Jeanne Hersch's pedagogy of life. A wonder-ful way to authenticity

Abstract

During her life, Jeanne Hersch has engaged herself in different fields, like human rights, politics, education, medical and scientific progress, always developing a pedagogy of life, which is able to link everyday life to its original meaning, thus leading to an authentic existence. This is possible thanks to the deep connection between the theoretical reflection and its actualization in ordinary life. The aim of this contribution is to present the ground of Hersch’s pedagogy of life and to show in which way wonder can be found at its beginning, leading to some essential consequences for philosophy and for education. In the first part of the paper, I clarify the role of wonder in Hersch’s philosophical reflection, between the theoretical ground of her philosophy and the practical indications that it implies. In the second part, I point out Hersch’s application of her theoretical findings to education and contemporary issues in education, highlighting the importance of educating human wonder in order to exist authentically.