Transcultural Freedom and Fulfillment of Life: The Impact of 'Japanese Culture' in Otto Friedrich Bollnow's Theory of Übung

Abstract

In his theory of Übung the German philosopher of education Otto Friedrich Bollnow integrates ideas of traditional Japanese arts into a 'Western' framework of thought. This paper considers this integration of different educational traditions from the perspective of transculturality. It looks at the ways how Bollnow refers to what he calls 'Japanese culture' and points out that in his theory of Übung Bollnow develops a transcultural concept of freedom and fulfillment of life. In this sense, the paper makes clear that Bollnow's 'Western' thinking undergoes creative changes through the integration of 'Japanese culture'. However, it will also be shown that the 'Japanese culture' that Bollnow refers to is unwillingly changed through being interpreted in German language. The paper thus contributes to the study of the emergence of new thoughts in transcultural processes.