ResponsAbility - Dialogues on Practical Knowledge and Bildung in Professional Studies – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode prof. emeritus Anders Lindseth talks about his work in the committee for Bildung in higher education (“Dannelsesutvalget - om dannelses perspektiver i høyere utdanning”, 2009) and the fundamental perspectives that this committee brought forward. Furthermore, he discusses the intention of The Research Council of Norway to have more practice-near research and how the Center for Practical Knowledge at Nord University, where Lindseth was professor, met this intention in terms of Reflective Practice Research. In the further conversation, Lindseth gives an in-depth account of why and how this research approach is deeply rooted phenomenology and hermeneutics and why it is legitimate for practitioners to conduct research on their on practice.

00:01:12 – What is the role of Bildung in professional studies and research?
00:02:51 – What are experiences of discrepancy and how to investigate them in terms of research?
00:05:08 – The “personal” in research
00:06:30 – What is Reflective Practice Research?
00:11:45 – Methodologies that can be used within the research approach of Reflective Practice Research
00:23:52 – What is “response-ability” (or “respondability” as Anders also calls it) and why is it important for professionals like nurses, teachers etc.?
00:25:10 – ResponsAbility (or “respondability”) and the practitioner’s search for meaning
00:26:59 – On the theoretical reflection- the third phase of the research process in Reflective Practice Research.
00:29:32 – On the relationship between reflection and meditation
 
Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection

How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.

1.  Anders Lindseth states that learning, development, and research often begin with an experience of discrepancy—a situation in which reality does not unfold as expected. Reflect on a recent situation in your professional life that surprised, challenged, or unsettled you. What might be at stake in this experience (e.g. what themes, topics, values)?
2. Lindseth suggests that genuine thinking requires moments of stillness in which we step back from immediate reactions, calculations, and ready-made answers. How do you create space for reflection in your own life, and how might such moments of silence strengthen your capacity to respond wisely to the people and situations you encounter?

Literature:

-              Lindseth, A. (2020). Dosenten i et FoU-perspektiv. Refleksiv praksisforskning som en vei mot dosentkompetanse. I C. C. Bachke & M. Hermansen (Red.), Å satse på dosenter. Et utviklingsarbeid (Kap. 4, s. 75–101). Oslo: Cappelen Damm Akademisk. 

-              Lindseth, A. (2021): Diskrepanserfaring og svarevne. In: Fuglseth, K. S. & Halås, C. T. (eds.): Innføring i praktisk kunnskap. Anerkjennende, kritisk og konstruktiv praksisforskning 

-              Lindseth, A (2009), Dannelsens plass i profesjonsutdanninger. Kunnskap og dannelse foran et nytt århundre. Innstilling fra Dannelsesutvalget for høyere utdanning

Steen Nepper Larsen is associate professor at the Department of Education Sciences at the Danish School of Education at Aarhus University. He is a renowned Danish intellectual and author of many publications. Among them is book together with John Hattie in which Steen challenges the Visible Learning approach. How this book came into life and what Steen assumes to be severe flaws of the education system today, is examined closer in this podcast episode, where Steen also gives an in-depth account of Bildung and why it is so fundamentally different from education. 

00:01:02 – Working with John Hattie on the book project “The Purposes of Education”
00:04:13 – Steen's main critique of John Hattie’s Visible Learning approach
00:07:06 – What is Bildung?
00:12:26 – How have the themes of Bildung come under pressure?
00:16:36 – Steen's main arguments against evidence-based teaching
00:21:56 – What would an education without “evaluation fever” and the chase for evidence look like?
00:26:09 – Is the concept of Bildung relevant for today’s professional studies?
00:30:11 – Is there a relation between Bildung and responsibility as presented in the European Qualifications Framework?
00:35:41 – What is needed from us to become truly “seeing”?
00:40:00 – Bildung as the “God-given” in humans?

Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection

How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.

1. Steen Nepper Larsen argues that education should be more than preparation for predefined goals, performance indicators, or labor market demands. Reflect on your own professional life: Which ideas, values, texts, experiences, or encounters have genuinely shaped who you are—not merely what you can do—and how do they continue to influence your work today? 
2. Throughout the conversation, Larsen presents Bildung as the cultivation of independent judgment and the courage to think critically, even when prevailing systems, routines, or expectations push in another direction. Where in your own practice do you feel called to question assumptions, challenge taken-for-granted ways of thinking, or open up new possibilities for yourself and others?

Literature:

-              Hattie, J. & Larsen, S. N. (2020): The Purposes of Education: A Conversation between John Hattie and Steen Nepper Larsen. New York, NY: Routledge. 

-              Larsen, S. N. (2022): Evalueringsfeber og evidensjagt. Copenhagen: Samfundslitteratur  

-              Larsen, S. N. (2019): Blindness in Seeing: A Philosophical Critique of the Visible Learning Paradigm in Education. Educational Science 9(1) 47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9010047 

-              Larsen, S.N (2016). At ville noget med nogen – filosofiske og samtidskritiske fragmenter om dannelse og pædagogik. Turbine akademisk. 

In this episode we welcome professor Gert Biesta as our guest. Gert is author of the book “The Beautiful Risk of Education” and a well-renown scholar in the field of educational theory. In our talk with him, he explicates why the shift of focus from teaching to learning is unfortunate and why a world-centered approach in education is to be chosen over a student-centered approach. He also describes why it is important for an educator to take risks and why the development of practical wisdom in professional studies is mandatory, so that the students do not only become competent but good practitioners. 

00:00:58 – On the difference between educational theory and philosophy of education
00:02:50 – On the unfortunate focus shift from teaching to learning
00:07:41 – Why teaching and learning should be more world-centered than student-centered
00:14:23 – On “subjectification” as one of the three main objectives of education
00:22:37 – What is phronesis and why is it important in professional studies?
00:24:29 – What is virtuosity, in relation to phronesis?
00:27:29 – Is virtuosity teachable?
00:31:18 – Is there a connection between the notion of “responsAbility” and phronesis?

Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection

How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.

1. Gert Biesta describes education as a process through which people become subjects of their own lives rather than objects of external forces and expectations. Where in your own life and work do you experience the freedom to act from your own judgment, and what responsibilities arise from that freedom?
2. Biesta argues that meaningful education always involves risk because neither teachers nor learners can fully control what will emerge. Where in your own practice might you need the courage to let go of certainty, trust the process, and remain open to unexpected possibilities?

 
Literature:

- Biesta, G.J.J. (2015): “How does a competent teacher become a good teacher? On judgement, wisdom and virtuosity in teaching and teacher education.” In: Heilbronn, R. & Foreman‐Peck, L. (eds.): Philosophical perspectives on the future of teacher education. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell. 

- Biesta, G.J. 2013. The beautiful risk of education. Routledge. 

- Biesta, G,J. 2017. The Rediscovery of teaching. Routledge. 

- Biesta, G.J. 2020. Risking Ourselves in Education: Qualification, Socialization, and Subjectification Revisited. Educational Theory, v70 n1 p89-104 2020 

Our guest in this episode is Shaun Gallagher, a leading thinker and scholar in the fields of phenomenology, hermeneutics and the cognitive sciences, with several internationally acclaimed contributions. Shaun is the Lillian and Morrie Moss Professor of Excellence in Philosophy at the University of Memphis and he also has a secondary research appointment at the University of Wollongong in Australia. In this episode, he describes one of his neurophenomenological research projects based on astronauts’ experiences of awe and wonder. He also gives a brief account of phenomenology and why the first-person perspective in research can foster a deeper understanding of phenomena which conventional approaches cannot. In our conversation we also delve into the topic of self-knowledge and practical wisdom and Shaun explicates why spiritual experiences of awe and wonder, like the astronauts had, can contribute to the development of responsibility in professional practices. 

00:01:10 – Phenomenological research on the spiritual experiences of astronauts  

00:05:41– Why is phenomenology a suitable research approach to investigate experiences as such? 

00:07:03 – On the practice of phenomenology in other research projects 

00:08:39 – On the first-person perspective in phenomenological research  

00:11:44 – How does the body shape the mind? 

00:14:14 – On hermeneutics, education and human development 

00:17:46 – On the role of self-knowledge in professional studies and practices 

00:23:42 – On different concepts of the self 

00:27:55 – On the role of philosophy in professional studies 

00:31:32 – Can spiritual experiences of awe and wonder foster responsibility in professional practices? 

Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection

How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.

1. Shaun Gallagher suggests that experiences of awe, wonder, and genuine encounter can transform how we see ourselves and our place in the world. Reflect on a recent experience that made you pause, reconsider, or see something differently. What might this experience be inviting you to pay greater attention to in your professional life?
2. Phenomenology invites us to examine our lived experience before rushing to explanations or judgments. In a current professional challenge, what might you discover if you first attend carefully to your own experience, the perspectives of others, and the broader context before deciding how to act?  

Literature:   

• Gallagher, S. (2022): Phenomenology. Berling: Springer.  
• Gallagher, S., Janz, B., Reinerman, L., Trempler, J., Bockelman, P. (2018): A Neurophenomenology of Awe and Wonder. London: Palgrave Macmillan.  
• Gallagher, S. (1992): Hermeneutics and Education. New York, NY: State University Press of New York  
• Gallagher, S. (2005): How the body shapes the mind. Clarendon Press, Oxford  
• Gallagher, S. Ed. (2011): The Oxford Handbook of the Self. Oxford University Press 

In this episode we have one of the most distinguished and well-known thinkers of our times with us: Martha C. Nussbaum. She is currently Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, appointed in the Law School and the Philosophy Department. As a philosopher she published on a wide range of topics like ethics, feminism, political philosophy as well as ancient Greek and Roman philosophy. In our conversation with her, we delve into the Princeton Classics edition of her book Not For Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities, which has just been released. Among other topics, we discuss the vital role of liberal arts and explore why their significance is increasingly diminished and even endangered in higher education.

00:01:26 – Why does democracy need the humanities? 

00:05:56 – Why is there a Silent Crisis in Higher Education and what is it about? 

00:09:57 – Why is it bad that the humanities are eradicated in certain university programs? 

00:11:47 – What is Socratic pedagogy and how can it be practiced with students? 

00:18:13 – Do one need specific classes to promote the three abilities that foster citizenship? 

00:19:42 – What is meant by the ability to cultivate imagination? 

00:24:45 – Is our human capacity of transcendence the key to develop responsibility? 

00:29:03 – About the educational approach of the philosopher and poet Tagore 

00:34:12 – How can liberal education be integrated in professional studies? 

00:37:45 – On academic essay writing 

00:41:52 – On Greek tragedies and their relevance for today’s world 

00:44:11 – Why do we need to think about anger and forgiveness? 

00:49:34 – Why philosophers who only have one single message, have become dead 

Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection

How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.

1. Martha C. Nussbaum argues that responsible citizenship requires us to examine not only what we believe, but also why we believe it. Reflect on a conviction that guides your professional practice. Where does it come from, and how might exploring its origins deepen your understanding of both the issue and yourself?
2. Nussbaum suggests that education should prepare us not only for work, but also for citizenship in an interconnected world. What responsibility do you have—within your profession and beyond it—to contribute to a more thoughtful, humane, and democratic society, and how might this responsibility be expressed in your everyday practice?

Literature:   

• Callard, A. (2025): Open Socrates. The Case for a Philosophical Life. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.  
• Nussbaum, Martha (2024): The Tenderness of Silent Minds. Benjamin Britten and his War Requiem. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  
• Nussbaum, Martha (2023): Justice for Animals. Our Collective Responsibility. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.  
• Nussbaum, M. (2024 [2010]): Not For Profit. Why Democracy Needs The Humanities. Princton & Oxford: Princton University Press.  
• Nussbaum, M. (2016): Anger and Forgiveness. Resentment, Generosity, Justice. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press.  
• Nussbaum, M. (2001 [1986]): The Fragility of Goodness. Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  
• Nussbaum, Martha (1997). Cultivating Humanity: A Classical Defense of Reform in Liberal Education. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 

Hilary Bradbury is our guest in this episode. She is a key figure in the vast international movement of action research and editor of The Sage Handbook of Action Research, which is without doubt a cornerstone of action research. Furthermore, she is one of the founders and editors in chief of the Action Research Journal as well as curator of the ActionResearchPlus online platform. In our conversation with her, we investigate central epistemological features of action research and the role of dialogue in this form of research. Last but not least we discuss with Hilary how action research can contribute to change and transformation in face of the climate crises and how spirituality can be approached by this form of research.

00:00:52 – How Hilary got involved in action research

00:02:42 – A short introduction to action research

00:04:55 – What is actionable knowledge?

00:07:32 – Different epistemologies between action research and conventional research

00:09:36 – On the notion of evidence in action research

00:12:54 – On the role of action research in social science and in the humanities

00:15:09 – On reflective practice research as a form of philosophical action research and how to deal with critics of action research

00:20:14 – How to understand impact in action research?

00:26:24 – How can one approach spirituality through action research?

00:37:39 – On practical wisdom and responsibility

Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection

How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.

1. Hilary Bradbury suggests that meaningful change begins when we move from being passive observers of the world to active participants in shaping it. Consider a challenge or concern in your professional context that truly matters to you. What is one small but concrete step of action through which you could begin to contribute to the change you would like to see? 
2. Throughout the conversation, Bradbury highlights the importance of dialogue, reflection, and attentiveness to lived experience as sources of actionable knowledge. Reflect on a current situation in your professional life. What might become possible if, instead of immediately seeking solutions, you first created space for deeper listening—to yourself, to others, and to what the situation itself may be asking of you?

Literature:

• Bradbury, H. (ed.) (2015): The Sage Handbook of Action Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.
• Bradbury, H. (2022): Action Research Transformation: ART at a time of ecosocial crisis. Celtenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Angeltun, Weiss, Helskog & Bloom (forthcoming): “Imagine this…” – Exploring Creativity and Intuition in R&D processes with the Trilogos Method. In: Helskog, G. H. (ed.): The Humanizing Power of Philosophical Practice. Vienna: LIT Publishing.
• www.actionresearchplus.com

The guest of this episode is John Hattie, one of the world’s best-known and most widely read education experts. In our conversation with him, he explains the cornerstones and intentions of his Visible Learning approach. We also discuss several points of criticism that he received for his approach and how he developed it further based on the critique he faced. Furthermore, John also explicates the concept of intentional alignment and why the practice of this concept needs an ethical dimension in order not to be misused. Finally, he advocates a shift of perspective in education from autonomy towards responsibility.  

00:01:12 – What is Visible Learning? 

00:02:59 – On “Know thy impact” 

00:05:55 – On the impact of Visible Learning 

00:07:01 – The main critiques of the Visible Learning approach 

00:10:23 – On interpreting and building a story around data 

00:12:02 – On “What works best” 

00:14:37 – The relevance of self-knowledge in the Visible Learning approach 

00:16:38 – The Dodo Bird Verdict 

00:21:22 – Intentional alignment 

00:27:13 – How does a competent teacher become a good teacher? 

00:32:48 – On phronesis, Bildung and ResponsAbility 

00:36:32 – From autonomy towards responsiblity 

Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection
How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.

1.  Throughout the conversation, John Hattie argues that what matters is not simply what we do, but how we think about what we do and the impact it has on others. Think of a recurring practice in your professional life. How do you know whether it is making the difference you hope for? 
2.  Towards the end of the dialogue, Hattie proposes replacing the language of autonomy with the language of responsibility. Consider a situation in your professional practice where you have considerable freedom to act. Rather than asking, “What am I free to do?”, what changes when you ask, “What does this situation—and the people involved—need from me?”

Literature:  

• Hattie, J. (2023): Visible Learning: The Sequel A Synthesis of Over 2,100 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. New York, NY: Routledge. 
• Hattie, J. & Larsen, S. N. (2020): The Purposes of Education. A Conversation Between John Hattie and Steen Nepper Larsen. New York, NY: Routledge. 
• Hattie, J. & Clarke, S. (2019): Visible Learning: Feedback. New York, NY: Routledge. 

The guest of this episode is professor James McGuirk, Director of the Center for Diaconia and Professional Practice at VID Specialized University and professor II at Nord University, both in Norway. As a philosopher, James gives account of what he means by the notion of “the wise practitioner” and how students of professional studies can develop towards becoming wise practitioners. In order to do so, he explicates the three forms of knowledge of Aristotle and brings forth arguments why using one’s own experiences is as legitimate as using others’ in practice research. 

00:00:44 – What are characteristics of a wise practitioner? 

00:02:06 – What is the role of habit in practical wisdom? 

00:04:59 – What is the role of reason in practical wisdom? 

00:06:42 – On the three knowledge forms of Aristotle 

00:10:38 – What is phronesis? 

00:14:03 – On values in institutions 

00:18:54 – How can students of professional studies become wise practitioners? 

00:24:28 – On the role of stories and experiences in practice research and developing practical knowledge 

00:28:04 – Are there any differences in researching narratives phenomenologically or hermeneutically? 

00:30:46 – Is using one’s own experiences as legitimate as using others’ in practice research? 

00:36:17 – Is developing phronesis, or responsAbility, rather a matter of research than of teaching? 

Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection

How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.

1. James McGuirk describes practical wisdom not as the application of rules, but as the capacity to do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time. Think of a recent challenge in your professional life. Looking back, what did the situation require of you, and what helped—or hindered—you in responding wisely to it? 
2. Throughout the conversation, McGuirk emphasizes that wisdom develops through experience, attention, reflection, and learning from others. Who are the practitioners you admire, and what qualities in their way of being, acting, or judging would you like to cultivate more consciously in your own professional practice?

Literature:  

McGuirk, J. (2021): Den kloke praktikeren. In: Fuglseth, K.S. & Halås, C.T. (eds.): Innføring i Praktisk Kunnskap. Anerkjennende, kritisk og konstruktiv praksisforskning. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.  

McGuirk, J. 2017. Experience and the story. I: Catrine Thorbjørnsen Halås, Ingjerd Gåre Kymre and Kari Steinsvik: Humanistiske forskningstilnærminger til profesjonspraksis.  

McGuirk, J. og Jan Selmer Methi. (2014); Praktisk kunnskap som profesjonsforskning: antologi over yrkeserfaringen som utgangspunkt for forståelse av kunnskapsutvikling i praksis. Fagbokforlaget.  

McGuirk, J. 2016. Phenomenological considerations of habit: Reason, knowing and self-presence in habitual action. Phenomenology and Mind, (6), 112–121. https://doi.org/10.13128/Phe_Mi-19556 

McGuirk, J. 2021. Embedded rationality and the contextualization of critical thinking. Journal of Philosophy of Education, (55), 606-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9752.12563 

McGuirk, J. 2023. Paying attention alone and together: The role of attention in the formation and cultivation of habits. Knowing our ways about in the world: Philosophical perspectives on Practical knowledge, eds. B. Molander, M. Solli, & T. Netland. Oslo. Scandinavian University Press.https://www.idunn.no/doi/10.18261/9788215069135-23-06  

McGuirk, J. 2023. On the role of the ‘Call’ in professional work and practical knowledge. Exploring Practical Knowledge, eds. K. Fuglseth, C. Cederberg & E. van der Zande. Leiden. Brill 

McGuirk, J. 2022.Perspectives on democracy, citizenship, and value education in the Norwegian school. Education in Europe: Contemporary approaches across the continent. New York. Routledge. 

The guest of this episode is Cheryl Hunt, Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter/UK, Director and Trustee of the International Network for the Study of Spirituality (INSS) and the founding editor of the Journal for the Study of Spirituality. Cheryl gives an in-depth account of Reflective Practice and how it developed historically in professional practices. Furthermore, she elaborates the relationship between Reflective Practice, spirituality and meaning-making. Finally, she explicates how spirituality can be studied and researched. 

00:01:17 – On Reflective Practice and its history 

00:14:29 – On the role of the question “Who am I?” in Reflective Practice 

00:17:55 – What does it mean to act authentically in professional practices? 

00:20:03 – On the relation between authenticity and spirituality 

00:23:14 – Is there a relation between spirituality and meaning-making?  

00:26:26 – What is the role of spirituality in professional practices? 

00:28:19 – Is there a lack of spirituality in today’s world? 

00:31:26 – Is Reflective Practice an approach to promote responsibility in professional practices 

00:34:33 – How can spirituality be researched and studied? 

00:36:10 – How to facilitate spirituality in terms of a reflective practice

Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection

How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.

1. Cheryl Hunt suggests that there is a difference between having twenty years of experience and having one year of experience repeated twenty times. When you reflect on your own professional practice, what experiences have genuinely changed the way you think, act, or relate to others? What helped transform those experiences into learning rather than mere repetition? 
2. Drawing on Parker Palmer, Hunt asks not only what we do and how we do it, but also who is the self that acts, teaches, leads, or serves? When you reflect on your work, what aspects of yourself seem most alive, meaningful, and authentic—and how might paying closer attention to them influence the way you respond to the people and situations you encounter?

Literature: 

- Hunt, C. (2024): Discovering Spirituality through Critical Reflection and Autoethnography. In: Flanagan, B. & Clough, K. (eds.): The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Spirituality and Contemplative Studies. London & New York, NY: Routledge.  

- Hunt, C. (2023): ‘Doing’ reflective practice and understanding spirituality as a way of being: Implications for professional and transformative practice, Journal for the Study of Spirituality, DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2249823  

- Hunt, C. (2021). Critical Reflection, Spirituality and Professional Practice 1st ed. 2021. Palgrave MacMillian  

Hunt, C. (2016)  ‘Why me? Reflections on using the self in and as research’ In J. McNiff (ed) Values and Virtues in Higher Education Research: Critical issues. (Abingdon: Routledge) pp.48-63 

Hunt, C. (2016)  'Spiritual creatures? Exploring a possible interface between reflective practice and spirituality'. In Fook, J., Collington, V., Ross, F., Ruch, G. and West, L. (eds) Researching Critical Reflection: Multidisciplinary perspectives. (London: Routledge). pp.34-47 

Hunt, C. (2010): A step too far? From a professional reflective practice to spirituality. In: Bradbury, H., Frost, N., Kilminster, S. & Zukas, M. (eds.): Beyond reflective practice. New approaches to professional lifelong learning. London & New York: Routledge.   

Hunt, C. (2009)  ‘Wyrdknowledge: towards an understanding of spirituality through reflective practice and mythopoesis’. In P.Willis, T.Leonard, A.Morrison and S.Hodge (eds), Spiritualty, Mythopoesis and Learning (Queensland: Post Pressed). pp.130-146. 

Hunt, C. (2006)  Travels with a turtle: metaphors and the making of a professional identity. Reflective Practice 7(3), 315-332. 

In this episode we welcome Finn Thorbjørn Hansen, professor in applied philosophy at Aalborg University. Finn published extensively on the phenomenology of wonder and assumes it a key-dimension in higher education, professional studies and existential pedagogy in general. By means of the question “What would happen if we in the curriculum of higher education took seriously that we should learn our students ‘to stand in the open’, that is, really acknowledge that the future is unknown?” he delves into the concept of philosophical literacy and presents a wonder-based research approach that is strongly in line with the phenomenological-hermeneutical tradition as well as current eco-phenomenological thinking. Finally, he outlines how he conducts such wonder-based research in the form of his Wonder-Labs. 

00:00:48 – What is applied philosophy? 

00:02:08 – What is existential pedagogy? 

00:09:18 – The philosophical life as an ideal of Bildung and learning to stand in the open 

00:12:33 – Wonder in higher education and learning to deal with the unknown  

00:17:10 – What is wonder-based research? 

00:26:44 – What is philosophical literacy? 

00:29:36 – The existential, the spiritual and the apophatic  

00:32:43 – What is a Wonder-Lab? 

00:37:38 – A summarizing view of Finn’s academic work and research 

Between Theory and Practice – Questions for Reflection

How might the insights from this dialogue inspire your own practice? The following questions are intended to inspire further inquiry, whether explored individually or in conversation with colleagues, students, or peers.

1. Finn Thorbjørn Hansen suggests that many of the most important questions in life cannot be solved through knowledge, control, or quick answers, but require us to "stand in the open" and remain receptive to what emerges. Think of a challenge or question that currently matters to you. What might change if, instead of trying to solve it immediately, you gave yourself permission to dwell with it in a spirit of wonder and not-knowing? 
2. Hansen argues that wonder is closely connected to our capacity to listen, to be responsive, and ultimately to act with practical wisdom. Reflect on an experience that moved, surprised, or touched you. What might this experience be calling you to care for, commit to, or take responsibility for in your professional or personal life?

Literature: 

• Hansen, F. T. (2024): The sense of wonder as a necessary “Philosophical Literacy” in healthcare. In: Ensted, D. & Dellenborg, L. (eds.): Culture, Spirituality and Religious Literacy in Healthcare, p. 217-231. Nordic Perspectives. London & New York, NY: Routledge.  
• Hansen, F.T. (2024). Wonder and Philosophy as Grounding Sources in Health Humanities. In: Crawford, P., Kadetz, P. (eds) Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Health Humanities, p. 1-15. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26825-1_221-2   
• Hansen, F. T.; Botnen Eide, S. & Leget C. (eds.) (2023): Wonder, Silence, and Human Flourishing. Towards a Rehumanization of Health, Education and Welfare. London: Lexington.  
• Hansen, F.T. (2022). What would an Apophatic Action Research look like? International Journal of Action Research, Eikeland (ed.), special issue on «Conceptualizing AR». Vol. 18, Issue 2/2022, pp: 100–115. 
• Thorsted, A.C. & Hansen, F.T. & (2022). At tænke med hjertet: En grundbog i eksistentiel praksisfænomenologi. [To Think With the Heart: Basic Reflections on Existential Praxis Phenomenology]. Aarhus: Klim. 
• Hansen, F.T. (2022). At skrive sig ud mod det gådefulde via undringens fire verdenshjørner. In: Herholdt-Lomholdt, S. (red.), Fenomenologi. å leve,samtale og skrive ut mot det gåtefulle i tilværelsen, s. 47-87Bergen: Fagbokforlaget. 
• Hansen, F.T. & Jørgensen, L.B. (2021). Wonder-inspired Leadership: Or how to cultivate ethical and phenomenon-led health care. Nursing Ethics: Vol. 28, No. 6 (September): 951-966.https://doi-org.zorac.aub.aau.dk/10.1177/0969733021990791  
• Hansen, F. T. (2019): Learning to Innovate in Higher Education Through Deep Wonder. In: Philosophy and Theory in Higher Education. Vol. 1, 3. pp. 51 - 74 
• Hansen, F. T. (2017): Sokratisk og fenomenologisk orientert aktionsforskning. In: Allrø, H. & Hansen, F. T. (eds.): Dialogisk aktionsforskning i et praksisnært perspektiv. Aalborg: Aalborg Universitetsforlag.  
• Hansen, F.T. (2016). At undre sig ved livets afslutning: Om brug af filosofiske samtaler i palliativt arbejde [To Wonder at the End of Life: On the use of philosophical conversations in palliative care]. Copenhagen.: Akademisk forlag. Scientific monography. 
• Hansen, F.T. & Dinkins, C. S. (2016). Socratic Wonder as a Way to Aletheia in Qualitative Research and Action Research. In: HASER. Revista Internacional de Filosofía Aplicada, Nr. 7: 51-88. 
• Hansen, F.T. (2015). The Call and Practice of Wonder: How to Evoke a Socratic Community of Wonder in Professional Settings, s. 217-244. In: Noah Weiss, M. (ed.), Socratic Handbook:Dialogue Methods for Philosophical Practice. Wien: LIT Verlag 
• Hansen, F. T. (2010): The Phenomenology of Wonder in Higher Education. In: Brinkmann, M. (ed.): Erziehung. Phänomenologische Perspektiven, p. 161-178. Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann.   
• Hansen, F. T. (2007 [1st edition: 2002]): Det filosofiske liv. Et dannelsesideal for eksistenspædagogikken [The Philosophical Life: A Bildung Ideal for Existential Pedagogy] Copenhagen: Hans Reitzels Forlag.