Ecologising moral education in the anthropocene: Learning to be authentic non-self

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the Anthropocene epoch, human activity is ubiquitous on Earth. However, this does not imply that nature is entirely under human control. The growing number of natural disasters that afflict human beings demonstrates the limitations of human abilities. Unfortunately, many of these catastrophes are caused by humans themselves. The adversity caused by human activity indicates that the current approach to education, which prioritises humanity above all other living beings and exerts control over nature through technology, is problematic. This calls for a reconsideration and re-examination of the underlying anthropocentrism. It is important to avoid prioritising humanity exclusively and instead to consider the impact of our actions on the planet and all its inhabitants. To deconstruct the anthropocentric ethos implied in current education, this paper draws inspiration from Michael Bonnett, Michel Serres, Martin Heidegger, and Daoism to draw on intercultural wisdom in addressing the global ecological problem—the Anthropocene predicament—and the related need to ecologise moral education. It argues that reconceiving the human subject as non-self holds the key to thwarting the anthropocentric crisis. The new conceptualisation of the human subject paves the way for ecologising moral education in the Anthropocene. This paper proposes that ecologising moral education can attune individuals to the ecological world by integrating Heideggerian meditative thinking as Gelassenheit and Daoist Wú-practice. This can lead to the construction of a new partnership between humans and nature.