe wan o lea n – no because o laziness, bu because hey a e no hea d as subjec s o
pain and hope [11].
Globalisa ion, he e o e, has no only e ased cul u al speci ici y – i has uni ied silence. Wha
was once he e hical ace o educa ion – ca e, a en i eness, dialogue – has now been eplaced
by o ma , deadlines, and elec onic chains o con ol. And ha is why he e is a need o no a
cosme ic bu an on ological e o m o pedagogy: no abou ools, bu abou encoun e . No abou
compe ence, bu abou digni y. No abou managemen , bu abou p esence.
As S. K ymsky w i es, educa ion wi hou a sense o spi i ual con inui y, wi hou a common
ho izon, wi hou a language o coexis ence, becomes a means o shaping a pe son wi hou adi ion,
wi hou a ace, wi hou a hea [12]. And so we mus ask ou sel es: wha do we lose when we a e
no longe able o say o a s uden , "I see you"? And wha will we gain i we da e o say i , despi e
all he ins i u ional ine ia?
Bu pe haps he deepes loss we ha e expe ienced is he loss o he wo d ha ecognises.
No he wo d ha in o ms, no he wo d ha e alua es, bu he wo d ha add esses. Because
pedagogy begins no wi h e o m, bu wi h speech in which he o he eels: "you a e". And i we
eally wan o u n ou aces back o educa ion, we mus begin by es o ing digni y o speech.
Mo e on his la e . Abou wo ds ha do no command, bu lis en. Abou silence ha is no
emp iness, bu us . Abou language ha is capable o saying: I see you.
Pos - u h and he pedagogy o disconnec ion
"To hink does no mean o ha e hough s. I means o be accoun able o you sel and he wo ld
o wha you belie e o be ue." (S. K ymsky).
We li e in an age when u h i sel has become ulne able. Pos - u h is no jus a poli ical o
media s a egy, i is an on ological e en in which us , con ex and esponsibili y a e disin eg a -
ing. In he ield o educa ion, his collapse akes on a pa icula ly dange ous o m – he pedagogy
o disconnec ion, whe e knowledge loses i s e hical quali y and eache s lose hei abili y o be
condui s o uni ying u h.
Educa ion in he pos - u h e a does no di ec ly deny u h – i dissol es i in o an in in-
i y o opinions, imp essions and subjec i e posi ions. E e y hing has a igh o exis , bu no hing
has powe . In his si ua ion, ins ead o seeking u h, s uden s seek con enien in e p e a ions,
and eache s, in o de no o be accused o " o cing u h", hide hei in ellec ual posi ion behind
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neu ali y. This c ea es a new o m o disconnec ion: a gap be ween knowledge and alue, be ween
wo ds and eali y, be ween educa ion and li e [13].
In such condi ions, silence becomes he pedagogical no m. No silence as dep h, bu silence
as a oidance. The eache does no da e o call wa wa , con emp humilia ion, populism lies. And
he s uden does no demand he u h because he no longe belie es ha u h is possible a all.
This gi es ise o a ec i e amnesia – an emo ional habi o no seeing eali y in o de no o su e ,
no o ake isks, no o be weak. Thus, he educa ional space is illed wi h o ms wi hou meaning,
iden i ies wi hou subjec i i y, and speech wi hou esponsibili y [14].
In his wo ld, lies encoun e no esis ance – hey a e quie ly co-op ed by he language o edu-
ca ion, eplacing complex ques ions wi h simple ames: "be ole an ", " emain neu al", "app ecia e
all posi ions". Bu such pseudo-plu alis ic language does no libe a e, i pa alyses, because i gi es
no name o e il, good, s eng h o weakness. Educa ion becomes a space o o al cau ious comp o-
mise – packaged consen o epis emological emp iness.
As M. Nussbaum w i es, democ acy canno su i e wi hou he abili y o speak he u h –
no as an objec i e o mula, bu as e hical ideli y o human expe ience [6]. Educa ion ha is silen
abou pain, injus ice o dis o ion is no neu al – i is a pa icipan in aliena ion. And his is whe e
we encoun e wha K ymsky called " he loss o u h as he dominan o ce in cul u e". Pos - u h
is no an e a wi hou u h. I is an e a whe e eache s a e a aid o be u h ul and s uden s
do no expec o hea he answe .
The pedagogy o disconnec ion is no only some hing ha b eaks he ela ionship be ween
eache and s uden . I is some hing ha disconnec s a pe son om hei inne mo al compass.
Knowledge is no longe bo n as a disco e y – i is deli e ed as a commodi y, neu al, sa e, s e ile.
This app oach excludes auma – bu i also excludes ans o ma ion. And wi hou auma and
u h, he e is no becoming. The e is only a simula ion o lea ning, in which no one belie es anyone
else, bu e e yone poli ely ollows ins uc ions.
Howe e , i is p ecisely a he momen o disconnec ion ha a chance o a new connec ion
a ises – no based on sameness, bu on us . T us is no consensus o ole ance. I is a willing-
ness o be ulne able o o he s wi hou demanding gua an ees. And his is whe e educa ion can
once again become a space o hope: whe e u h is no imposed bu wi nessed; whe e he eache
does no "ha e he answe s" bu shows he cou age o be in he ques ion.
A e u n o u h is no a es o a ion o old au ho i a ian hinking. I is he disco e y o a new
pedagogy: e hical, linguis ic, us ing. As S. K ymsky w o e, u h is no only wha co esponds o
ac s, bu wha is in e nally binding. And his is he kind o educa ion we s i e o : no pe ec , bu
hones wi hin he limi s o human impe ec ion.
Pedagogy ha does no see: he auma o non- ecogni ion
"When he o he ceases o be an e en , I become a wall o mysel ." (S. K ymsky).
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In mode n educa ion, i is no o e iolence ha is becoming mo e common, bu silen io-
lence. No h ough humilia ion, bu h ough a lack o ecogni ion. The s uden lis ens, bu eels ha
hey a e no being hea d. The eache speaks, bu does no belie e ha hey a e being seen. The
class oom, he uni e si y lec u e hall, e en he Zoom lec u e become a space o mu ual absence,
whe e e e yone is physically p esen , bu no one is uly he e.
This is no jus psychological discom o . I is a pedagogical pa hology ha A. Honne h de-
sc ibed as he auma o non- ecogni ion: a si ua ion in which he subjec does no ecei e con i -
ma ion o hei alue, exis ence, o igh o be [13]. In such condi ions, lea ning ceases o be an
in e ac ion and becomes a p ocedu e. The eache becomes a speake wi hou an audience. The
s uden becomes an audience wi hou a lis ene . And bo h accumula e a deep anxie y: Is he e any
poin in being he e i no one sees me as a li ing pe son?
Pa adoxically, he ex e nal ac i i y o he sys em is inc easing: new s anda ds, digi alisa ion,
ce i ica ions, g an s, inclusion policies. Bu inside, he e is a lack o connec ion. We inc easingly
desc ibe he s uden as a "mul i ace ed subjec o he educa ional p ocess" – and ask less and
less: How do hey eel oday? Do hey us me? Can I call hem by name wi hou documen a ion?
This disconnec be ween o m and p esence c ea es a oid – a ec i e, iden i y- ela ed, e h-
ical. We ha e lea ned o measu e success, bu no o see a igue. We can calcula e a endance
a es, bu we canno answe he silen ques ion: am I impo an o anyone he e?
And his is whe e auma begins. I has no ex e nal mani es a ion. I sp eads in e nally – as
an expe ience o in isibili y, as a slow loss o hope ha someone will ecognise you p esence. The
auma o non- ecogni ion is no a one- ime ac . I is a s uc u al habi o he sys em o igno e a
pe son as ano he uni e se.
As neu opsychology shows, ecogni ion ac i a es he same a eas o he b ain as physical
sa e y [14]. Lack o ecogni ion is an ala m signal ha he body and mind in e p e as dange .
In o he wo ds, we a e no jus dealing wi h a pedagogical mis ake, bu wi h neu opsychological
des abilisa ion ha unde mines us in he lea ning p ocess i sel .
In his con ex , i is ex emely impo an o e e o S. K ymsky, who w o e: "A pe son can
endu e pain, bu canno endu e p olonged indi e ence. Because indi e ence is a silen expulsion
om cul u e". And his is exac ly wha we ha e in educa ion oday: a silen expulsion o digni y
h ough he indi e en no m o no no icing.
Bu he e is a way ou . And i s a s wi h he simples hing – he ac o pedagogical gaze.
F om he momen when he eache does no jus ead a lec u e, bu mee s someone wi h hei
eyes. When he s uden does no jus lis en – bu eels ha someone is looking o see, no o
e alua e. This momen is no a echnology o a skill. I is he e hics o p esence, which canno
be simula ed.
Pedagogy ha ecognises his does no gua an ee success. Bu i c ea es condi ions in which
a pe son da es o be hemsel es. And his is he highes o m o educa ion. Because digni y
canno be ins illed. Bu i can be ecognised. And his is al eady he beginning o a di e en kind
o educa ion.
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3.2 The linguis ic e en o digni y
Language ha be ays: echnoc acy in educa ional discou se
Technoc a ic discou se as a be ayal o he humanis ic essence o educa ion.
Con empo a y educa ional discou se is inc easingly aking on he cha ac e is ics o echno-
c a ic newspeak – a language o numbe s, indica o s and bu eauc a ic euphemisms ha hide he
li ing essence o pedagogy behind cold e ms. This language seems o be ay educa ion, eplacing
i s human dimension wi h he language o manage s and adminis a o s. Educa ional policy ope -
a es wi h ca ego ies such as KPI, "con ingen ", "educa ional se ice", "e iciency", "quali y" and
"subsidy" – concep s bo owed om business and public adminis a ion. A i s glance, hese a e
neu al, ins umen al wo ds. Howe e , hei dominance in he educa ional space has p o ound an-
h opological and e hical consequences. Technoc a ic discou se, while claiming o be "objec i e" and
" a ional", ac ually shapes powe o e minds, s anda dises hinking, and depe sonalises pa icipan s
in he educa ional p ocess.
As M. Foucaul no es, discou se is a ehicle o powe : h ough language, ins i u ions es ab-
lish wha is conside ed u h and which subjec s mus obey his " u h". In he ield o educa ion,
his means ha echnoc a ic newspeak imposes i s own " egime o u h": only ha which can be
quan i a i ely measu ed, s anda dised and con olled is conside ed ue. E e y hing else – indi idual
expe iences, c ea i i y, he e hical dimension o lea ning – is decla ed seconda y o in isible. I is
no coincidence ha Foucaul compa ed schools o ac o ies and p isons, whe e he goal is o "de ine,
classi y, con ol and s anda dise people" [15]. The echnoc a ic language o educa ion se es he
same pu pose: h ough seemingly neu al e ms, i es ablishes disciplina y powe o e s uden s and
eache s, u ning hem in o objec s o managemen . Such a "language o domina ion" ep oduces
hie a chy: he subjec o speech (adminis a i e au ho i y) p onounces no ma i e u h, and he
speake s o he language o educa ion (s uden s, eache s) mus comply wi h i .
Howe e , language is no only an ins umen o powe , bu also an e hical space o communi-
ca ion. P. Ricoeu no ed ha speech is always an ac ion o which we a e esponsible [16]. When
educa ion leade s e e o s uden s as a "con ingen " o "human capi al", hey a e pe o ming a
linguis ic ac ha has e hical weigh : such wo ds educe a unique pe sonali y o a s a is ical uni
o esou ce. Acco ding o P. Ricœu , language c ea es he eali y o ela ionships, and he speake
bea s mo al esponsibili y o he meaning c ea ed. Thus, echnoc a ic he o ic in educa ion is no
jus a s yle, bu an ac o linguis ic objec i ica ion ha in luences people's sel -pe cep ion. Ins ead,
acco ding o P. Ricœu , a humanis ic app oach would equi e language oo ed in he ideas o mu ual
ecogni ion and esponsibili y. By calling a s uden a "pe son in de elopmen " ins ead o "capi al", we
ac e hically, ecognising hei subjec i i y and uniqueness.
Simila ly, M. Bube , in his dialogical philosophy, showed he gap be ween he I–You and I–I
ela ionships. Technoc a ic language inclines educa o s owa ds he I–I ela ionship: he s uden
appea s as "inpu da a", "p oduc o educa ional se ices" o "uni o unding" – an objec ha is
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ea ed acco ding o a scheme. Ins ead, a cul u e o digni y equi es he es o a ion o he I–You
ela ionship, whe e he eache and s uden in e ac as equal bea e s o human digni y. I a uni e -
si y adminis a o hough in e ms o I–You, hey would no use he wo d "con ingen " – ins ead,
hey would speak o an "academic communi y" whe e each s uden is a unique "You" a he han an
impe sonal numbe . Bube 's app oach adds an i onic humanis ic accen : when we e e o people in
accoun ing e ms, we no only demean hem, we impo e ish ou sel es, losing he ue encoun e
wi h he O he . The i ony is ha a sys em ha p ides i sel on he "quali y o educa ion" isks losing
he highes quali y o all: he humani y o ela ionships.
T ans e sali y e sus one-dimensional hinking
The one-sidedness o echnoc a ic discou se has been well c i icised by con empo a y philoso-
phe s o a ionali y. W. Welsch in oduces he concep o ans e sal in elligence – he abili y o
he mind o c oss di e en dimensions o meaning and a ionali y wi hou ge ing s uck in one
na ow discou se [17]. Classical echnoc acy elies on one-dimensional ins umen al in elligence,
which educes e e y hing o quan i a i e indica o s and s anda ds. W. Welsch emphasises ha
ue in elligence di e en ia es and combines di e en ypes o a ionali y – scien i ic-quan i a i e,
e hical, and aes he ic. Educa ion, by i s e y na u e, is a ield whe e hese di e se dimensions
in e sec : i is he ans e o knowledge (cogni i e a ionali y), he cul i a ion o alues (mo al
a ionali y), and a space o inspi a ion and c ea i i y (aes he ic dimension). Technoc a ic lan-
guage, on he o he hand, na ows he ho izon o a single dimension – e iciency, measu ed in
numbe s. This leads o a sha p na owing o he cul u e o hinking: om a polyphony, i u ns
in o he mono onous oice o s a is ics. Welsh's app oach equi es a ans e sal shi : in o de
o o e come he c isis o meaning, educa ional discou se mus lea n o swi ch be ween di e en
languages – he language o numbe s and he language o meanings, he language o ac s and
he language o alues – and seek connec ions be ween hem. The i ony is ha ue "quali y o
educa ion" is bo n no om an obsession wi h mono onous KPIs, bu om he plas ici y o hinking,
capable o accommoda ing STEM, humani ies, and exis en ial dimensions. One-dimensional language
dep i es educa ion o his lexibili y, u ning i in o a ca ica u e o i sel – a school o obo s,
no o people.
The loss o "au a" and he logic o p esence
Ano he consequence o echnoc a ic domina ion is he "disenchan men " o educa ional lan-
guage, he loss o i s a mosphe e, o au a in W. Benjamin's e ms. Benjamin in oduced he con-
cep o au a when desc ibing he unique "p esence o he dis an " – he unique soul o a wo k o
a ha disappea s wi h mass ep oduc ion. A pa allel can be d awn: he adi ional language o
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P. Palme , in his pedagogy o wholeness, pu s i simply: "Teaching is no he ansmission o
in o ma ion, bu he p esence be o e u hs ha a e g ea e han ou sel es".
This means ha pedagogical speech should be open, lis ening, no comple ely con olled. The
language o educa ion should no sound like a Google calenda . I should be a li le emulous.
A li le ali e. A li le ou s. P. Palme says ha ea is he main ba ie o digni ied speech. Because
we a e a aid o no knowing, o making mis akes, o saying some hing ha is no p o ocol. Bu o
acknowledge his ea – and s ill speak om he hea – is an ac o pedagogical cou age.
H.-G. Gadame and H. U. Humb ech : Language as co-exis ence.
In his he meneu ic p ojec , H.-G. Gadame a gued ha unde s anding is only possible in dia-
logue, when we a e eady o lis en as i he O he migh be igh . H. U. Gumb ech adds: unde -
s anding is no jus deciphe ing meanings, bu being p esen .
The e o e, educa ional language ha s i es o digni y is no one ha explains, bu one ha
is p esen . I does no p oclaim, bu sha es b ea h.
Glossa y o linguis ic e u n.
We al eady began his p ocess in he p e ious sec ion, and he e we con inue:
1. Bu eauc a ic exp ession – Linguis ic al e na i e o he cul u e o digni y.
2. Con ingen – Academic communi y.
3. Human capi al – Pe sonal digni y in de elopmen .
4. E ec i eness o lea ning – Meaning ul dep h o lea ning expe ience.
5. KPI – Dynamics o meaning and g ow h.
6. Quali y o educa ion – Ha monious pe sonal g ow h.
7. Educa ional se ice – Call o join lea ning.
8. P o essional neu ali y – P esence wi h ecogni ion o o he s.
When speech e u ns, pe sonali y e u ns.
A language ha ecognises o he s does no need p o ocol. I is no ushed. I b ea hes.
A wo d ha can say "you" al eady ans o ms lea ning in o an encoun e a he han a unc ion.
This is no pa hos, no a me apho – i is he deepes wo k o a cul u e o digni y, which begins
wi h a ph ase ha sees. S. K ymsky w o e: "The e is no o he way o a pe son excep ha which
is pa ed wi h wo ds, wi h an add ess ha ecognises". We mus no simply b ing people back o
educa ion. We mus b ing hem back o sen ences. To add esses. To language ha does no be ay.
"Le me be inspi ed", said educa ion i sel , which inally ook o i s o mal clo hes, s ood ba e oo
and asked, "Le me be ali e again".
The poe ics o educa ion as he e hics o lis ening
"Cul u e begins wi h lea ning o hea no only ou sel es." (S. K ymsky).
In an age when e e yone speaks bu no one lis ens, pedagogical lis ening becomes a adical
ac o humani y. I is no a communica ion skill o a so skill. I is an e hical ac , p o ound and
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de enceless. The abili y o lis en in educa ion is no a me hod, bu a p e equisi e o a digni ied
encoun e in which he O he has he igh no only o speak, bu o exis in he wo d wi hou
ha ing o igh o i .
Lis ening is a way o ecognising he o he as a sou ce o u h, no as a backd op o one's own
expe ise. Lis ening is a enuncia ion o he monopoly on meaning. And ha is why ue lis ening is
always a li le dange ous: i changes he lis ene .
H.-G. Gadame : Dialogue in which u h lies be ween.
H.-G. Gadame emphasised ha unde s anding is ne e he ac o a single subjec . T ue unde -
s anding a ises in dialogue, in he " usion o ho izons" – when my expe ience encoun e s you s, and
we a e bo h no longe he same as we we e be o e [18].
To lis en means o admi ha he O he may be igh . I does no mean o ag ee. I means o
open he doo o a meaning ha is no mine. And when we ans e his o pedagogy, i becomes
ob ious: a eache who does no lis en does no each – he eads a monologue agains he back-
d op o li ing beings.
Lis ening is a e usal o inalise meaning. The e o e, in an educa ional space domina ed by
con ol, p o ocols and s anda dised answe s, lis ening seems suspicious. Because whe e he e is
lis ening, he e is a chance o he unexpec ed. And ha means eedom.
The i ony is ha many uni e si ies al eady o e cou ses in "c i ical hinking", bu he e a e
almos no cou ses in "c i ical lis ening". Because lis ening is no as p es igious as speaking.
H. U. Gumb ech : A p esence ha canno be measu ed.
H. U. Gumb ech in oduces a bold idea in o pedagogy: no e e y hing ha is impo an can be
ep esen ed. The e is some hing ha canno be explained, ansla ed in o numbe s o ex s. This is
p esence. When we lis en, we do no jus pe cei e in o ma ion. We a e he e, we sha e he silence,
we c ea e a space in which he O he is no a aid o appea .
H. U. Gumb ech calls his "p esence p oduc ion" – an ac in which we allow hings o be
a ound us wi hou demanding meaning o p oduc i i y om hem [18].
In he class oom, his means ha a eache who lis ens is no jus a " ole an " educa o .
They a e someone who c ea es an en i onmen in which s uden s da e o speak u h ully. No o
e alua ion. No o app o al. Simply o be hea d.
P. F ei e: Lis en o hose whom no one has hea d.
P. F ei e wa ned: he silence o he opp essed is no he absence o a oice. I is he absence
o a lis ene . In he pedagogy o opp ession, he eache is he mic ophone o he sys em, no he
ea o he pe son. Bu when we lis en o he s uden no as impe ec , bu as an equal pa ne in
he sea ch o u h, we open up a space o libe a ion.
Lis ening is he i s s ep owa ds digni y. Because libe a ion does no begin wi h slo-
gans, bu wi h someone da ing o speak, knowing ha hey will no be in e up ed. Lis ening
is a way o gi e space o auma, expe ience, memo y – wi hou in e p e a ion o co ec ion.
Some imes he bes pedagogical ac ion is no o espond, bu o lea e a silence in which he
wo d is s ill ma u ing.
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S. K ymsky: Silence ha acknowledges.
S. K ymsky w o e: "The e is he silence o indi e ence and he silence o lo e. The i s e ases.
The second acknowledges". In pedagogy, silence is usually in e p e ed as a ailu e: he s uden did
no answe , he eache did no con inue, ime s opped. Bu in a cul u e o digni y, silence is a o m
o lis ening, o coexis ence wi hou p essu e. I is no silence as he absence o sound, bu silence
as a space whe e one can be unce ain, weak, incomple e – and no be de alued.
The educa ional poe ics o silence is when we lis en no only o wo ds, bu also o he silence
be ween hem. In a class oom whe e he e is such silence, a s uden can eel o he i s ime in
hei li e ha hey a e no being e alua ed – hey a e being wai ed o .
Poe ics as e hics: speech ha does no in e up .
Poe ics in educa ion is no deco a ion o s yle. I is a o m o espec . When wo ds do no cu ,
bu open. When in ona ion does no dic a e, bu in i es. When a ph ase sounds no like a command,
bu like a gen le un olding o space o he O he .
Poe ics is no abou "saying i beau i ully". I is abou saying i in such a way ha he O he
can be he e. Poe ic hinking is when you do no y o say e e y hing a once. I is when you lea e
oom in a ph ase o he o he o b ea he. I is when a sen ence does no close o meaning, bu
opens he doo o i .
Glossa y o lis ening:
1. Educa ional s amp – Al e na i e o he cul u e o digni y.
2. Conduc ing a class – Co-p esence in he space o meaning.
3. Knowledge con ol – Suppo ing de elopmen .
4. Lec u e 's monologue – Open sea ch dialogue.
5. Ac i a ion o a en ion – In i a ion o mu ual lis ening.
6. S uden esponse – Meaning ul e en o he mee ing.
7. Speech me hodology – E hics o lis ening.
A e wo d: o lis en is o belie e ha he O he exis s.
Lis ening in educa ion is no a echnique. I is an an h opological posi ion. I is a s a emen :
I belie e ha you exis , e en i you a e s ill silen . I is a willingness o wai , no o ush, o le
wo ds happen. The poe ics o lis ening is when you don' jus le he O he speak, bu allow hem
o be. A a ime when he language o educa ion inc easingly sounds like noise, lis ening becomes
an e hic o esis ance. And i we e u n his e hic o he hea o pedagogy, pe haps educa ion will
begin o speak wi h us again. And no jus o us.
"The e is silence ha e ases. Bu he e is silence ha emb aces." (S. K ymsky).
Silence in he class oom: p esence wi hou domina ion
Among all educa ional ools, he leas unde s ood emains... silence. I is ei he seen as a
echnical pause – "a momen o eco ding" – o as a symp om – "s uden s a e inac i e". Bu in
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a cul u e o digni y, silence is a place o p esence whe e he eache does no demons a e, does
no p essu e, does no con ol, bu simply is.
Silence does no always mean passi i y. Some imes i means a willingness no o des oy he
O he wi h a eady-made answe .
H. U. Gumb ech w o e abou physical p esence as " he e ec o esona ing silence" [19]. Edu-
ca ional silence is no a b eakdown in communica ion, bu an in e nal pause o he bi h o meaning.
No e e y hing has o be said. Some hings ha e o be endu ed. In such silence, he eache
ceases o be a sou ce o knowledge and becomes a condi ion o he un olding o he s uden 's
hinking. I is a silence ha does no co ec . I belie es in he p ocess o ma u a ion. I is silence
as a o m o espec ha sounds loude han any explana ion.
S. K ymsky spoke o "e hical silence" as a space whe e wo ds ha e no ye become dominan ,
bu a e al eady an in i a ion. Some imes being silen nea by is saying, "I am he e. And I will no
demand ha you espond immedia ely".
Silence wi hou coe cion.
The e is silence ha opp esses – he silence o ea . And he e is sac ed pedagogical silence.
This is whe e s uden s do no "gi e he igh answe " bu lis en o hemsel es o he i s ime.
This is when he class oom becomes a place o in e nal dialogue – unin e up ed by he clicking
o slides.
Pa adox: he bes ques ions come no when you ask hem, bu when you don' in e e e wi h
hem coming.
A b ie summa y – no wi h you oice.
Being p esen does no always mean speaking. Some imes i means being he e wi hou aking
up space o he O he . Silence is no emp y. Silence is ull o us .
3.3 Digni y as a me hodology
Digni y: no a slogan, bu he epis emology o coexis ence
"Digni y is no some hing ha is decla ed. I is how you ea he O he when no one is keep-
ing sco e".
Digni y is a wo d wi h a public biog aphy: i is displayed in mani es os, inco po a ed in o codes
o co po a e e hics, and used o embellish e o m s a egies. Bu he loude i is p oclaimed, he
mo e o en i loses i s abili y o look you in he eye. In pedagogy, digni y isks becoming a "label o
humanism" which, in essence, o en changes no hing in he s uc u e o ela ionships.
We p opose some hing else: o see digni y no as a slogan, bu as a me hod o cogni ion, no
as a decla a ion, bu as an epis emology o coexis ence. Because i is h ough digni y ha we no
only lea n some hing abou he O he – we ne e emain he same. We become someone new in he
p esence o he O he . This momen o ans o ma ion – sub le, no always no iceable, bu deeply
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human – is he beginning o digni y as a cogni i e expe ience. I is in his change, in openness o
in luence, ha a new epis emology is bo n: no ins umen al, bu ela ional. No objec -o ien ed,
bu encoun e -o ien ed. T adi ional educa ional epis emology is ied o a ionali y, objec i i y, and
con olled knowledge. I p esupposes a subjec ha obse es, in e p e s, and e alua es. Bu in
in e ac ion wi h a li ing pe son, knowledge a ely a ises as con ol. I appea s whe e he e is us ,
openness, and a sha ed momen .
Digni y is when I do no iew you as an objec o my ce ain y, bu ecognise you abili y o be
a sou ce o meaning.
The o mula o he epis emology o digni y does no sound like "I know mo e", bu a he "we
c ea e knowledge oge he , e en i i pu s us in an awkwa d posi ion". And he ein lies he adical
di e ence be ween digni ied pedagogy and i s au ho i a ian shadow. Bu he shadow ea s open-
ness. Digni ied pedagogy, on he con a y, us s ulne abili y as a space o hinking. Tha is why,
when we e hink in elligence in he pa adigm o a cul u e o digni y, we mo e away om he image
o he "winne o he discussion". In elligence is no longe a means o domina ion, bu a o m o
hospi ali y, a way o in i ing he O he in o one's space o men al e o wi hou equi ing hem
o p o e hei wo h. I is in his con ex ha P. Palme speaks o " he in eg i y o eaching" as a
willingness no only o know, bu also o be ulne able in knowledge, as he cou age o a eache
o be unp o ec ed by a scheme, bu p esen in hough . "A ue eache is one who isks being in
knowledge a he han abo e knowledge" [20].
Decen pedagogy does no ask "A e you wo hy o being hea d?", i asks "How can I lis en
so ha you opinion is hea d?". This is no he in ellec o a winne , bu he in ellec o a gues . One
ha opens up space – a he han app op ia ing i o onesel .
Cogni ion as co-exis ence.
Knowledge in a cul u e o digni y is always an encoun e , no a monologue. P. Ricoeu a gued
ha any knowledge abou he O he is al eady an ac o e hical in luence [21]. In he educa ional
space, his means ha he eache does no simply o mula e he u h, bu in luences who hei
s uden can be wi hin he limi s o his u h.
The epis emology o coexis ence is when I hink no abou you, bu wi h you. When I do no
o m an idea abou you, I o m an idea oge he wi h you. He e, knowledge is no ansmi ed – i
ma u es in ecip oci y. No as an ins uc ion, bu as a mu ual willingness no o ha e he las wo d.
An i-slogan.
Digni y ha eally wo ks ne e needs loud wo ds. I s p esence is el no in mani es os, bu in
in ona ion, in he pause be o e answe ing, in he willingness o lis en, e en when i is uncom o able.
This is no a deco a ion o e o m – i is an e hical mode o e e yday li e. Educa ion in digni y is no
abou s anda ds. I is abou ensu ing ha no one is educed o a s anda d. Digni y is no a bonus o
a success ul educa ion policy. I is he poin om which policy begins o alls apa .
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An i onic pos sc ip .
The i ony is ha oday he wo d "digni y" o en appea s in missions, on websi es, and in uni-
e si y b anding. Bu b anding does no sa e om humilia ion. And i objec i ica ion, con emp o
hie a chical dea ness eign in he in e nal communica ion space, no ex can co e up he silence in
which a pe son is in isible. Because digni y does no begin wi h a o mula ion. I begins wi h a gaze
ha does no e alua e bu ecognises.
A ec i e pedagogy: p esence, body, and esponsibili y
"We each no only he b ain. We each p esence. And p esence is always a body ha eels
some hing, e en when i is silen ".
Why a e a ec s impo an in educa ion?
Educa ion has long ied o e adica e a ec . I was buil as i a pe son we e only a mind, discon-
nec ed om he body. The less emo ion, he mo e e iciency. The less body, he mo e objec i i y.
Bu he body does no disappea . I si s silen ly in classes, b ea hes in lec u e halls, goes numb
du ing exams, and ge s i ed when i is no hea d. A ec s a e no he "emo ional side o eaching".
They a e a undamen al condi ion o human in e ac ion ha ei he igni es hinking o blocks i .
M. Nussbaum con incingly a gues in he book "Poli ical Emo ions" ha emo ions a e no sub-
jec i e noise, bu he e hical compass o democ a ic cul u e [22]. In pedagogy, i is he same:
emo ions do no in e e e, hey indica e whe he he e is a connec ion. I a s uden does no us ,
hey do no hink, hey de end hemsel es.
The body in he class oom: p esence wi hou pe mission.
M. Me leau-Pon y a gued: "I am my body. I pe cei e, he e o e I am physically p esen " [23].
The body is no jus a "b ain ca ie ". I is a subjec o pe cep ion ha cons an ly eels: sa e y,
h ea , p essu e, silence, suppo o con ol. Pedagogy ha igno es he body is pedagogy ha
misses he pe son. A s uden 's body does no ead he con en o slides, bu a he he one o
he eache 's oice, hei a igue, since i y, p esence o absence. The body is he i s audience o
eac e en be o e he b ain has o mula ed "unde s ood".
A ec i e esonance: why i a ec s us.
H. Rosa speaks o " esonance" as an exis en ial c i e ion o au hen ici y: i an e en does no
a ec you, you a e no in a ela ionship wi h i . In pedagogy, his means ha lea ning wi hou a ec
is no a ela ionship, bu a ans e o da a. A ec s a e he echoes o u h in he body. When
some hing bo he s, mo es, o i i a es you, i is a signal: meaning has en e ed he zone o you
li ing p esence. And pedagogy ha does no c ea e esonance c ea es indi e ence. Indi e ence is
he eal loss o pedagogical connec ion.
Responsibili y is no con ol, bu openness.
P. Ricoeu in e p e ed esponsibili y as a esponse o he in i a ion o he O he [21]. In ped-
agogy, his means no "managing a g oup" bu being in sensi i e coexis ence wi h i .
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The eache should no con ol emo ions. They should be open o hei p esence, ecognising
ha in e e y pai he e a e no only no es, bu also expe iences o loss, anxie y, shame, inspi a-
ion – and ha his is p ecisely wha cons i u es he con en o he lea ning p ocess.
Con ol is ea o li e. Responsibili y is us in li e, e en in i s unp edic abili y.
Modes y o p esence.
S. K ymsky w o e: "A eache is no a demons a o o knowledge. I is a pe son who has he
cou age o be p esen whe e o he s seek p o ec ion in pa e ns". [24] P esence does no mean
being pe ec . I means being human, embodied, angible. Saying "I don' know" is no a weakness,
bu an example. Hea ing a s uden 's emo ion is no emo ional ulne abili y, bu e hical ac ion.
In a cul u e o digni y, emo ions a e no o bidden e i o y. They a e a sou ce o dep h. The
body is no a shadow o hough . I is a o m o hough . And esponsibili y is no accoun abili y. I
is he abili y o be oge he wi hou hiding.
Educa ion o ulne able people: auma-in o med humanism
"We do no each abs ac minds. We each people who ha e expe ienced loss. And con inue
o lea n – e en h ough pain".
T auma-in o med as he e hics o acknowledging pain.
Uk ainian educa ion in he 21s cen u y is o ced o wo k wi h auma ha is no an indi idual
pa hology, bu a mass expe ience. Wa , o ced displacemen , loss o home o lo ed ones, social
u bulence, he legacy o pos - o ali a ian schooling – all o his a ec s he in e nal a chi ec u e o
a s uden , e en when hey emain silen [25, 26]. T adi ional academic cul u e was no p epa ed
o such a scale o ulne abili y. I hough in e ms o "success" and "mo i a ion", bu did no ask:
wha o do when a pe son is ba ely holding on? The auma-in o med app oach is no he apy, bu
he pedagogy o e hical lis ening. I ecognises ha lea ning is impossible when he b ain is s ill in
"su i al" mode [25, 27].
T auma-in o med humanism is educa ion ha does no ask "why a e you so weak", bu asks
"wha happened o you – and how can I be he e o you?".
The eache as a bea e o sa e p esence.
In condi ions o mass auma, he eache ceases o be me ely a bea e o knowledge – hey
become a igu e o sa e y egula ion. Thei oice, gaze, and eac ion can ei he calm o ac i a e
igge s. The auma-in o med app oach in i es he eache o a di e en p esence: no as a judge
o lec u e , bu as a sou ce o suppo ha does no humilia e [28].
Neu opsychology con i ms ha when he b ain is unde ch onic s ess, i s lea ning cen es
a e blocked. Hype ac i a ion o he amygdala, supp ession o he hippocampus, and dis up ion o
co isol egula ion all make memo isa ion and hinking nea ly impossible [29, 30]. Only he sense
o secu i y ha comes om he p esence o a s able, iendly igu e allows he ne ous sys em o
" e u n" o lea ning.
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A auma-in o med eache does no "admi " a s uden o knowledge. They c ea e a space in
which he s uden can be p esen – wi h all hei expe iences, including pain.
The educa ional en i onmen : a space o e- auma isa ion o healing? Uni e si y is no jus a
p og amme. I is an en i onmen ha ei he heals o deepens wounds. Any hing can be a igge :
he one o he eache , he a mosphe e o he exam, he lack o choice, an unexpec ed ask, silen
humilia ion in he g oup.
T auma-in o med pedagogy asks no only "wha we each", bu also how we emain silen ,
how we look, how we lis en. Resea ch con i ms ha spaces whe e s uden s eel emo ionally and
physically sa e ha e highe academic esul s, ewe d opou s, and g ea e engagemen [31]. Simply
implemen ing lexible deadlines, b eaks o egula ion, ooms o silence o psychological suppo
will no "spoil s uden s" bu will make hem capable o lea ning.
The body emembe s, and silence acknowledges.
B. an de Kolk w o e: "The body keeps he sco e" [32]. E en when he mind wan s o o ge
he auma, he body eac s o signals as i hey we e a h ea . And hen he s uden is seemingly
in he class oom, bu in eali y – in ano he eali y: mu led, heigh ened, domina ed by ea , shame,
con usion. Digni y pedagogy mus ecognise hese signals – aliena ion, a oidance, wi hd awal – and
no pe cei e hem as "p oblema ic beha iou ". T auma-in o med means seeing he pe son, no jus
hei eac ion.
Some imes he mos impo an ges u e is silence. Silence ha does no ush, does no o ce
a esponse, does no p essu e wi h a "plan". I is silence ha is close by. S. K ymsky called his
"silen solida i y" – a p esence ha acknowledges su e ing wi hou objec i ying i [26, 33].
Academic coldness as a o m o de ence.
Pa adox: i is p ecisely hose who should be mos sensi i e o ulne abili y – he academic
communi y – who ha e o en cul i a ed a cul u e o "neu al de achmen ". P o essionalism has
been equa ed wi h coldness. Objec i i y – wi h disembodimen . Bu in eali y, i is a de ence agains
a ec . Agains he ea o no being able o cope i you allow you sel o eel [31], [34].
T auma-in o med pedagogy does no ejec eason. I simply does no ejec he pe son who
c ies unde i s weigh .
Pedagogy o empa hy and us : an in es men in eco e y.
Empa hy is no weakness. I is a condi ion o esilience. T us is no nai e y, bu an in i a ion
o esponsibili y wi hou humilia ion. T auma-in o med humanism is no abou com o . I is abou
ecogni ion ha gi es s eng h. A s uden who eels seen is mo e likely o lea n, ake isks, y,
make mis akes, and no disappea om he class oom – because i no longe seems hos ile [31, 35].
Educa ion wi hou digni y epea s auma. Educa ion wi h digni y opens up he u u e.
Psychoanalysis o pedagogical ea : wha is ep essed and why i is silenced.
"Pedagogy ha ea s i s own humani y ep esses no only emo ions – i ep esses i sel ".
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Fea as he shadow o he p o ession.
In he collec i e imagina ion, a eache is someone who knows, keeps he class unde con ol,
manages he p ocess, and does no allow weakness o con ol hem. This image is unc ional bu
incomple e. Because in i s shadow li es ea : o no being au ho i a i e enough, o making a mis ake
in public, o losing con ol, o no mee ing expec a ions. F eud would call his ep ession: when
we a oid conscious con ac wi h wha h ea ens ou ego, we hide i unde a laye o p o ec i e
beha iou s [36].
In he con ex o educa ion, hese p o ec i e o ms o en ake he o m o :
– me hodological igidi y;
– emo ional neu ali y;
– e alua i e au ho i a ianism;
– silence ha masks a igue and anxie y.
The eache and he shadow: a Jungian pe spec i e.
C. Jung spoke o he "shadow" as ha pa o he psyche ha we do no ecognise in ou -
sel es, bu which s ill ac s. The shadow o a eache is no a "da k side", bu a ulne able, human
pa ha is a aid o being idiculed o ejec ed. Au ho i a ianism in he class oom is o en no a
sign o s eng h, bu a ea o e ealing weakness. When a eache o bids s uden s om speaking
"o opic", i may be hiding hei own anxie y abou losing con ol o he discou se. When he
ph ase "we' e no he e o alk abou emo ions" is u e ed, i o en sounds like an unconscious c y:
"don' make me eel wha I can' bea mysel ".
Pedagogical silence: no quie , bu a symp om.
Some imes silence eigns in he class oom. Bu his silence can be di e en . The e is he
silence o lis ening – a space whe e meaning ma u es. And he e is he silence o a oidance – when
bo h sides a e a aid o say some hing ha will e eal hei ue p esence.
A eache 's silence is some imes no es ain , bu a p o ec i e isola ion o a ec , a classic
psychoanaly ic mechanism ha allows one o "su i e" bu blocks con ac [37].
Con aine s ha canno wi hs and.
D. Winnico desc ibed he "holding" igu e – a he , he apis , eache – as a con aine o
he emo ions o ano he . Bu no e e y eache is capable o pe o ming his unc ion. I he s u-
den 's emo ions a e oo s ong, oo eal, oo amilia , he eache begins o close o – ei he
disciplina ily, me hodically, o sa cas ically. We hide behind "s uc u e" because we do no ha e he
men al endu ance o wi hs and a ec . This is an impo an poin : his is no an accusa ion, bu
sympa hy o he inne a igue o he eache , who cons an ly holds, es ains, shapes – bu who
is no held, ecognised, o lis ened o.
R. Kegan: ea o ans o ma ion.
R. Kegan w o e ha eal changes in consciousness a e a loss o s able iden i y, which is
always pain ul. When we demand ha eache s "be open", "be empa he ic", "be ulne able", we a e
demanding a psychological ans o ma ion ha no e e yone is eady o [38]. Some imes eache s
do no esis new p ac ices. They esis he loss o he old "sel " ha somehow ga e hem suppo .
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Language as a mask.
The s e eo ypical "p o essional language" o educa ion – es ained, emo ionless, abs ac – is
some imes jus a ionalisa ion. I allows hem no o say: "I am sca ed when s uden s igno e me";
"I don' know how o eac o ea s in he class oom"; "i hu s me when I see indi e ence".
A eache who does no alk abou ea is no always b a e. He may be mo e a aid o
his s uden s.
Wha o do abou i ?
Do no " e-educa e" he eache . Do no "ins uc " hem. Ins ead, c ea e a space whe e he
eache can be a p esence a he han a unc ion. Whe e hey a e held as hey hold o he s . Whe e
ea is no condemned bu spoken abou , and hus loses i s powe . Because he sca ies hing is
no ha ing he igh o be a aid. And i is p ecisely he cul u e o digni y in educa ion ha is a
cul u e whe e eache s ha e he igh o be ulne able. And a he same ime, no less digni ied.
3.4 RESISTANCE AS A FORM OF HOPE
"Tha which esis s is no ye b oken. Tha which hinks is s ill b ea hing".
Pedagogical ine ia and au oma ism: escape om eedom
We a e accus omed o belie ing ha educa ion is synonymous wi h de elopmen , p og ess,
and change. This is pa o he g ea educa ional my h – ha each gene a ion lea ns be e han
he p e ious one; ha school o uni e si y is a na u al incuba o o he new; ha he e y ac o
eaching is an ac o enewal.
Bu wha i educa ion is no only a ec o o wa d, bu also a mechanism o consolida ing he
amilia ?
Wha i , a ce ain his o ical momen s, i does no se e as a b eak h ough, bu a he as a
s abilising o ce in condi ions o exis en ial chaos? Wha i i does no lead us o wa d, bu p o ec s
us om collapse – no people, bu s uc u es, o ma s, me hodologies, hie a chies? In his ligh ,
educa ion appea s no as a space o change, bu as a i ual o p ese ing o m, e en i i s inne
con en has aded, dissol ed, and been educed o a empla e.
Uni e si y p og ammes ha ha e no been e ised o yea s, exams ha es memo y bu no
unde s anding, lec u es ha no one lis ens o because hei unc ion is no o inspi e bu o con i m
s a us – all his becomes an example o educa ion as a sys em ha , by imi a ing p og ess, se es
he ea o change. The e is some hing dis u bingly eassu ing abou pedagogical au oma ism. I is
like an in e nal pilo : i u ns on when he eache is i ed, discou aged, o does no eel he poin
o in e ac ion. Mechanical speech, epe i ion o pas lec u es, dis ance in he class oom – his
is no always a lack o p o essionalism. O en, i is a o m o unconscious de ence. Au oma ism
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