Abstract
The intention of this thesis is to investigate, how the Danish farmers contemplates themselves and their values as farmers in Denmark, where the agriculture is suffering and struggling through an economical crisis. The agriculturalists have through many decades been connected to an organization or local union whom has specialized themselves in agriculture in a wide perspective – including values, political views and international concerns. The farmer’s values and approach to their professional knowledge are seen in a perspective from Aristotle and his ethics about values in context to specific statements from farmers. The main purpose of this study is to analyze, whether there can be an improvement in the dialogue between the agricultural advisors from the agricultural organizations and the Danish farmers. The improvement seems necessary to maintain the farmer’s basic values in their work, passion and life in general. Therefore this thesis suggests, that the Danish philosopher Ole Fogh Kirkeby and his theory about ‘the protreptic conversation’ can be a dialogue facility to help the farmers get at wider self-knowledge especially regarding their ethics and values as a farmer in the Danish agriculture.
Furthermore this paper considers the option, that there might be a misunderstanding of how, the Danish agriculture takes responsibility in the global climate debate. International studies from the EU-Commission’s Joint Research Centre shows, that Denmark is one of the leading countries in the global and local concerns about the environment in the future. In spite of this international research fact about Denmark’s global responsibility in taking care of the nature, animals and other agricultural related values in regards to global sustainability, the society in Denmark seems to have a different opinion and perspective on the Danish farmers. The study in this thesis shows through an analysis based on specific statements from farmers, that there seems to be a very negative and pessimistic perspective on the farmers and agriculture in general in Denmark. According to the farmer’s utterances it seems like, the Danish farmers have become a ‘black sheep’ in the environment-focused herd in Denmark. They feel misunderstood; ethical chastened and often politically discriminated. This fact points to a big problem in the farmer’s self-consciousness given the fact, that Biesta suggests that the subject in human kind is created and shaped under a massive influence from the society’s thoughts, ideology and action in real life.
Through an investigation of empirical data - from farmers, agricultural advisors and politicians - in context to the three mentioned theoretically contributors -, the study concludes, that the protreptic conversation seems to have a positive effect in the dialogue between farmer and agricultural advisor in the mediation of political sanctions and legislative demands. The protreptic dialogue will help both advisor and farmer keep focus on the ethical perspective in the farmer’s self-awareness regarding preservation of their values in consideration to the mediation of political and international restrictions. Hopefully this will bring the agriculture in proportion in several levels – internationally, politically and in general in the society in Denmark, which intentionally means, the farmers can keep believing in themselves and the foundation of values, and optimistically more farmers will endure the agricultural crisis.