Despecialization and Simplexity: Toward a Pedagogical Reinterpretation of Arnold Gehlen’s Philosophical Anthropology

This paper offers a pedagogical reinterpretation of Arnold Gehlen’s philosophical anthropology through the theoretical framework of simplexity. Adopting a theoreti-cal-reconstructive methodology, it critically revisits Gehlen’s conception of the human being as a biologically unspecialized and world-open organism, examining its relevance for con-temporary special pedagogy and inclusive education. Rather than treating Gehlen’s anthro-pological categories as ontological descriptions of human nature, the study interprets them as heuristic devices for understanding the relational, mediated, and culturally situated character of educational experience. The analysis unfolds in three stages: first, it reconstructs the core assumptions of Gehlen’s philosophical anthropology; second, it reinterprets them in light of the contemporary theory of simplexity; and third, it discusses the pedagogical implications of this theoretical integration. Particular attention is devoted to the notion oforiginal specialness, proposed as an interpretative category for rethinking the relationship between vulnerability, learning, and educational mediation. The article argues that Gehlen’s anthropology, despite its historical rootedness and the controversial aspects of the author’s political biography, retains significant heuristic value for contemporary educational theory. By integrating philosophical anthropology with the epistemological perspective of simplexity, the study advances a rela-tional and dynamic understanding of human development, offering a conceptual framework that contributes to current debates on inclusive education and the anthropological founda-tions of special pedagogy