Being and Bildung
Appropriating Heidegger and Aquinas
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21485265 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Richard Capobianco (Stonehill College), Chua Soo Meng Jude (Nanyang Technological University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 464-474 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-15 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Asia Pacific Journal of Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0218-8791 • E-ISSN: 1742-6855 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02188791.2025.2486833 |
| OpenAlex | W4409479579 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 8 |
Continental philosophy has been unfriendly to metaphysics in part because Martin Heidegger, who exerts a great influence, has been characterized as wanting to “overcome” (all) metaphysics, and Thomas Aquinas’ metaphysics has also often been the standard target of that “overcoming”. For instance, Jean Luc Marion’s (1991) God Without Being seeks to usher in ways to engage in religious or theological discourse without deploying traditional Thomistic metaphysical categories (notwithstanding his later retractions of his criticisms of Aquinas’ metaphysics in the Revue Thomiste in 1995). Yet contemporary, cutting-edge scholarship on Martin Heidegger suggests that this standard picture needs to be further nuanced, and that not all metaphysics needs to be rejected by Heideggerian or Continental thought. At the same time, recent scholarship on Aquinas’ metaphysics suggests that his vision of reality is less “onto-theological” than might have been initially imagined. This paper unpacks these updated accounts of Heidegger and Aquinas, identifies possible rapprochements in the light of these new readings, while pointing out persisting divergences, and explores the manifold implications for education (Bildung), and considers these questions particularly in the context of ethical formation. Educational topics discussed include (Romantic) poetry’s relevance, experiences of Being-physis (nature), joy and wonder in learning, astonishment at mystery and the way it opens us to an attention to the ethically significant, ways to think about science and liberal arts education, and the possibilities of managing technology, as well as ways to interrogate leadership. This essay takes the form of a written interview, with Richard Capobianco responding to (commentarial) questions posed by Jude Chua
Bildung · Epistemology · Sociology · Historical Architecture and Urbanism · Philosophy · Reflective Practices in Education · Religious Education and Schools
| Highly cited | No |
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