What is it about?
In this day and age, education for human flourishing has to address the detrimental effects of human beings' activitities on the state of the Earth. Educators should promote ecological mindfulness. The central claim is that human beings flourish if they take into account the impact of their activities on the natural environment (which includes all sentient beings). The main reasons for being ecologically mindful are (a) it contributes to the possibility that all human beings can flourish, (b) one’s relationship with the natural environment and contributing to its well-being are meaningful and worthwhile and therefore part of one's flourishing life.
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Why is it important?
Education for human flourishing is believed to be anthropocentric, meaning that human beings are given special status compared to other living species or the Earth. It could also be individualistic and egofocused, meaning that persons are educated to think primarily of their own interest. This chapter shows that both assumptions can be contested, which is essential in current times.
Perspectives
Writing this chapter made me realise that there were several assumptions of education for human flourishing that I had not explicitly addressed. Doing so led to the new and important idea of ecological mindfulness as a quality of flourishing human beings. I hope that it will inspire readers to reflect on the premises of the educational aims that they defend.
Doret de Ruyter
University of Humanistic Studies
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Education for Human Flourishing Revisited, October 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004749771_002.
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