In Commemoration of Gerhard Kleining (1926–2022): Expanding Brett Davidson’s Exploration of Listening

Andreas Hieronymus (2025)

Feb 08, 2025

You’ll find the text as well here!

When I read Brett Davidson’s texts on listening, I was reminded of my earlier work in qualitative-heuristic research before joining the Open Society Foundations as a program officer. My academic journey was shaped profoundly by Gerhard Kleining, my professor and doctoral advisor in the 1990s. Kleining was not only a pioneering social scientist but also a personal friend of Leo Löwenthal, one of the key figures of the Frankfurt School. Through his friendship with several protagonists of the Frankfurt School, Kleining introduced me to critical theory and the Frankfurt School's broader intellectual tradition, which deeply influenced his and my own thinking. These connections offered me a unique entry point into critical theory and its applications to understanding power, ideology, and human behavior.

This essay seeks to explore the parallels between Brett Davidson’s reflections on listening and Gerhard Kleining’s qualitative-heuristic approach. Both perspectives emphasize listening as a dialogical process that challenges biases and fosters deeper understanding. By examining these connections and integrating insights from Kleining’s methodological framework, I aim to shed light on new perspectives on how listening can be expanded as a transformative practice—one that spans personal relationships, societal dynamics, and even ecological crises. In doing so, this essay provides methodological ideas for investigating and making sense of the profound changes unfolding in our world today.

Brett Davidson’s reflections on listening, particularly in his Substack piece „The Necessities and Complexities of Listening“, highlight the profound role listening plays in personal relationships, societal dialogues, and ecological awareness. His exploration resonates with broader discussions in psychology, sociology, and philosophy, connecting listening to identity, power dynamics, and even non-human entities. By integrating insights from Gerhard Kleining’s qualitative heuristic approach and other frameworks, we can deepen our understanding of listening as both a relational and epistemological practice.

Listening as a Dialogical Process

Brett emphasizes that listening is not merely about hearing but involves active engagement, openness, and curiosity. This aligns with Gerhard Kleining's concept of research as a "dialogical discovery process." Kleining’s qualitative heuristics treat the subject (listener) and object (speaker or phenomenon) as interdependent participants in a dynamic exchange. Both perspectives stress the importance of setting aside preconceived notions to allow new insights to emerge.

For example, Brett describes how personal biases and assumptions can hinder listening in intimate relationships. Similarly, Kleining’s methodology addresses how biases shape our understanding of research objects. Both approaches advocate for openness—whether to a partner's evolving identity or to the complexity of data—emphasizing that genuine engagement requires acknowledging contradictions and blind spots.

Contradictions and Complexity

Brett’s exploration of societal listening highlights how power dynamics complicate who is heard and who is silenced. Movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter demand not just hearing but believing marginalized voices. This mirrors Kleining’s focus on contradictions as opportunities for discovery. In his heuristic approach, contradictions are not obstacles but essential elements that reveal deeper structures within phenomena.

For instance, Brett notes that societal divisions often lead to selective listening or outright refusal to engage with opposing views. Kleining would interpret these divisions as structural contradictions requiring reconciliation through systematic exploration. Both perspectives underscore that embracing complexity—whether in personal relationships or public discourse—is key to fostering understanding and change.

Expanding Listening Beyond Humans

Brett’s call to extend listening to non-human entities introduces an ecological dimension often overlooked in traditional discussions. He argues that addressing crises like climate change requires "listening" to ecosystems, animals, and even inanimate objects. This idea finds a methodological parallel in Kleining’s work on dialogical introspection and qualitative experiments, where researchers engage with objects as active participants in the discovery process.

For example, acoustic ecologists like Eric Leonardson use soundscapes to "listen" to environmental changes, treating ecosystems as communicative entities. Similarly, Kleining’s approach encourages researchers to vary perspectives and remain open to unexpected insights from their subjects—whether human or non-human. Both approaches challenge anthropocentric frameworks by emphasizing relationality and interconnectedness.

Bias as the Opposite of Listening

Brett identifies bias as a major barrier to effective listening, describing it as a filter that distorts perception and reinforces assumptions. Kleining’s methodology offers tools for overcoming bias through structural variation, which involves examining phenomena from multiple angles to uncover commonalities. By systematically challenging one’s own perspective, researchers—and listeners—can move beyond surface-level understanding.

In societal contexts, bias manifests as selective attention to voices that align with dominant narratives. Brett critiques this tendency, arguing that true listening requires engaging with uncomfortable truths and marginalized perspectives. Both he and Kleining suggest that addressing bias is not just an individual task but a collective responsibility essential for democracy and justice.

Listening as Discovery

Ultimately, both Brett and Kleining frame listening as a process of discovery. For Brett, this means uncovering layers of identity, purpose, and connection in personal and public life. For Kleining, it involves transforming disparate data into coherent theories through iterative dialogue. Both approaches emphasize the transformative potential of listening—not just as a skill but as a way of being.

Brett’s use of Carol Gilligan’s Listening Guide method complements this perspective by introducing practical steps for deepening engagement. The method's focus on contrapuntal voices parallels Kleining’s attention to contradictions, while its "I-poems" resonate with his emphasis on introspection. Together, these tools provide a roadmap for navigating the complexities of human (and non-human) communication.

Conclusion: Toward a Broader Practice of Listening

Brett Davidson’s reflections invite us to rethink listening as an expansive practice that bridges personal relationships, societal divides, and ecological crises. By integrating insights from Gerhard Kleining’s qualitative heuristics and related frameworks, we can approach listening not just as an act of attention but as a dialogical process rooted in openness, curiosity, and discovery.

In a world increasingly fragmented by bias and polarization, this broader conception of listening offers a path toward connection and understanding—whether between individuals, communities, or species. As Brett writes: "Listening is about knowing, being aware, taking in." To truly listen is to embrace complexity and engage with the world in all its richness—a task both urgent and transformative.