The Autodidact
and the Bildungsphilister
Years ago, in the days when “cringe” had yet to ascend to the status of adjective, a professor with whom I worked (let us call him “Bildungsphilister”)1 asked me if I possessed a doctorate degree. “No,” said I, “I guess that makes me an autodidact.”
“Autodidact,” exclaimed the professor, “what’s that?”
A few months later, Professor Bildungsphilister took part in a tour of the battlefields of Normandy that I was leading. In the lobby of the hotel in which our group was lodging, I discovered that he, a supposed expert on the battles that took place in that part of France during the Second World War, “spoke no language, not even French.” Thus, rather than saying excusez-moi, an expression then familiar to anyone who watched the Steve Martin monologues that were so popular in those days, the well-credentialed scholar made his request for a supernumerary towel by barking at an unfortunate desk clerk - loudly, rudely, and in English.
As much as I am enjoying this little walk down Memory Lane, and, in particular, the opportunity to rubbish Herr Doktor Professor Bildungsphilister, neither of these pleasures provide this post with its purpose. Rather, I tell this tale to introduce two words important to enthusiasts for self-education: autodidact and Bildungsphilister. The first describes a person who has attained a high standard of learning and culture by means of self-directed efforts. The second refers to someone who, despite long years of formal schooling (Bildung),2 remains a philistine (Philister.)3
Bildungsphilister is pronounced “BILL dungs FEE list er,” with the emphasis on the syllables written in upper case letters.
In the weeks and years to come, I intend to wax rhapsodic, and at length, about the two meanings of the German concept of Bildung. Like “education,” it sometimes refers to time spent in classrooms, and sometimes to something more sublime.
Present-day philistines are persons who take pains to avoid high culture and, in particular, the life of the mind. They take their name from the Iron Age people, the ilk of Goliath and Delilah, who often made war upon the ancient Israelites.