Civilisation, civility, communication – what is ‘sivistys’?
Since this year is the ‘Year of Sivistys’, I made an effort to educate myself on the meaning of the Finnish term ‘sivistys’. Defining the term has proven difficult.
english translation marko saajanaho
The core components of sivistys are considered to be education, knowledge of science and art, and consideration of other people. Sivistys also lives and changes as society itself does. It is categorised as informational, ethical, and social.
It has been conceptually connected to the German word Bildung – people as beings continuously developing their skills – and the concept of civilisation in English, with sivistys defined as scientific and artistic achievements. Via the concept of civility, sivistys is seen as a basic principle upon which democratic culture is built.
Sivistys is no longer simply ‘book learning’ – we carry immense reserves of digital information in our pockets, and generative AI can often refine existing data into usable forms.
“Sivistys is not just building up knowledge and skills; it means deep understanding of humanity, culture, and society.” “Science is the cornerstone of sivistys. Scientific research opens new perspectives, reveals complex connections, and provides solutions to the greatest challenges of our time.”
Psychologist Pekka Sauri summarises sivistys into three words: Sivistys is communication. The greatest challenges of our time pay no heed to geographical borders or, really, any sort of borders, and consist of complex entities and connections.
We already possess a wealth of knowledge to solve these issues, but doing so is likely to require many more entities crossing multiple borders. We need to hear and listen to each other and strive to understand each other – their views, their purposes, and their meanings. In other words, we need constructive interaction, or sivistys.
This reminds me of words once uttered by Greek philosopher Zeno of Citium: “We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.”
The academic year brings a doctoral education reform, facility programmes, changes to entrance exams, increased numbers of students, and collective bargaining. That means plenty of opportunities to improve sivistys if we so desire. I wish the whole scientific community an academic year of growing sivistys in 2024–2025.
Translator’s note: Translating this article was challenging since no singular equivalent term for sivistys exists in English. In order to ensure the original meaning and specific reference to the Year of Sivistys are retained, the Finnish term is used throughout.
