Gurevich, P. S. Do We Actually Need Pedagogical Anthropology?

Abstract: The author of the article re􀏔lects upon the historical fate and prospects of pedagogical anthropology as a new branch of humanities. Raising the question about whether it is efficient to break anthropology into pieces, the author assumes that not only new approaches and branches of humanities are being formed today but also previous branches of humanities are being integrated. The author of the article extends the theoretical scope of pedagogical anthropology. According to the author, pedagogical anthropology can also include reflections on human being as the result of integration of teaching and upbringing theories and ideas. The guiding idea here can be researchers’ attempt to create the image of human as it is presented in the theory of up-bringing. The author also raises a question about the future of pedagogical anthropology. The main methods of analysis used in the research article are the historical and phenomenological methods. These methods allow to appeal to many works and publications that haven’t been viewed as the topic of pedagogical anthropology until recently. The fact that the author touches upon the basic problems of pedagogical anthropology defines the novelty and scientific importance of the present research. The author of the research article conducts a critical analysis of the terms that have been already introduced by the followers of pedagogical anthropology. The author makes a distinction between pedagogical anthropology and philosophy of education. At the same time, the author does not agree with the list of philosopher who are thought to make their contribution to pedagogical anthropology. The author offers his own list of philosophers and educators who reflected on the process of education and up-bringing and caused the breakthrough in the philosophical understanding of human. For example, the author includes antique philosophers, well-known theologists and founders of the humanistic thought of Renaissance. The author’s conclusion is the following: we need pedagogical anthropology as an independent branch of humanities but the list of founders of pedagogical anthropology cannot be limited to the narrow circle of educational theorists.

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