The existential category of encounter in the process of self-realisation and self-education. A comparison of the positions of Otto F. Bollnow and Jozef Tischner

Abstract

The article analyses the application of the existential category of encounter in the process of self-realisation and self-education, referring to the concepts of Otto Friedrich Bollnow and Jozef Tischner. The author explores how the category of encounter as a ‘clash of otherness’ between the ‘I’ and the ‘You’ influences pedagogical relations and educational processes. He emphasises that the existential and social aspects of upbringing intertwine to create a dynamic relational structure.
The foundation of the consideration is an analysis of the thought of Bollnow, who understood the encounter as a process of confrontation with the ‘Other’, leading to individual development and transformation of one’s own understanding of oneself and the world. The article considers his influence on hermeneutic and anthropological pedagogy, particularly in the context of personal development and life crises as opportunities for transformation. Similarly, Tischner, draw-ing on the philosophy of dialogue and the thought of Levinas, points to the ethical fundamen-tality of the encounter relationship, in which the relationship with the ‘Other’ becomes a key pedagogical aspect.
The article highlights the importance of the encounter in the educator-educator relationship, treating it as a source of change in the way of being and understanding the world. The author points to the potential of applying this category in education as a tool for creating authentic rela-tionships and rebuilding the axiological dimension of education. The article’s conclusions suggest that the encounter can be the foundation for a renewal of contemporary pedagogy, emphasising relationality and the personal dimension of education.