Theory of Planetary Education

A way towards Bildung of the Anthropocene Epoch

Authors

• Antti Moilanen Oulun yliopisto
• Arto Salonen Itä-Suomen yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.107626

Keywords:

classical theories of Bildung, human science-oriented theory of Bildung, planetary Bildung

Abstract

Anthropocene, the term for the new geological era, means that Homo Sapiens is leaving a lasting mark on Earth. Natural resources are decreasing, human-induced climate change is accelerating, and the sixth mass extinction has started. In this article we ask, what kind of an ideal of Bildung could form the answer to the challenges of the Anthropocene epoch. What should be included in the scope of contemporary human care, and how is social justice understood in a world where there is an interconnectedness of people, things, and phenomena? Classical theories of Bildung contain an idea of critical citizenship and a utopia of a more humane society. In human science pedagogy, Bildung means the ability to solve social problems and foster positive change. After the 1960s, global problems have gained influence in Bildung theories such as Klafki’s critical-constructive didactics and Peukert’s theory of Bildung as social transformation. Finnish theories of Bildung emphasize ecosocial responsibility and social criticism. In this article, we develop these ideas further, ending with our Theory of Planetary Education (TPE) which pays proper attention to the interdependence of human and non-human reality. It includes three intertwined dimensions for human growth: (a) the spatial dimension (local–regional–global), (b) the temporal dimension (past–present–future), and (c) the worldview dimension that refers to the overcoming of the boundary between human and non-human reality (antropocentrism–biocentrism–ecocentrism). In other words, in the theory of planetary education which we propose, the sphere of human care contains all the effects of human action and overcomes the boundaries of current and forthcoming generations.