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Lebenskunde

English translation: Ethics

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Lebenskunde
English translation:Ethics
Entered by: Jonathan MacKerron

10:25 Aug 9, 2002
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.
German term or phrase: Lebenskunde
'ebenso gibt es Lebenskunde-Unterricht, den der Humanistische Verband'
Am I right in assuming that Lebenskunde denotes learning about the birds and the bees?
Also, anything juicy for the 'Humanistische Verband'?
Jonathan MacKerron
Ethics
Explanation:
Lebenskunde ist ein freiwilliges Fach und für die Kinder gedacht, die
nicht zum Religionsunterricht gehen. Es gibt keine Noten. Der Unterricht wird vom Humanistischen Verband Deutschlands
organisiert. (Link: Homepage des Verbands)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-09 10:39:13 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

this is also an option in Belgium where religious instruction of some sort is compulsory.

to quote further from the google site
In Lebenskunde beschäftigen wir uns mit den Dingen, die unser
Leben ausmachen und die uns interessieren. Ein paar Beispiele:
Wer bin ich?
Wie finde ich Freunde?
Was ist Liebe?
Ist Streit wichtig?
Warum gibt es Kriege?
Wie gehen wir mit Tieren um?
Wie leben Kinder in anderen Ländern?
Was ist ungerecht?
und so weiter und so weiter...

Wir wollen in Lebenskunde lernen,
uns selbst und andere zu akzeptieren und zu achten,
für unsere Welt verantwortlich zu sein und
unser Leben selbst zu bestimmen.




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-09 10:48:10 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In (Belgian) French, this course is called \"Moral\".
This translates into \'moral philosophy\', which is pretty heavy going when you\'re six, or \'Ethics\' which is the term I\'ve usually heard applied in English.

. wish to conduct observations and/or research in the Children\'s School ... research with human subjects must complete the on-line ethics course ...
www.psy.cmu.edu/childrensschool/Research/ Research%20Policy%20\'01-\'02.pdf



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-09 11:26:59 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I just saw your comment above. They might touch on the different religions in terms of people\'s beliefs and customs and how everyone deserves to be respected, but I certainly would not call it comparative religion. In Belgium the organisation behind the course offered prides itself on having no religious affilation whatsoever. It is against the \'dogmatic\' teachings of religious education and wants this course to be an alternative that instills the same sense of being a good person, acting properly and understanding your fellow man etc. But I am sure they don\'t spend much time at all discussing religion.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-09 11:36:10 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Agree with Alison on Humanist Association for Humanistische Verband. I\'d leave it in German with the English in ().
Selected response from:

writeaway
Grading comment
Thanks for your help. In association with the Humanistische Verband I found 'International Humanist and Ethical Union' in the Internet, which is the association to which it belongs.
Thanks to all for your input.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2Ethics
writeaway
4biology
Alison Schwitzgebel
3 +1life studies
jkjones
2life skills
Rowan Morrell


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
biology


Explanation:
At first I thought it might be anthropology, but after a spot of research I think it's biology:

"Herrmann-Köhn's Lebenskunde für Mittelschulen/Herrmann-Köhn's Biology for Middle Schools. F. Hermann. [hrsg]. W. Köhn. Fünf Hefte. Frankfurt-am-Main: Diesterweg, 1940-1943. Nos. 1-5. Education. Biology. Stamped, "Städt. Mittelschule Witzenhausen." Signed. "Erhard Hofmeister.""

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-09 10:35:50 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

... and humanist association for \"Humanistische Verband\"

http://www.americanhumanist.org/

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-09 10:38:48 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I think they mean biology tought by the humanist association, just to throw a different stance on the matter compared to standard biology teaching (creationism vs. evolutionism and all that) - i really don\'t think it means sex education!!!


    Reference: http://www.hofstra.edu/Libraries/Axinn/axinn_libdepts_spcoll...
Alison Schwitzgebel
France
Local time: 03:47
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 12
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Ethics


Explanation:
Lebenskunde ist ein freiwilliges Fach und für die Kinder gedacht, die
nicht zum Religionsunterricht gehen. Es gibt keine Noten. Der Unterricht wird vom Humanistischen Verband Deutschlands
organisiert. (Link: Homepage des Verbands)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-09 10:39:13 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

this is also an option in Belgium where religious instruction of some sort is compulsory.

to quote further from the google site
In Lebenskunde beschäftigen wir uns mit den Dingen, die unser
Leben ausmachen und die uns interessieren. Ein paar Beispiele:
Wer bin ich?
Wie finde ich Freunde?
Was ist Liebe?
Ist Streit wichtig?
Warum gibt es Kriege?
Wie gehen wir mit Tieren um?
Wie leben Kinder in anderen Ländern?
Was ist ungerecht?
und so weiter und so weiter...

Wir wollen in Lebenskunde lernen,
uns selbst und andere zu akzeptieren und zu achten,
für unsere Welt verantwortlich zu sein und
unser Leben selbst zu bestimmen.




--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-09 10:48:10 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In (Belgian) French, this course is called \"Moral\".
This translates into \'moral philosophy\', which is pretty heavy going when you\'re six, or \'Ethics\' which is the term I\'ve usually heard applied in English.

. wish to conduct observations and/or research in the Children\'s School ... research with human subjects must complete the on-line ethics course ...
www.psy.cmu.edu/childrensschool/Research/ Research%20Policy%20\'01-\'02.pdf



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-09 11:26:59 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I just saw your comment above. They might touch on the different religions in terms of people\'s beliefs and customs and how everyone deserves to be respected, but I certainly would not call it comparative religion. In Belgium the organisation behind the course offered prides itself on having no religious affilation whatsoever. It is against the \'dogmatic\' teachings of religious education and wants this course to be an alternative that instills the same sense of being a good person, acting properly and understanding your fellow man etc. But I am sure they don\'t spend much time at all discussing religion.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-09 11:36:10 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Agree with Alison on Humanist Association for Humanistische Verband. I\'d leave it in German with the English in ().

writeaway
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks for your help. In association with the Humanistische Verband I found 'International Humanist and Ethical Union' in the Internet, which is the association to which it belongs.
Thanks to all for your input.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Deborah Shannon: 'Ethics' sounds like a suitable alternative to religious studies - how likely is the idea of a humanist group teaching comparative religions?
35 mins
  -> I would say it is definitely not a comparative religion course. It's an alternative course for those who don't want to take the courses offered by the recognised religions.
agree  Steffen Walter: Among the answers given, I would definitely choose ethics since it's not just biology or sex(ual) education.
1 hr
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
life studies


Explanation:
I think it's more wide-ranging and may even include things like citizenship, and the humanistische Verband may even be a classical connection, assuming we're still talking about the Gymnasium part. The oxford Duden gives: ein humanistisches Gymnasium
secondary school emphasizing classical languages

jkjones
Local time: 02:47
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Rowan Morrell: Maybe my "life skills" isn't such a bad guess after all.
2 mins
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
life skills


Explanation:
I'm reaching back into my memory of secondary education in New Zealand, and I remember that there was something called "life skills". This was a non-examined subject that didn't appear on the report card. I can't remember much of what was taught in "life skills", though I do know sex education was not part of it.

If you are looking for an alternative to "biology", then maybe this would work.


    Memories of my own education!
Rowan Morrell
New Zealand
Local time: 13:47
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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