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An attempt was made to establish a link between brief therapy à la MRI and Heinz von Foerster's view of how we might conceive of and live in the world of our creation, at least in a social sense.

The author relates how her encounter with Heinz von Foerster coincided with and further developed a way of thinking about and doing therapy which she found at the Mental Research Institute (MRI) in Palo Alto, California. She tries to show how Heinz the person has had a lasting effect on the way she conceives of and tries to conduct Brief Therapy à la MRI.

She finds that using Heinz's metaphor of dancing with the world quite useful in the elucidation of what therapy might be all about: how it might, metaphorically speaking, simply be about engaging a client or clients by dancing with them, allowing for the mutual creation of a new possibility.

This paper was written to commemorate Heinz and for therapists in search of a therapeutic stance.

Presents an “in memoriam” tribute to Heinz von Foerster.

Outlines his work.

Introduces his inspiring contributions in the applied sciences and to the more general researches on the theoretical and practical implications of the cybernetic epistemology.

Gives insights to the importance of the work of von Foerster.

To apply Heinz von Foerster's ideas on learning and testing to the teaching of literature in German higher education.

Based on a lengthy interview and on his published talks von Foerster's ideas are applied to the teaching of literature in German higher education.

The distinction between decidable and undecidable questions, the reflection of knowledge on a meta‐level, student responsibility for defining their areas of study and research, as well as their needs for factual information, the assessment of work by self‐assessment, reciprocal assessment or the presentation of work in performance or publication are analysed as instruments of an education that is informed by Heinz von Foerster's spirit: respect for the individual, curiosity and a permanent reflection of the contents and forms of teaching and learning, “from a higher point of view”.

Provides an assessment of how von Foerster's ideas would change the teaching and testing of German literature.