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Taking the Future Seriously: On the Inadequacies of the Framework of Liberalism for Environmental Education
Author(s) -
Postma Dirk Willem
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of philosophy of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.501
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1467-9752
pISSN - 0309-8249
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9752.00258
Subject(s) - anthropocentrism , environmental ethics , sustainable development , liberalism , sociology , perspective (graphical) , politics , classical liberalism , environmental education , liberal education , political science , social science , higher education , law , pedagogy , philosophy , artificial intelligence , computer science , liberal arts education
International reports on environmental policy promote ‘education for sustainable development’ as an instrument for realising environmental awareness, values and attitudes consistent with the liberal concept of ‘sustainable development’. In this paper the ethical and political‐philosophical assumptions of (education for) sustainable development will be criticised. First, it will be argued that (Rawlsian) liberal ethics cannot include obligations towards future generations. Second, the commentary focuses on the economic perspective underlying this liberal framework, its anthropocentric bias and the hierarchical distinction between public and private spheres. Third, to offer a more adequate framework for environmental education, some fruitful ideas within neo‐republicanism will be examined.