Diacritica 25-2_Filosofia.indb - cehum - Universidade do Minho

146
RUI SILVA
and complement these Aristotelian insights, as well virtue ethics, more generally,
by incorporating the humanistic idea of Bildung that was developed
by Herder, Humdoldt and Hegel, among others, in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries, and by Gadamer, who can be considered one of the most
important representatives of the tradition of German neo-humanism.
It is relevant to point out, in this context, that McDowell used the German
word Bildung to designate the moulding of ethical character and the
acquisition of a second nature or the process whereby we develop our conceptual
capacities and get initiated into a conceptual space:
If we generalize the way Aristotle conceives the moulding of ethical character,
we arrive at the notion of having one’s eyes opened to reasons at large by
acquiring a second nature. I cannot think of a good short English expression
for this, but it is what fi gures in German philosophy as Bildung. (McDowell,
1996: 84)
In Mind and World, McDowell did not explore the relevance of Bildung
for his moral philosophy, because he was more concerned with the general
idea of a development of our conceptual capacities. Departing from his
insight, I will argue that Bildung off ers us a plausible account of moral reliability
that can complement and correct an Aristotelian account of practical
rationality.
Th e refl ection on Bildung that was developed in the 18 th century conceived
of Bildung as a free and autonomous process of inner transformation
and personal development, which could not be subordinated to external
ends or purposes. Furthermore, and in accordance with the humanistic
tradition, Bildung was supposed to promote a harmonious development of
human beings and to require knowledge of art, literature and philosophy.
Last, but not least, Bildung should involve a multiplicity of experiences and
an exposure to a diversity of situations. Apparently, this last point explains
the previous point: humanistic culture contributes decisively for Bildung
because it is a large repository of life experiences.
Gadamer, a continental philosopher that McDowell admires, may be
considered one of the last representatives of German neo-humanism, and
elaborated what is probably the most insightful refl ection on the concept
of Bildung. One of the main points of Gadamer’s hermeneutics is a rehabilitation
of the prejudice, or the idea that knowledge and understanding
are always and inevitably conditioned by certain historical or cultural presuppositions.
Th is is the reason why Gadamer describes understanding as
Diacritica 25-2_Filosofia.indb 146 05-01-2012 09:38:26