Separation and Unity: Zen Koan in Environmental Theory and Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
David Chang
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Western Culture ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Sensory Experience ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Ecological Ethics ◽  
Pedagogical Innovation ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Environmental Educators

Abstract The ecological crisis has been traced to a rupture in the human-nature relationship, which sees the natural world as inert materials that serve human utility. This prevailing sense of separation is thoroughly embedded in Western culture through engrained metaphors that reinforce a view of the Earth as a subject of human mastery. To counter the disjuncture between humans and nature, some theorists have suggested a unitive view of nature, while others have argued for more expansive forms of identification that engender a more responsive ecological ethics. Despite these efforts, the human-nature dichotomy remains a perennial issue of debate, especially for environmental educators who strive to cultivate a more harmonious relationship with the earth. This article examines the Zen Koan (case or example) as a pedagogical innovation that hones the learner’s ability to entertain opposing propositions. Humans are both united with and separate from nature at the same time. The Koan encourages an epistemological fluidity and openness to ambiguity that can enrich and deepen inquiry. In the context of environmental education, this contemplative approach to investigation can complement immersive pedagogies that enjoin somatic and sensory experience in explorations of the natural world.

Hyperobjects, Media, and Assemblages of Collective Living: Playing With Ontology as Environmental Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-221
Author(s):  
Jesse Bazzul
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Ecological Awareness ◽  
Creative Thought ◽  
The World ◽  
The Future ◽  
Humanities And Social Sciences ◽  
Environmental Educators

AbstractThis article emphasises the importance of creative thought for environmental education through a discussion of the ontologically rich work of Anna Tsing, Timothy Morton and John Peters. The recent turn toward ontology in the humanities and social sciences has consequently led to diverse theories about ‘how things are’, and some of these concepts might assist justice-oriented environmental educators in raising ecological awareness in a time of crisis. Using assemblages, media and hyperobjects as concepts to (re)imagine the the world(s) of the Anthropocene, this article promotes a practice of ontic-play, a constantly changing engagement with ontological thought. To think through ecological crisis means moving towards philosophy as creation or art. In other words, engaging thought from the future.

The leadership role of teachers and environment club coordinators in promoting ecocentrism in secondary schools: Teachers as exemplars of environmental education

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Smith
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Deep Ecology ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Behavioural Characteristics ◽  
Environmental Educators ◽  
Teachers And Parents

AbstractThis study of Naessian ecocentrism and anthropocentrism in three environment club coordinators/science teachers, their colleagues and some parents at three secondary schools uses deep ecology and relational fields as primary frameworks for open-ended interviews. The findings reveal new insights into the affective, cognitive and behavioural characteristics of coordinators who enhance environmental education in their schools. The work presents preliminary data on leadership among sustainability coordinators who run environment clubs. It fills a gap in the literature by showing that in addition to environmental educators requiring knowledge and attitudes regarding sustainability practices, affective qualities like connectedness and love for the environment may be important to their success as sustainability exemplars. Teachers emerge as sustainability exemplars in a relational field to implement sustainability across the secondary curriculum, galvanise students, teachers and parents to connect to the Earth, and help students, teachers and parents move away from anthropocentrism. Findings suggest that if schools commit resources and time to the coordinator’s role, students experience significant benefits by becoming closer to the Earth and more empowered to act for the environment in ways consistent with deep ecology.

scholarly journals A Walking Curriculum: Learning From Risk and Connection

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-137
Author(s):  
Astrid Steele
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Critical Elements ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Physical Risk

The act of walking has been described as “an exquisitely coordinated and elegant falling forward and catching oneself” (Kabat-Zinn, 2013, p. 125). Each step that we take is a physical risk in which we surrender our bodies into space, and only when our feet (re)connect with the earth do we find stability and are able to move forward. I propose that risk and connection are critical elements of a walking curriculum within an environmental education course for teacher candidates. The concept of risk is explored, and I describe a variety of course activities that involve taking physical, emotional or professional risks. The concept of connection is also examined with a particular focus on humans as integral to the natural world; and again, I describe course activities that provide opportunities for teacher candidates to experience connections to the natural world and to each other. Environment as the third teacher is explored, and lastly I reflect on my position as the instructor who facilitates learning opportunities for the teacher candidates in our course.

scholarly journals Women and Nature in the Book of Job: An African Eco-Feminist Reading

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-90
Author(s):  
Jonathan Kangwa
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Biblical Hermeneutics ◽  
Book Of Job ◽  
The Way

The realities of the current ecological crisis require us to develop a biblical hermeneutics that is life giving to both women and non-human nature. This paper does so by offering an African ecofeminist reading of the book of Job. The paper argues that traditional, patriarchal interpretations of the book of Job have contributed to the subjugation of women and the natural world. The paper analyses the book of Job, focusing on ways in which patriarchy and the theology of retribution have served to dominate women and the natural world. Finally, the paper shows how reading the book of Job from an African ecofeminist perspective can pave the way for interpreting the biblical text in a way that is empowering for women and the natural world in the context of the current ecological crisis.

Science Ends Where Environmental Education Begins: Putting Science into Perspective

1997 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 17-20
Author(s):  
Angelina Galang
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Direct Experience ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Personal Involvement ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Environmental Educators

AbstractThis paper starts with an account of some of my childhood experiences, ones provided by my father, the original environmentalist in my life and a practising scientist. I continue with a discussion of the need for environmental educators to view science from an informed perspective. It is essential that we help our students to understand the workings of nature and that science has inherent limitations in its ability to explain those workings.I indicate that what is needed if humans are to live in partnership with the Earth is sensitivity to and appreciation of the complexities and aesthetics of its environments from which a culture of nurturing and personal involvement should emerge.I conclude that it is equally important that environmental educators include in their lessons current scientific views, and direct experience in thought-provoking and valuing exercises.

Ancient natural philosophy: A resource for environmental education

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-89
Author(s):  
Ann Van Ryn ◽  
Edgar Burns
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
Natural Philosophy ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Similar Reasoning ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Greek Philosopher ◽  
James Lovelock

AbstractStudying humankind’s relationship to the earth involves broad and deep questions for students as today’s educators explore changing teaching methods. This article highlights benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental education, drawing upon ancient natural philosophy as a coherent conceptual resource. The Greek philosopher Plotinus is introduced to show the application of ancient natural philosophy across all fields and on all levels of knowledge under a common banner. The significance of ancient natural philosophy is its conception of overall unity. This is the key. Unity is implicit in interrelationships between parts to whole on all levels of existence. From such a perspective, all life forms and other entities in the natural world can be understood as interrelated — just as James Lovelock demonstrated in describing the homeostatic state of natural processes on earth. On a similar reasoning, the diversity in people, societies and places can be appreciated physically and sociologically as belonging to one world. Several studies are cited to explore this overlap between ancient natural philosophy and honouring the connection and dependence of humanity on the fragility of the earth’s ecosystem.

scholarly journals Destructive activity in an ecological ethics of co-creation

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-99
Author(s):  
Taylor J. Ott
Keyword(s):  
Natural World ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Ecological Ethics ◽  
Ethical Guidelines ◽  
Book Of Job ◽  
Creative Processes ◽  
Christian Worldview ◽  
The World ◽  
Destructive Processes ◽  
Parallel Fashion

A Christian worldview entreats humans to live in ethical relationship with the natural world; our current ecological crisis makes that call of crucial and immediate importance. If humans, and Christians in particular, are to adequately participate in care for creation, then we must proceed with both ecological and theological knowledge about the natural world. In both scientific and theological analyses, we uncover not only creative processes of growth, but elements of chaos and destruction. The carbon cycle, food webs, and evolution are examples of where the earth’s survival depends upon destructive processes. In parallel fashion, God’s activity in Scripture also entails chaos and destructive activity, such as the flood in Genesis, the wisdom of the Book of Job, and Paul’s reflection on creation in Romans. This article argues that humans, called to be co-creators with God, thus need to integrate destructive activity into our framework of what it means to “cocreate,” thereby participation in creation in a more holistic manner. Far from unleashing unrestricted destruction on the world, such a framework offers ethical guidelines for destroying and creating in ways that support the overall flourishing of the natural world.

scholarly journals Eco-Anxiety and Environmental Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 10149
Author(s):  
Panu Pihkala
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Multiple Forms ◽  
Emotional Resilience ◽  
Emotional Skills ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Safe Spaces ◽  
Environmental Educators ◽  
Theoretical Analyses

Anxiety and distress about the ecological crisis seems to be a rapidly growing phenomenon. This article analyzes the challenges and possibilities posed by such “eco-anxiety” for environmental education. Variations of eco-anxiety are analyzed, and it is argued that educators should be aware of the multiple forms that the phenomenon has. Eco-anxiety is found to be closely connected with many difficult emotions, such as grief, guilt, anger, and despair. However, anxiety also has an adaptive dimension, which can be called “practical anxiety”. Anxiety is connected with expectation, motivation, and hopes. Previous research about eco-anxiety and ecological emotions in various disciplines is discussed, and related studies from various fields of education are brought together. Based on this extensive literature review, theoretical analyses are made, using a philosophical method. It is argued that environmental educators need organizational and peer support both in relation to their own difficult emotions and in order to develop emotional skills in their work. Educators should first practice self-reflection about eco-anxiety, after which they have many possibilities to help their audiences to develop emotional resilience. Potential practical activities related to eco-anxiety are discussed, drawing from various fields of education. These include validation of eco-anxiety and ecological emotions, providing safe spaces to discuss them, and, if possible, providing embodied and creative activities to more fully deliberate on them.

scholarly journals The Human Vocation and the Question of the Earth: Karoline von Günderrode’s Philosophy of Nature

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalia Nassar
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Natural World ◽  
The Self ◽  
Human Relation ◽  
Philosophy Of Nature ◽  
Critical Response ◽  
The Earth

Abstract Contra widespread readings of Karoline von Günderrode’s 1805 “Idea of the Earth (Idee der Erde)” as a creative adaptation of Schelling’s philosophy of nature, this article proposes that “Idea of the Earth” furnishes a moral account of the human relation to the natural world, one which does not map onto any of the more well-known romantic or idealist accounts of the human-nature relation. Specifically, I argue that “Idea of the Earth” responds to the great Enlightenment question concerning the human vocation, but from a distinctive romantic-idealist angle. I begin by demonstrating the influence of Fichte’s 1800 Vocation of Humanity on Günderrode’s thinking, which involves an investigation of both Fichte’s text and Günderrode’s critical response to it. I then turn to “Idea of the Earth” where I analyse Günderrode’s understanding of nature and the self in light of her critique of Fichte, and thereby distinguish her position from Fichte’s and from the position espoused by her fellow romantics and idealists. By reading “Idea of the Earth” alongside Fichte’s text and Günderrode’s remarks on it, this article sheds new light on both Günderrode’s understanding and defence of Naturphilosophie – against Fichte’s critique of it – and her distinctive contribution to romantic philosophies of nature.

Caring for the Environment: Challenges from Notions of Caring

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 57-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Martin
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Relational Self ◽  
Care Ethic ◽  
Philosophical Discussion ◽  
Nel Noddings ◽  
Caring Relationship ◽  
Environmental Educators ◽  
Practical Implications

AbstractIn 2003 John Fien presented an argument for environmental education to encompass deep and wide caring for human and nonhuman nature (Fien, 2003). His philosophical discussion of care outlined work by Nel Noddings (1984; 1992). In this paper I continue that project by indicating how Noddings' work provides signposts for environmental educators to think about their students' relationships with the nonhuman natural world. I argue that one consequence of Noddings' conception of care is that advocacy for considering humans to be a part of nature might be counterproductive to developing a student's capacity to understand a caring relationship with nature. In conclusion I draw on the structure of a care ethic to suggest practical implications for environmental education and the development of a relational self.

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