Our SARS-CoV-2 teacher: Teachings of the pandemic about our relations with the more-than-human world

Abstract

In this manuscript we present a critical analysis of the current pandemic moment, shifting the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the role of teacher, thus reflecting on possible learnings from the reality in which we are inserted. This perspective is located within the new materialism, in which we consider the agency of the more-than-human world. To do so, we revisit data from our previous research that demonstrate how occupying and frequenting urban green areas are fundamental to human formation and relationships. We discuss the implications of the restrictions experienced during the pandemic, in the political, ethical, and aesthetic context of Brazil and point out the importance of environmental education in the reconstruction of the post-pandemic world and the need to incorporate ethical and aesthetic values into educational experiences.