@inbook{dc53e98d9cf142678a036e82eb39da06,
title = "Bildung: Conformity or Transformation?",
abstract = "This chapter aims to explore how the concept of Bildung could be used to build an argument for a transformational approach to engineering education. Given the challenges facing humanity and the planet, education needs to reorientate towards humanizing our world. We need to oppose the neo-liberal pressure to instrumentalize education for the benefit of corporate actors. It will be argued here that the concept of Bildung can help with this task if it is linked to transformational models of education which aim to prepare students to help to emancipate humanity from the ravages of capitalism. Education either breathes conformity to the current system or seeks to aid those who want to change it. To change it we need to focus on a philosophy of practice which valorizes deep and active learning and links it with efforts to change extant social relations. Our objective then should be to educate activist engineers. Some barriers to doing so are also explored.",
keywords = "Activist engineering, Bildung, Engineering education, Social and critical realism, Transformational education",
author = "Eddie Conlon",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.",
year = "2025",
doi = "10.1007/978-3-031-86581-7\_7",
language = "English",
series = "Philosophy of Engineering and Technology",
publisher = "Springer Nature",
pages = "95--114",
booktitle = "Philosophy of Engineering and Technology",
address = "United States",
}