an evolutionary framework for global sustainability education

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AN EVOLUTIONARY

FRAMEWORK FOR

GLOBAL

SUSTAINABILITY

EDUCATION

his essay offers a perspective for disciplined inquiry into the proposition that a

stainable 21 st century global community is attainable, but urgently requires

tervention by civil society to transform our major educational systems via

nsciously-guided evolutionary learning. As an affirmative framewor for global

ti!enship, evolutionary learning invites e"panded visions of humanity and enables

ealthy societal development through the emergence of human-ecological syntony. The

visioned framewor for educational change would lead to engaged learning that

evelops the human capacities for values-based inquiry across the full spectrum of

cially organi!ed and technologically-mediated human activities, while supporting the

mergence of human culture that embodies the stability, generativity and resilience of

ealthy natural systems.

AN INTEGRAL

POSTHUMAN

PERSPECTIVE

By

Brett R. Joseph

Center for Ecological Cult

Inc.

12200 Fairhill Rd.

Cleveland, hio !!120 "#oseph$%&g'ail.co'

December 2013



Introduction

(s citi)ens of an e'erging glo"al co''unity, united "y po*erful digital net*or+ing

technologies in the early years of the infor'ation age, *e are a*a+ening to an uncertain hu'an

prospect. urs is the first generation in history to "e euipped *ith technological e-tensions that

allo* us to readily access and integrate +no*ledge derived fro' around the *orld, unfettered "y

past constraints of ti'e and distance. ore than ever "efore, *e are in a position to vie* the

Earth/s geophysical, "iological, socioecono'ic and other co'ple- syste's in holistic

perspective, o"serving their e'ergent properties and 'odeling their prevailing trends. Fro' this

vantage point, *e are *itnessing a *orld that is undergoing profound change an unraveling of

ancient ecological syste's occurring at a rate and on a scale that is unprecedented in hu'an

history 3u)u+i, 2010 4ilson, 20025.

y ai' in this essay is to offer a perspective for disciplined inuiry into the proposition

that a sustaina"le 21st century glo"al co''unity is attaina"le, "ut urgently reuires intervention

"y civil society to transfor' our 'a#or educational syste's via consciouslyguided evolutionary

learning. (s an affir'ative fra'e*or+ for glo"al citi)enship, evolutionary learning invites

e-panded visions of hu'anity and ena"les healthy societal develop'ent through the e'ergence

of hu'anecological syntony a condition favora"le to life in all its for's arising fro' 6creative

aligning and tuning *ith the evolutionary processes of *hich *e are a part7 8as)lo 9 8as)lo,

200! Jantsch, 1%:$5. ( conte-tuallyfra'ed theoretical synthesis sets the stage for inuiry into

strategies for educational syste's design reflecting evolving structures of hu'an consciousness

*ithin our culturally diverse, interdependent and technologically'ediated *orld. Educational

strategies guided "y natureinspired 6ideals of universal i'prove'ent7 cIntosh, 200:, p. ;0;5

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can release potentials enfolded *ithin an e-panded su"#ectivity and ena"le the transfor'ation of

dualistic and 'aladaptive reality fra'es Braidotti, 201; 3el"y, 2002 Berry, 1%<<5, inviting

lifesustaining innovation and cultural evolution on a glo"al scale "y virtue of a generative

convergence of hu'an culture and natural ecosyste's Banathy, 2000 Csi+s)ent'ihalyi, 1%%;

8as)lo, 1%<:5.

( +ey pre'ise guiding this inuiry is that pro"le's of a syste'ic nature, in particular those that

involve comple" and attenuated causal relationships such as those that lin+ hu'an uality of life

*ith the health of the Earth/s diverse natural ecosyste's, call for a ne* *orldvie* that

transcends Cartesian separation consciousness and the 'echanisticreductionist 'entality of the

for'er industrial era. ur 21st century glo"al challenges de'and integrative 6ne*era7 thin+ing

that "uilds resilient, generative capacities *ithin hu'an culture, allo*ing us as 'e'"ers of a

glo"al community of life to consciously evolve to*ards hu'annature sy'"iosis =i"lett, 20115.

4ithin this ne* affir'ative paradig', educational syste's replicate *ithin the'selves and their

cultural environ'ents patterns of thought and action that are in har'ony *ith life#s principles

inviting learners to engage as conscious participants in the healthy and har'onious functioning

of interconnected living syste's. In this *ay, hu'anity can assu'e its proper role as a +eystone

species a species that plays a +ey role in the overall structure and functioning of an ecosyste',

and that is 6essential to its integrity75 participating in the e'ergence of an evolving su"#ective

presence that i'proves the hu'an prospect even as it transcends anthropocentris', and that is

conducive to the flourishing of life on Earth, "oth hu'an and nonhu'an =ari"aldi 9 >urner,

200!, p. 1 4iggins Environ'ental Ethics, 3pring 2010 Benyus, 1%%:5.

( prag'atic turn to*ard evolutionary learning as a "asis for sustaina"le education, as

conte'plated, is facilitated "y a synthesis of integral and critical posthu'an philosophical

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perspectives. >he integral perspective dra*s fro' the *or+s of ?en 4il"er 1%%$5, (llan Co'"s

20025, 3teve cIntosh 200:5, and others *ho integrate and "uild upon earlier theoretical *or+s

derived fro' a *ide range of disciplines. 3pecifically, integral philosophy e-presses a cannon of

shared understandings or 6pu"lic truths7 regarding the evolutionary significance of

develop'ental and intersu"#ective potentials enfolded *ithin the hu'an psyche. >hese potentials

are reali)ed e-perientially as states and structures of hu'an conscious that for' the "asis of an

e'erging 6integral *orldvie*.7 Co'"s 20025 descri"es this evolutionary step as 6@tAhe

achieve'ent of a significant degree of o"#ectivity to*ards one/s o*n inner process,7

representing a gain in self'astery or 6inner co'ple-ity7 that 6allo*s diverse feelings, thoughts,

'e'ories, "eliefs, and perceptions, to "eco'e conscious at the sa'e ti'e7 p. 2025.

(s an interdisciplinary field of inuiry, therefore, integral philosophy endeavors to

descri"e and 'ap the contours of an adaptive and affir'ative hu'an response to the challenges

of co'ple-ity. It 6"rings together science, philosophy and spirituality in a @A synthesis that

de'onstrates the un'ista+a"le reality of the internal universe7 cIntosh, 200:, 1$$5. (s an

e-pression of hu'an cultural evolution, it invites inuiry "eyond propositional or dualistic truth

clai's deep inuiry guided "y a search for conscious participation *ithin a larger *holeness

that transcends the 6value relativis'7 and other significant li'itations of the post'odern

*orldvie* discussed "elo*5. In the 21st century conte-t, the integral *orldvie* is e'erging

*ithin hu'an culture as 6a selforgani)ing dyna'ic syste' *ith a life/ of its o*n7 cIntosh,

200:, pp. $<, 1$5.

>he 'ore out*ardloo+ing critical posthu'an perspective co'ple'ents and argua"ly

"alances a tendency to*ard structural hierarchy contained *ithin5 integral philosophy. 8i+e

integral philosophy, this perspective invites inuiry into the evolutionary significance, and

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dyna'icDgenerative ualities, of an e-panded posthu'an5 su"#ectivity, as vie*ed through a

nondualistic lens that locates hu'an consciousness and hu'an agency *ithin a larger,

participatory *holeness. In addition, it "rings for*ard a critical perspective *ith reference to the

historically and culturally e'"edded conte-t of su"#ect for'ation *ithin a *orld of increasing

co'ple-ity. Its shared understandings and pu"lic truth clai's are infor'ed "y philosophical

perspectives derived fro' recent inuiries into the 21st century natureculture continuu' that has

"een descri"ed as the posthuman condition Braidotti, 201; er"ee+, 2011 Rose, 200:

?ur)*eil, 200$ Fu+uya'a, 2002 Fran+lin, et al., 2000 =ilroy, 20005.

Braidotti 201;5 descri"es this posthu'an condition as the legacy of "iogenetic

advanced capitalis', *hich 6actively produces differences for the sa+e of co''odification7

there"y transfor'ing our understandings of conte'porary su"#ectivity and su"#ect for'ation

leading to 6a parado-ical and rather opportunistic for' of postanthropocentris' on the part of

'ar+et forces *hich happily trade on 8ife itself p. $<$%5. In line *ith fe'inis', anti

colonialis', antiracis', deep ecology and other 'a#or "ranches of post'odern critical theory,

the critical posthu'an perspective focuses on the shifting location of su"#ectivity itself and ta+es,

as its starting point

>he antihu'anist death of @an as the 'easure of all thingsA *hich 'ar+s the decline of

so'e of the funda'ental pre'ises of the Enlighten'ent, na'ely the progress of 'an+ind

through a selfregulatory and teleological ordained use of reason and of secular scientific

rationality allegedly ai'ed at the perfecti"ility of 6an7 p. ;:5.

In the discussion that follo*s, I e-plore ho* strategic intervention to foster such

evolutionary learning at the organi)ational and interorgani)ational levels *ithin educational

syste's can leverage change "y "uilding our shared capacities for dealing *ith sociotechnical

and ecological co'ple-ity in a *orld defined "y real physical, cognitive and ther'odyna'ic

li'its. >o "uild support for the a"ove pre'ises in the discussion that follo*s, I first e-a'ine the

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i'plications for education of a recent glo"al assess'ent of 6ecosyste' services7 sponsored "y

the nited Gations and referenced in high level policy reco''endations calling for urgent action

to prevent irrepara"le har' to the Earth/s life support syste's. illeniu' Ecosyste'

(ssess'ent 200$ G High8evel anel on =lo"al 3ustaina"ility 20125.

3econd, I locate the current ecological crisis *ithin the history of *orldvie*s as

understood fro' the vantage point of our current posthuman condition. >his philosophically

infor'ed description of the prevailing natureculture continuu' highlights the legacy of euro

centric secular hu'anis', as e-pressed through current neocolonial tendencies *ithin the

real's of politics, acade'ia and society at large through the dyna'ics of a violent clash of

dialectically opposed *orldvie*s.

>hird, I e-a'ine relevant contri"utions of integral philosophy and critical posthu'anis'

as pro'ising avenues for inuiry that yield co'ple'entary insights and offer useful conceptual

'odels that can infor' a richly generative theoretical synthesis one that values and *or+s to

'aintain the holistic integrity of 8ife/s evolutionary spiral of develop'ent as the central concern

of education, culture and society at large, and that reflects a prag'atic perspective grounded in

transfor'ed 'onistic5 su"#ectivity and a vital materialism Braidotti, 201;5.

Fourth, having identified life as pri'ary, intrinsic value *ithin a nondualistic, living

cos'os, I turn to evolutionary syste's theory as a fra'e*or+ for e-a'ining the role of

consciousness as the selforgani)ing autopoietic5 e-pression of the hu'an 'ind"ody syste',

and as the dyna'ic, living source of continuously e'erging su"#ective presence guiding

syste'ic change *ithin an integrative, posthu'an reality fra'e. Building on this integrative

perspective regarding the potential role of an e-panding su"#ectivity in shaping the processes of



evolutionary change *ithin society and the larger life *orld, I revisit the prag'atic uestion of

central concern to education in the 21st century conte-t $hether and how educational systems

can serve to guide the evolutionary transformation of human culture%s& as needed to build a

global civil society that secures a high quality of life for all via a non-dualistic, generative

alignment of human and natural systems.

Finally, I offer a "rief assess'ent of certain co''on i'pedi'ents to evolutionary

learning in today/s educational syste's, *hile suggesting avenues for further inuiry. >hese

i'pedi'ents include lac+ of a unified glo"al cos'ology, failed leadership and the 6valueless

ness7 of post'odern cultural relativis', the legacy of cultural artifacts and linguistic structures

that perpetuate a psychology of alienation "et*een self and life *orld, and 'aladaptive cultural

'e'es 'ind viruses5. I e-a'ine ho* a futureoriented education rooted in syste's thin+ing

and "io'i'icry can e'po*er learners to consciously re#ect har'ful 'e'es *hile 'i'ic+ing the

ualities of healthy natural ecosyste's. In this *ay, using "io'i'etic design as applied to

technological, econo'ic and social syste's ali+e, *e 'ight leverage the crosscultural

e'ergence of a ne* evolutionary consciousness and futureoriented glo"al citi)enship that

counteracts the vicious cycle of failed 6uic+ fi-7 interventions and failed leadership that

contri"uting to an everdeepening glo"al crisis.

The global contet o! education"

In education, as in other hu'an activity syste's, conte-t 'atters. Factors fra'ing the

conte-t of education today include glo"al trade and the increasing interdependence of

co''unities *orld*ide, econo'ic stress and social uncertainty occasioned "y a gro*ing *ealth

gap, and the rapid diffusion of digital technology that has revolutioni)ed glo"al co''unication

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resource "ase *orld*ide and under'ining the regenerative capacity of natural syste's that

sustain life as *e +no* it eado*s et al. 200!5.

4ith so'e nota"le e-ceptions 3enge et al. 200<D2010 Koppelt, 200; (da's, 20005, the

predo'inant 6cradle to grave7 processes that define "usiness as usual for the glo"al industrial

econo'y is 'ainly po*ered "y fossil fuels and supported, incentivi)ed and perpetuated "y

entrenched political, econo'ic and cultural institutions. G anel on =lo"al 3ustaina"ility

2012 Hart'ann, 1%%<D200!5" By insidiously *asting natural capital *hile inducing irrationally

*asteful consu'eris' and "ringing a"out pre'ature o"solescence of technical s+ills and capital

invest'ents, this predo'inant 'odel of glo"al econo'ic develop'ent strains the a"ility of

individuals, organi)ations and co''unities to for'ulate adaptive responses to a rising tide of

glo"al challenges. In all regions of the *orld, landscapes and cultures shaped "y centuries of

rapacious coloni)ation and do'inated "y pernicious visions of un"ounded 'aterial consu'ption

are devolving upon the present and future generations environ'ental conditions less and less

favora"le to the healthy e-pression of life in all its for's =i"lett, 2011 eado*s et al., 200!5.

>o understand the glo"al di'ensions of the present sustaina"ility crisis, *e need not

resort to speculation or a"straction. In a land'ar+ report issued in 200$, the *orld co''unity

through an interdisciplinary panel of leading scientists revie*ed a 'assive "ody of e'pirical

evidence derived fro' all regions of the *orld and deter'ined that despite local gains in uality

of life for so'e 'e'"ers of the hu'an fa'ily, on the whole hu'an 'is'anage'ent is

degrading the Earth/s lifesustaining ecosyste's and the uality of life services they provide at

an alar'ing rate. >hese 6ecosyste' services7 include

the "enefits people o"tain fro' ecosyste's L provisioning services such as food and

*ater regulating services such as regulation of floods, drought, land degradation, and

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disease and supporting services such as soil for'ation and nutrient cycling and cultural

services such as recreational, spiritual, religious and other non'aterial "enefits

illenniu' Ecosyste' (ssess'ent, 200$, 3u''ary, p. 25.

In January 2012, the nited Gations High8evel anel on =lo"al 3ustaina"ility the G anel5

pu"lished a report entitled (esilient )eople, (esilient )lanet concluding that the glo"al vision of

sustaina"le develop'ent articulated a uarter century ago "y the 4orld Co''ission on

Environ'ent and Kevelop'ent 1%<:5 re'ains unfulfilled. >he G anel included

representatives of scientific organi)ations, G agencies, govern'ents, private sector entities,

nongovern'ental leaders, and indigenous groups. It deter'ined that progress in achieving

sustaina"le develop'ent goals has "een i'peded "y t*o 'a#or factors 15 a lac+ of political

incentive to i'ple'ent sustaina"le practices *hen the policy dividend is longter' or

intergenerational, and 25 a failure to integrate environ'ental and social issues into econo'ic

policy decision'a+ing. nited Gations 3ecretary=eneral/s High8evel anel on =lo"al

3ustaina"ility, 20125. Based on these findings, the G anel reaffir'ed the need to align

national econo'ic and develop'ent policies *ith an agenda for urgent action to avert ecological

and social catastrophe. >he anel asserted that the international co''unity needs 6a ne*

political econo'y7 for sustaina"le develop'ent, to "e achieved "y 6radically i'proving the

interface "et*een environ'ental science and policy7 in a 'anner that 6@'a+esA e-plicit the

econo'ic, social and environ'ental costs of action and inaction7 p. $5.

Clearly, hu'anity has reached a crossroads *here the prospect of doing nothing "ut

'ore of the sa'e poses an unaccepta"ly high ris+ of glo"al catastrophe. >he *ellvetted

evidence asse'"led "y the nited Gations in its 200$ Report sho*ing a steady decline of

ecological services across the glo"e underscores the need for funda'ental change to our

predo'inant patterns of thought and "ehavior, lest *e forfeit our a"ility to secure longter'

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hu'an *ell"eing in areas as "asic as food security, pu"lic health and access to fresh *ater

resources illeniu' Ecosyste' (ssess'ent, 200$5. (s stated "y the authors of the 200$ study,

6any progress achieved in addressing L poverty and hunger eradication, i'proved health, and

environ'ental sustaina"ility is unli+ely to "e sustained if 'ost of the ecosyste' services on

*hich hu'anity relies continue to "e degraded7 p. 25. Further'ore, our continued

unsustaina"le use of ecosyste' services is 6increasing the li+elihood of nonlinear including

accelerating, a"rupt, and potentially irreversi"le changes57 to natural syste's that threaten to

per'anently under'ine hu'an uality of life p. 11#"

Considering that anthropogenicallyinduced glo"al change, under its current tra#ectory,

'ay "e approaching or e-ceeding thresholds *here opportunities for corrective intervention to

'aintain essential ecological functions and secure the future of a "urgeoning hu'an population

are per'anently foreclosed, the glo"al narrative 'ay appear "lea+ 8oveloc+, 200%5. Even as

nations rally under the vaguely instru'entalist "anner of 6sustaina"le develop'ent,7 our pu"lic

and private institutions struggle to 'aintain a se'"lance of control over the unintended

conseuences of econo'ic glo"ali)ation. 4aning popular interest in glo"al environ'ental

concerns, evident since the financial collapse of 200< and the 200% failure of the G Cli'ate

3u''it in Copenhangen, indicates the possi"le e'ergence of a vicious cycle *here failed

leadership erodes pu"lic confidence in the prospect of reaching real solutions, *hich in turn

erodes the a"ility or *illingness of leaders to secure a popular 'andate for change asters,

201;5.

(s *e face the prospect of a slo* apocalypse "rought a"out "y hu'an agency, various

culturally'ediated influences that reinforce the psychology of despair and apathy present

the'selves as significant li'iting factors shaping real *orld outco'es Joseph, 201; 8evitt,

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200%5. Met, given our shared capacities for syste'ic thin+ing, transfor'ative learning and

collective action, no person living today can #ustify an attitude of hopelessness or helplessness.

(s lifesustaining ecosyste's are "eing funda'entally altered fro' pole to pole "y an ever

e-panding hu'an 6footprint,7 responsi"ility for the integrity of the "iosphere and the future of

its 'yriad life for's falls suarely on our shoulders Hart'ann, 1%%<D200!5. 4hereas in the

past *e 'ight have "een content to thro* in our lots *ith the co'forting allure of (da' 3'ith/s

6invisi"le hand,7 or *ith the palliative illusions of technoopti'is', any such uncritical resort to

dog'atic a"straction in a *orld of syste'ic co'ple-ity a'idst converging evidence of a true

glo"al crisis *ould a'ount to a dangerous plunge into the dar+ Huese'ann 9 Huese'ann,

20115. 4e see' to have reached a crossroads the *elltravelled road of progress is "eginning to

loo+ li+e a road to ruin. 3o *here do *e go fro' hereN

( *eighty "urden of responsi"ility has descended upon on this generation of glo"al

citi)ens. 4ith the future of hu'anity at sta+e, conscious change is the order of the day. (s

glo"al citi)ens, *e 'ust identify so'e *ay to orchestrate a rapid paradig' shift in "oth thought

and action to guide us to*ard a *orld favora"le to the continued e-istence and develop'ent of

hu'an societies in har'ony *ith the rest of the life *orld. Geither scientific uncertainty nor

political e-pediency can #ustify a continued failure to act. Even as *e continue to "uild our

+no*ledge regarding the co'ple-ity and dyna'ic nature of ecological syste's that are "eing

profoundly altered "y present hu'an activities, *e 'ust proceed *ith the understanding that

there is no safe har"or for hu'anity that *ould allo* us to si'ply defer the need for ti'ely

intervention.

(s 'entioned a"ove, the social and "ehavioral dyna'ics that are contri"uting to a

deepening glo"al ecological crisis present a co'ple- of pro"le's that arises fro' the

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'ainstrea' political econo'y fro' the very institutions, processes and nor'ative structures that

define 6"usiness as usual.7 3pecifically, our lifesustaining ecosyste's oceans, forests, coastal

estuaries5 are "eing under'ined "y the very hu'an activity syste's that are the cornerstone of

the glo"al econo'y e.g., agricultural production, 'anufacturing, trade and finance, energy

syste's5. >herefore, it is neither logical nor prudent to assu'e that either 'ar+et"ased

initiatives or pu"lic sector regulation, alone or in co'"ination, *ill provide sufficient 'eans to

transfor' the accusto'ed patterns of hu'an activity that "rought us to this era of glo"al peril.

(ll such 'easures operate *ithin a cultural fra'e*or+ dictated "y the agenda of econo'ic

glo"ali)ation, and "y those po*erful econo'ic interests that derive shortter' profit "y resisting

change so as to perpetuate ineuita"le and e-ploitive practices e'"edded *ithin the institutional

status quo. >he co'prehensive analysis conducted "y G High 8evel anel 20125 supports a

si'ilar conclusion, that 6@tAhe scale of invest'ent, innovation, technological develop'ent and

e'ploy'ent creation reuired for sustaina"le develop'ent and poverty eradication is beyond the

range of the public sector 7 p. $, italics supplied5. 4hat is called for at all levels of society,

therefore, is a strategic shift in the very *ays that *e conceive of the pro"le's at hand and the

'anner of thin+ing reuired to for'ulate via"le solutions (da's, 20005.

3ocioecological syste's, as they evolve a'idst the glo"al diversity of "io'es and local

hu'an cultures, involve dyna'ics and causal structures that inevita"ly are far 'ore co'ple-

than those hu'an activity syste's that reasona"ly can "e assessed, 'odeled and 'anaged "y

national and international governing "odies. Ho*ever, fro' a glo"al perspective, it also is clear

that the hu'an condition and the condition of natural ecosyste's are largely codeter'ined.

6@Aeople are integral parts of ecosyste's and @A a dyna'ic interaction e-ists "et*een the' and

other parts of ecosyste's, *ith the changing hu'an condition driving, "oth directly and

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indirectly, changes in ecosyste's and there"y causing changes in hu'an *ell"eing7 illeniu'

Ecosyste' (ssess'ent, 200$, p. v5. Fro' this holistic perspective, a vantage point that ena"les

us to vie* the hu'an su"#ect as part of a larger unity inclusive of other life for's Braidotti,

201; Berry, 1%<< Boh', 1%<;5, the natural purpose of *hich is to evolve and create conditions

conducive to life 8oveloc+, 200% Benyus, 1%%:5, our prescri"ed solutions can focus on the

'anner in *hich *e govern ourselves as conscious participants in the life of the ecosystems that

sustain us.

Returning to the uestion of education, certain pre'ises can "e derived fro' the a"ove

discussion of glo"al conte-t. 4hereas in ti'es past education 'ay have served to prepare

learners to 'aster the 6s+ills, aptitudes, and attitudes necessary to industriali)e the earth,7 it is

no* an undenia"le fact that *e are in a 6planetary e'ergency,7 and therefore education must

deal with the most fundamental issues of human survival rr, 200!, pp. 22:5. Kespite the

recent e-plosion of access to infor'ation via *orld*ide digital net*or+s, no cannon of received

+no*ledge e-ists that *ill "e sufficient to guide us through these uncharted *aters. Clearly,

education as indoctrination *ill not suffice. oreover, there is a'ple reason to conclude that

our accusto'ed reductionist approaches to pro"le'solving, as still taught in our 'a#or

educational institutions, actually has contri"uted to the current perilous state of affairs "y

encouraging the develop'ent of 'ental ha"its that fail to account for the dyna'ic, holonic and

e'ergent characteristics of co'ple- syste's rr, 200!5. (ccording to Kavid rr 20105, an

early thought leader in the ecological literacy 'ove'ent,

>hose no* "eing educated *ill have to do *hat *e, the present generation, have "een

una"le or un*illing to do sta"ili)e *orld population sta"ili)e and then reduce the

e'ission of greenhouse gases, *hich threaten to change the cli'ate, perhaps disastrously

protect "iological diversity reverse the destruction of forests every*here and conserve

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soils. >hey 'ust learn ho* to use energy and 'aterials *ith great efficiency. >hey 'ust

learn ho* to utili)e solar energy in all its for's. >hey 'ust re"uild the econo'y in order

to eli'inate *aste and pollution. >hey 'ust learn ho* to 'anage rene*a"le resources

for the long run. >hey 'ust "egin the great *or+ of repairing as 'uch as possi"le the

da'age done to the earth in the past 200 years of industriali)ation. (nd they 'ust do all

of this *hile they reduce *orsening social and racial ineuities. Go generation has ever

faced a 'ore daunting agenda pp. 22:5.

( 21st century education 'ust foster glo"al citi)enship "y euipping learners *ith the

cognitive, socioe'otional and practical s+ills that *ill ena"le us to creatively navigate the

co'ple-ities and uncertainties of our era *hile steering a true course to*ard ecological health

and social #ustice. Educational syste's 'ust e'po*er learners to alter the current tra#ectory of

socioecological change "y leading strategic interventions that *ill restore the integrity and

resilience of our co''unities *ith reference to sustaina"le values satisfaction of "asic hu'an

needs, hu'an and ecological health, de'ocratic selfdeter'ination, uality and 'eaning of life.

(ll this "rings us to a ne* point of departure in our inuiry over the role of education in

transfor'ing the glo"alindustriali)ed status quo. ro'inent advocates for ecoliteracy and

education for sustaina"ility, including Kavid rr 200!, 20105, Kavid 3u)u+i 20105, Frit#of

Capra 200$5 eter 3enge 20125 3ir ?en Ro"inson 2001D20115, Richard 8ouv 200<5

Ed'und /3ullivan 20025 Kaniel =ole'an and colleagues 20125 and 'any others agree that a

paradig' change in education is essential if *e are to avert the *orst potential conseuence of

the current glo"al crisis. >hese thought leaders, *hile focusing on diverse aspects of our

educational agenda, represent a consensus vie* that schools 6should "e pri'ary sources, +ey

institutions, for the funda'ental longter' changes that hu'anity needs7 3enge 2012, $$5.

Education$ %alue& and the 'o&thu(an condition"

1$



3ir ?en Ro"inson 2001D20115 puts the pro"le' of education succinctly 6the creative

capacities of generations of people have "een sacrificed needlessly to an acade'ic illusion7 p.

:%, citing Ja'es He''ing5. >his illusion reflects a 6distinct phase in the cultural evolution of

hu'anity7 p. <:5 *hich originated in the consolidation of intellectual thought traditions of the

*estern Enlighten'ent era, and 'ar+ed the rise of the 'odern industrial econo'y, along *ith its

predo'inant 6ideology of rationalis', o"#ectivity and propositional +no*ledge7 p. <15. It is an

illusion insofar as it perpetuates narro*ing assu'ptions a"out the nature of acade'ic a"ility that

e-clude hu'an capacities associated *ith 6feelings, i'agination and selfe-pression,7 including

e'"odiedualitative +no*ledge, develop'ent of 'oral character, social and practical s+ills and

the entire do'ain of the arts, *hile privileging reductionist science as the sole ar"iter of fact and

truth p. 105. I'ages of technological 'astery "orn of these entrenched assu'ptions seduce

educators and policy'a+ers ali+e to retreat into an 6ideological co'fort )one7 p. 10:5 *hich,

according to Ro"inson 2001D20115, 3enge 20125, rr 20105 and other critics of our

'ainstrea' educational syste's, has contri"uted to a gro*ing gap "et*een the hu'an capacities

currently developed in for'al education and those that are actually needed in facing co'ple-

societal challenges of the 21st century. In vie* of the urgent *arning signals "eing sent up "y the

*orld/s scientists, ethicists and 'any govern'ent officials, civil society is *ell #ustified in

de'anding ne* affir'ative agendas for education as a "asis for responsi"le glo"al citi)enship.

Educators *ho open ne* lines of inuiry *ithin "oard roo's, teacher/s lounges, and classroo's

are affir'ing the need to advance "eyond the current societal dialectic regarding education, *ith

its e'otionallycharged de"ates over everything fro' instructional 'ethods to the very purposes

of education in society.

1



Ho*ever, despite considera"le 'o'entu' "ehind the call for change in education, the

very process of articulating co''on values as a "asis for societal consensus often is under'ined

"y our collective failure to transcend the political econo'y of difference. In the nited 3tates,

schools have "eco'e a 6hot"ed of controversy7 fueled "y the polari)ing dialectics of a 'edia

driven political culture. I'portant topics related to education are often s*ept into a struggle

"et*een co'peting ideologies 68i"eral versus Conservative L Ke'ocrat versus Repu"lican L

3ecular versus Religious Evolutionist versus Creationist Fe'inist versus >raditionalist

3GBC versus Fo-7 erry, 201;, O 15.

Certainly, an air of crisis can "ring people together *ith a sense of co''on purpose,

'a+ing it possi"le to rally under a co''on cause even *hile enduring hardships i'posed "y

circu'stances as dire as *arfare, terroris' and natural disasters circu'stances that touch upon

our "asic survival interests. Eually certain is the fact that a sense of unity coalescing around a

pu"lic crisis can "e e-ploited "y those pursuing ulterior political agendas. History is replete *ith

e-a'ples sho*ing this to "e the case, including the e-ploitation of national unity follo*ing the

3epte'"er 11, 2001 attac+s on Ge* Mor+ and 4ashington "y pu"lic officials "ent on *ar *ho

su"seuently 'isrepresented a co''on threat in the for' of 6*eapons of 'ass destruction.7

Ho*ever, the glo"al ecological crisis presents a different type of challenge Custo'ary

approaches to 'o"ili)ation in response to a co''on threat using a conflict"ased 'odel and

various iterations of the 6*ar on L.7 'etaphor are illsuited to deal *ith pro"le's of true

syste'ic co'ple-ity.

(s 'entioned a"ove, the international co''unity has concluded that no policy

intervention *ithin the current or potential capa"ility of pu"lic sector institutions *ill "e

sufficient to turn the tide of glo"al environ'ental degradation and econo'ic dislocation. 4orld

1:



leaders e-plicitly have called upon civil society to so'eho* orchestrate a paradig' change at the

level of the glo"al political econo'y G anel on =lo"al 3ustaina"ility 20125. In essence, *e

as citi)ens of the *orld are called upon to transfor' the very cultural lens that unites civil society

at the level of hu'an values the deeper level at *hich *e understand the nature of our pro"le's

in relation to the co''on sta+es involved. >o acco'plish this, *e 'ust find a *ay to transfor'

a contentious societal dialectic in a 'anner that allo*s us to 'ove "eyond polari)ed de"ate that

regularly devolves into hypera"straction and 6cultural *arfare.7 4e 'ust find a *ay to forge a

co''on understanding of our para'ount civic responsi"ilities, to effectively prepare this

generation of learners to "uild to*ards a sustaina"le and socially #ust glo"al co''unity a'idst

inherited environ'ental, sociopolitical and econo'ic challenges. In su', this generation of

organi)ational leaders and educators is facing a distinctly post'odern dile''a a global

comple" of pragmatic imperatives demanding urgent response amidst controversy over the very

culturally-mediated value propositions that once served as a basis for collective action.

('ong the see'ingly irreconcila"le "inaries that shape the political dialectic over

education is the divide over the role of education in cultural trans'ission. >his controversy

arises specifically over the uestion of 6@*Aho has the right to choose *hat or ho* young people

are taught a"out controversial issues7 erry, 201;, O !5. (s currently fra'ed in the ('erican

'edia culture, this uestion tends to devolve into a de"ate "et*een those *ho fear schools are

"eco'ing vehicles for govern'ent'andated li"eral "rain*ashing, and those *ho fear that a

default to religiouslyinfused education is depriving learners of access to "asic +no*ledge

needed for responsi"le citi)enship. (t ti'es, participants in this polari)ed de"ate have

converged on the notion that 6@pAu"lic schools should "e as neutral as possi"le, and leave the

controversy to the dinner ta"le and 3unday 3chool7 O 5. >his default proposition is often cited

1<



as an e-pression of the principle of separation "et*een church and state. Ho*ever, it also

reflects a deeper shift in the prevailing *orldvie* 'ar+ed "y the ascendency of post'odern

cultural relativis' the idea that for'al education can and should 'aintain a stance of neutrality

not just with regard to religious doctrine, but with regard to the moral foundations of culture

itself. >his 'anner of conflictresolution"yavoidance 'ight assuage the concerns of

traditionalists *ho #ealously guard parental and church prerogatives in educating their children,

as *ell as those *ith a post'odern sensi"ility *ho tend to vie* any 'ove'ent to*ards

universal value propositions *ith suspicion. Ho*ever, as discussed "elo*, a stance of presu'ed

neutrality a'idst culture *ars offers no real solution. It ends up privileging a variety of secular

education that denies its o*n relevance to the entire real' of su"#ective e-perience, even as it

presu'es to i'pose universal o"#ective standards for hu'an develop'ent. 3uch education

inevita"ly fails to deliver 'eaningful instruction regarding 6ho* to live,7 or 6*hat concerns to

*e share in co''on,7 or si'ilar issues of inherent concern to the developing hu'an "eing. It

therefore fails to serve as a relia"le "asis for citi)enship or cultural trans'ission, and drives

change to*ards a *orld *here reason itself loses its po*er to unify and guide collective action in

the pu"lic sphere.

In this era of post'odern relativis', the a"sence of plenary values needed to foster

glo"al citi)enship *hile guiding and infor'ing educational syste' design "egs a deeper

level of analysis.

(ccording to the critical posthu'an perspective, classical hu'ancentered value propositions

enfolded *ithin the secular notions of li"erty, euality and #ustice stand on truth clai's that are

neither selfevident nor preordained *hen vie*ed through the lens of the glo"al econo'y and

outside the perspective of a co''on cultural heritage. In the conte-t of econo'ic glo"ali)ation,

these secular ideals proclai'ed as universal "y political and econo'ic elites of the for'er

1%



colonial po*ers engender a for' of panhu'anis' "ased on a Eurocentric notion of the ideal

hu'an su"#ect. alue propositions once construed *ith reference to place"ased religious and

fol+ traditions 'ediated "y plural enclaves of co''on cultural heritage no* are universally

delineated for a glo"al co''unity "y 'eans of a classical Eurocentric i'age of the ideal hu'an

su"#ect. >his i'age arrogates to itself an ideal status *ithin hu'an su"#ectivity "y e-cluding,

through negative reference, everyone and everything5 that populates various categories of

6other7. >he resulting dualistic paradig' 6i'plies the dialectics of self and other, and the "inary

logic of identity and otherness as respectively the 'otor for and the cultural logic of universal

Hu'anis'7 Braidotti, 201;, p. 1$5.

Conseuently, those *ho defend the 'ore a"stract truth clai's of classical secularis'

often are una*are of the i'plicit clai's of privilege carried in their scientific analysis or political

'essaging, *hich in the face of actual social ineuities perpetuates a neocolonial "rand of

4estern e-ceptionalis'. By privileging a"stract rationality a"ove all else, including its o*n

nonrational "asis in a dise'"odied su"#ectivity posited three centuries ago "y Renee Kescartes

and later descri"ed "y Ryle 1%!%5 as 6the ghost in the 'achine,7 'odern dualistic thin+ing as a

continuing legacy *ithin the post'odern cultural conte-t has given rise to a "rand of secular

funda'entalis' in the na'e of 6hard7 science that i'plicitly denies the 'oral authority and

teleological validity of all other cultural variants 4allis, 200$5. >his thin+ing presu'es to avoid

'oral ha)ard and transcend the need for pu"lic 'orality "y construing 6nature as dead 'achine7

devoid of intrinsic value or su"#ective "eingness, there"y freeing the neocolonial agenda of

glo"al industrial e-pansion fro' virtually all 'oral constraints =i"lett, 2011, p. 2;5.

Ho*ever in today/s post'odern society, the uestion of ho* *e understand core values

is insepara"le fro' the uestion of ho* *e understand the nature of su"#ectivity and su"#ective

20



identity. 4hen, as descri"ed a"ove, a denial of the su"#ective real' in the pu"lic sphere of

education occurs under the prete-t of 'oral neutrality, such denial perpetuates an insidious for'

of neocolonialis' "y training students to conceive of +no*ledge in strictly 'echanistic ter's.

By conveniently sidestepping values"ased curriculu' that 'ight dra* learners into deeper

e-ploration of the self as 'oral agent, or that 'ight invite transfor'ative learning through

challenging encounters *ith the hu'an or nonhu'an 6other,7 post'odern education reinforces

ha"its of thought that infuse cultural relativis' *ith a flavor of unconscious privilege. 3uch

ha"itual default into the a-io's of classical hu'anis' alienates learners fro' the larger life

*orld "y assigning an inferior status to the entire do'ain of ualitative +no*ledge. >hrough

alienation, learners are deprived of vast and diverse do'ains of +no*ledge, including relational

and self+no*ledge as interpreted through the *orld/s vast diversity of indigenous, religious, and

aesthetic traditions, as *ell as holistic and practical +no*ledge that conte'plates nonlinear and

selforgani)ing causal structures of co'ple- syste's, all of *hich are dee'ed to lie outside the

privileged do'ain of a 'echanistic 6e'pirical reality.7

( dualistic *orldvie* *hich e'ploys the "inary of selfandother to distinguish,

o"#ectify and coloni)e the entire do'ain of e'pirical reality, necessarily relies on a dise'"odied

a"straction of the hu'an su"#ect as its universal ideal. >his *orldvie* there"y divorces the

*estern conception of 6the hu'anities7 as a pedagogical category fro' the universal truth clai's

of 'odern science. 4hile "uilding its logic on a series of fatal "inaries, it constructs o"#ective

reality in a *ay that denies the intrinsic value of all things real, allo*ing for the o"#ectification

and co''odification of all living and nonliving for's, including all hu'an 6others7 dee'ed to

have an inferior status in proportion to their distance fro' the universal su"#ective ideal. 4e

thus encounter 6the parado-ical and violent glo"al conte-t *here the posture of 4estern

21



e-ceptionalis'/ has ta+en the for' of selfaggrandi)ing praise of the Enlighten'ent Hu'anist

legacy7 a legacy *hich disenfranchises the plural voices of religion, cultural diversity and

integrative thought that are the very ones needed to carry on intersu"#ective dialogue that 'ight

coalesce around co''on values in the pu"lic sphere Braidotti, 201;, p. ;;:, 4allis, 200$5.

4hat re'ains after pedagogical disenfranchise'ent and the clash of fatal "inaries is a

passionless, dise'"odied for' of education *hich invites the 6t*in pitfalls of conservative

nostalgia and neoli"eral euphoria,7 *hile failing to euip learners *ith the +no*ledge, s+ills

and perspectives needed for engaged glo"al citi)enship Braidotti, 201;, p. 115.

Re)%aluing education %ia an integral$ 'o&t)hu(an 'er&'ecti%e"

Beginning in the early t*entieth century, an undercurrent of concern over an ever

*idening gap "et*een espoused ideals and lived realities in the 'odern era inspired an

interdisciplinary literature critically deconstructing the 'a#or pre'ises of the 'odern industrial

society. By 'idcentury, this post'odern desconstructionis' gained pro'inence in the

4estern political econo'y, and a gro*ing nu'"er of engaged citi)ens ca'e to dou"t the 'oral

legiti'acy of conventional pro"le'solving approaches adopted "y govern'ents and

organi)ational leaders, and taught in the 'ainstrea' educational institutions. In historical

perspective, the recent era of critical deconstruction can "e understood as a uest to redee' the

classical hu'anistic agenda of e'ancipation and selfdeter'ination for all 'e'"ers of the

hu'an fa'ily. (ccordingly, fro' the perspective of post'odern consciousness, an appropriate

response to the current glo"al crisis 'ust include recognition of the plurality and relativis' of

culturally'ediated *orldvie*s, and a restoration of the dignity of subjective e"perience so as to

6reinclude at a higher level *hat the 'odernist stage had previously left "ehind in its

transcendence7 cIntosh, 200:, p. $:5.

22



Ho*ever, post'odernis' so far has "een ineffective at deconstructing that particular

aspect of classical secularis' that i'poses a universal, and therefore privileged, panhu'an set of

ideals *ithin the pu"lic sphere of glo"al capitalis'. 8ac+ing a via"le, unifying alternative to

replace the universal truth clai's of classical secularis', post'odern criticis' has fallen prey to

"inary thin+ing as it has located nearly all 'oral value *ithin the relativistic do'ain of the

private sphere. Conseuently, post'odern criticis' has largely failed to re'edy, or even

ac+no*ledge, the current absence of consensus over public values needed to guide decision-

maing in an increasingly interdependent *orld. 4ithin the popular culture of the 4est, post

'odern consciousness over ti'e has devolved into a 'ore or less dog'atic cultural relativis'.

In recent decades, a corresponding value relativism has arisen as a ne* pro"le' condition or

cultural 6pathology7 e'"edded *ithin the post'odern *orldvie* cIntosh, 200:, p. $5. >his

'ove to*ards value relativis' as a critical pluralistic response to neocolonialis' has so far

failed to produce a glo"al fra'e*or+ for unified action in the pu"lic sphere, as *arranted "y the

current ecological crisis.

4hile there is a'ple reason to "e concerned that the current societal dialectic 'ay "e

evolving to*ard a sharply regressive turn, including dog'atic crusades "y so'e cultural

*arriors *ho *ould reinstitute various for's of education "y indoctrination" Historical analysis

also suggests that 'any of today/s 'essy glo"al challenges 'ay "e e'erging fro' *ithin the

very shado*s of Enlighten'entera thin+ing

Kespite the cult of rationality, 'odern history has "een punctuated "y *itchhunts and*orld *ars *hich have "een e-plosions of unreason. 4ithout the a"ility to approach the

deeper regions of the psyche, *hich the old 'yths, liturgies, and 'ystical practices of the

"est conservative faith once provided, it see'ed that reason so'eti'es lost its 'ind inour "rave ne* *orld (r'strong, 2001, p. ;:5.

4hether today/s culture *ars 'ight "e a prelude to a "ifurcation leading to the e'ergence of a

ne* glo"al cos'ology is an open uestion. pon further ela"oration of this posthu'an turn in

2;



philosophy, *e 'ay find that *e are standing on the threshold of a second Enlighten'ent one

involving a glo"al shift in consciousness affir'ing the unity of all life. >his possi"ility is

elouently treated in the visionary *ritings of >ho'as Berry 1%%05 and Brian 3*i''e 200$5,

a'ong others. Met, fro' a prag'atic perspective, it should "e noted that neither these nor other

*riters on the topic of cultural evolution e.g., =i"lett, 2011 Ro"inson, 2001D2011 8as)lo 9

8as)lo, 200! cIntosh, 200: Banathy, 2000 4il"er, 1%% C)i+s)ent'ihalyi, 1%%; Bergeson,

1%115 espouse a passive attitude in regard to the i'plications of the current glo"al crisis. >o the

contrary, these *riters articulate our generational challenge to consciously engage in processes

of learning that *ill allo* us to align hu'an culture *ith the living syste's that sustain us and to

do so in a 'anner that *or+s in the current, historicallye'"edded conte-t of cultural plurality

and glo"al sociotechnical change.

4e 'ust loo+ "eyond the li'its of the post'odern *orldvie*, and deter'ine ho* "est

to guide the course of our o*n evolution in a 'anner that enco'passes the *hole of the 'ind

"ody syste' Banathy, 2000 Csi+s)ent'ihalyi, 1%%;5, even as the "oundaries of that syste'

appear to "e changing "y virtue of our 21st century technological e-tensions Fu+uya'a, 20025.

In the present conte-t of glo"al interdependence, those *ho call for the e'ergence of a ne*

glo"al cos'ology need not a"andon their post'odern critiue of classical secularis' and its

coloni)ing proclivities. Rather, so'ething li+e a glo"al cos'ology is needed to guide

generative civic engage'ent at the level of scale needed to reconcile hu'an and natural syste's

for the long ter' 3pretna+, 1%%% rr, 1%%25.

Recent develop'ents in integral philosophy and critical posthu'anis', respectively,

present an opportunity for synthesis *ithin a fra'e*or+ of evolutionary inuiry discussed

"elo*5. Integral philosophy see+s 6a ne* understanding of ho* the influences of evolution affect

2!



the develop'ent of consciousness and culture7 cIntosh, 200:, p. 2 Co'"s, 1%%$D20025. It

e-alts evolution as a pri'ary value in the cultural sphere and as a prime directive 6to *or+ to

'aintain the health and sustaina"ility of the entire channel of cultural evolution, the spiral of

develop'ent as a *hole7 cIntosh, 20:, p. :%5.

Kra*ing fro' earlier pioneering *or+s of 4illia' Ja'es, Henri Bergson, ierre >eihard

de Chardin and others cIntosh, 200: Co'"s, 2002 Capra, 20025, an interdisciplinary

convergence of theoretical develop'ent and e'pirical research spanning the past $0 plus years

has given rise to a ne*, historicallysignificant *orldvie*, recently synthesi)ed in *or+s of

integral philosophy cIntosh, 200: 8a+off 9 Johnson, 1%%% 4il"er, 1%% 20005. >his

integral perspective illu'inates the e"ternal realm of "iology and cos'ology *ith a ne*

understanding of life "ased on the science of co'ple-ity and nonlinear dyna'ics Capra, 20025,

and it illu'inates the internal realm of consciousness and culture *ith 6a ne* ontological grasp

of the structures of the internal universe7 confir'ed "y a 6"road e'piricis'7 that recogni)es the

e'pirical validity of direct and reproduci"le su"#ective e-perience cIntosh, 200:, p. 20%

4il"er, 2000 Ja'es, 1%;5 .

( co'ple'entary 21st century perspective, also arising fro' the ashes of post'odern

deconstruction, critical posthu'anis' co'"ines critiue *ith creativity to 6help us rethin+ the

"asic unit of reference for the hu'an in the "iogenetic age +no*n as the anthropocene/, the

historical 'o'ent *hen the Hu'an has "eco'e a geological force capa"le of affecting all life on

this planet Braidotti, 201;, p. $5. It 'aintains an affir'ative, ethical stance in favor of a 6situate

and accounta"le perspective7 that re#ects the 6unitary su"#ect position upheld "y Hu'anis'7

including the 6selfappointed 'issionary role of Europe as the alleged center of the *orld7 p.

$;$!5.

2$



(s a "rand of vital 'aterialis', posthu'an theory contests the arrogance of

anthropocentris' and the e-ceptionalis'/ of the Hu'an as a transcendental category. It

stri+es instead and alliance *ith the productive and i''anent force of !oe, or life in itsnonhu'an aspects p. 5.

3i'ilar appeals to replace anthropocentris' *ith a lifecentered value orientation are

e-pressed in the se'inal *ritings of 8oveloc+ 1%:%D1%<:5, Berry 1%<<5, ("ra' 1%%5,

erchant 200$5, and =i"lett 20115.

Educational &*&te(& change %ia e%olutionar* learning"

Having offered a partial synthesis of posthu'an and integral perspectives as an

evolutionary fra'e*or+ for organi)ational transfor'ation *ithin educational syste's, it is no*

appropriate to revisit *hat I have posited as the prag'atic uestion of central concern to

education in the 21st century conte-t $hether and how educational systems can serve to guide

the evolutionary transformation of human culture%s& as needed to build a global civil society that

secures a high quality of life for all via a non-dualistic, generative alignment of human and

natural systems.

ur tas+ going for*ard, therefore, is threefold *irst , to gain a deeper understanding of

our glo"al situation through the lens of evolutionary theory, *hich serves *ell as a fra'e*or+

for crossdisciplinary integration of relevant ideas concerning the role of hu'an agency in

driving socioecological change second , to e-a'ine ho* culture, as the e'"odi'ent and

e-tension of hu'an 6'ental processes that are or can "e5 su"#ect to social trans'ission7 Ross

200!, 15 drives a coevolutionary dyna'ic involving "oth "iology and culture Richerson and

Boyd 200$5 related to the conscious and unconscious i'itation of ideas 'e'es5 having the

po*er to replicate fro' one hu'an 'ind to another and third , to consider the role of conscious

"io'i'etic design as an educational strategy for societal transfor'ation, ena"ling learners to

2



consciously e'ancipate the'selves fro' the grip of 'aladaptive 'e'es and actively steer the

course of hu'an and societal evolution to*ard higher levels of organi)ation aligned *ith 6life/s

principles7 Bio'i'icry ;.< 2012 Banathy 2000 Benyus 1%%: Brodie 1%%5.

In the conte-t of a *orld undergoing rapid socioecological change, inuiry as structured

a"ove pro'ises to illu'inate the theoretical and practical foundation of a ne* educational

paradig'. >he shift *ould recast the purpose of education to facilitate the e'ergence of

sustaina"le culture leading to sustaina"le society. nder this ne* paradig', education is

conceived as a process of hu'an develop'ent and cultural trans'ission that ena"les learners to

assu'e conscious control of the reflective, 'i'etic and enactive processes governing their

thoughts, "elieves and actions, respectively, *ith the ai' of replicating in the'selves and their

environ'ents the ualities found in healthy natural ecosyste's including diversity, functional

integration, cyclical processes and self'aintenance, har'ony and resilience Polli 2012 an

der Ryn and Co*an, 1%%D200:5.

ver ;$ years ago, the British evolutionary "iologist and theorist Richard Ka*+ins

1%:D1%<%5 introduced a fresh neoKar*inian perspective on evolution through natural selection

"y offering an i'age *hich he descri"es as a 6gene/s eye vie* of nature7 1%:D1%<%, -v5. Fro'

this perspective, the "asic unit of selection and therefore of the evolution of life itself is not the

group, population or species, "ut a 'ore "asic entity *hich he calls the replicator, descri"ed as

the 'olecule, gene or si'ilar unit *hich has the 6e-traordinary property of "eing a"le to create

copies of itself7 1%:D1%<%, 1$5. By vie*ing Kar*inian evolution fro' the genes eye vie*,

Ka*+ins distinguishes the 6selfish7 "ehavior of genes as replicators fro' the 'any o"served

species or grouplevel "ehaviors that e-hi"it cooperation or the euivalent of altruis' as a

pri'ary survival strategy. In this *ay, Ka*+ins refutes 'any of the pro"le'atic cannons of

2:



social Kar*inis', *hile inviting rene*ed interest in the application of evolutionary theory to the

study of social "ehavior.

( particularly relevant part of Ka*+ins/ 1%:D1%<%5 analysis, for purposes of this

discussion a"out the role of education in a posthu'an *orld, is his proposition that in the social

sphere #ust as in the "iological sphere all life evolves "y the differential survival of replicating

entities. He coined the ter' 6'e'es7 as a *ay of conveying the idea of 6a unit of cultural

trans'ission, or a unit of i'itation7 that, having the po*er of selfreplication, should "e regarded

as a living structure in its o*n right. He co'pares 'e'es to viruses *ith the suggestion that

6@*Ahen you plant a fertile 'e'e in 'y 'ind you literally parasiti)e 'y "rain, turning it into a

vehicle for the 'e'e/s propagation in #ust the *ay that a virus 'ay parasiti)e the genetic

'echanis' of a host cell7 1%:D1%<%, 1%25. Ka*+ins postulates that 'e'es, li+e genes, *ill

over ti'e for' into coadapted 'e'eco'ple-es capa"le of e-ploiting the prevailing cultural

environ'ent also consisting of 'e'es5 to their o*n advantage, eventually coalescing into sta"le

'e'e pools that resists penetration "y other co'peting 'e'es. >his articulation of a neo

Kar*inian perspective on cultural evolution locates the 'e'ereplicator as a 6selfserving7 unit

of evolutionary develop'ent, there"y refuting the classical teleological notion that evolutionary

forces per se favor the longter' survival and advance'ent of hu'an culture. In this *ay,

Ka*+ins offers an i'portant lens for understanding the evolutionary i'plications of our 21st

century, posthu'an condition.

( decade after Ka*+ins introduced the concept of the replicator as the "asic unit of

Kar*inian selection, engendering rene*ed interest in the application of evolutionary theory to

the social sciences, philosopher and syste's theorist Ervin 8as)lo 1%<:5 pu"lished his 6grand

synthesis7 of evolutionary theory. ( particularly co'pelling aspect of 8as)lo/s *or+ is his

2<



application of theory regarding the "ehavior of co'ple- syste's, including the theory of chaotic

attractors derived fro' the e'pirical *or+ of 'eteorologist Ed*ard 8oren) and others, to

descri"e a logical pattern of evolutionary change e-hi"ited "y selforgani)ing autopoietic5

syste's at all levels of scale, inclusive of physical, "iological and social syste's ali+e 8as)lo

1%<: =leic+ 1%<:5.

8as)lo/s *or+ invo+es evolutionary theory to challenge the prescriptive and deter'inistic

orientation of the 'ainstrea' scientific acade'y, *hich vie*s co'ple- syste's as entities in or

near dyna'ic euili"riu'. He descri"ed evolution as a process involving syste's in a state of

diseuali"riu' that for' structures at progressively higher levels of organi)ation and

co'ple-ity. Building on these theoretical pre'ises, he descri"ed a "asic 'odel *here"y

dyna'ic syste's at a given level of organi)ation and scale enter into a state of diseuili"riu'

that, through 'utual attraction and a process of e'ergence 6"ifurcation75 enter into a higher

level of organi)ation, there"y esta"lishing a hierarchy of selforgani)ing syste's e'erging fro'

su"ato'ic particles up through living cells, organis's, ecologies and societies. In this *ay,

8as)lo reconciled the longstanding conflict "et*een the perceived cos'ic i'plications of

Ge*ton/s 3econd 8a* of >her'odyna'ics and Kar*inian evolutionary theory, respectively the

for'er 'aintaining that all matter descends to*ards a state of entropy, and latter 'aintaining

that all life ascends to*ards progressively higher levels of organi)ation.

4e have no* co'e to see that the conflict "et*een the t*o great processesQthe t*o

arro*s of ti'eQis only apparent. Evolving syste's are not closed the universe as a

*hole is not 'echanistic cos'ic processes do not point the arro* of ti'e to*ard a stateof universal heatdeath and life is neither an accidental a"erration nor the 'anifestation

of 'ysterious 'etaphysical forces 8as)lo, 1%<:, p. 1:5.

8i+e Ka*+ins, 8as)lo posits that "oth "iological and social syste's evolve to*ards

progressively higher organi)ational levels. His *riting reveals i'portant agree'ent *ith

2%



Ka*+ins Both theorists account for the 'uch faster rate of evolutionary change o"served *ithin

social syste's, relative to "iological syste's, while rejecting any and all deterministic

projections regarding the outcome for human e"istence or quality of life. Ho*ever, *here

Ka*+ins/ theoretical vie*s adhere to the classical Kar*inian concept of selection as a step"y

step process of incre'ental change, 8as)lo instead applies the theory of 6punctuated euili"ria7

and the related concept of 6convergence7 to e-plain ho* 6high levels of co'ple-ity can "e

achieved in relatively short ti'e fra'es7 8as)lo 1%<:, <1<25. >he concept of punctuated

euili"ria

recogni)es the occurrence of long periods of stasis, during *hich the catalytic cycles that

'aintain organic species in their environ'ents perfor' adeuately and correct for ali'ited range of pertur"ations, and it clai's that *hen the epochs of stasis co'e to an

end, evolution is sudden and unpredicta"le in detail 1%<:, ::5.

6Convergence7 descri"es a process that allo*s for rapid change arriving at progressively higher

levels of comple"ity. 4hen living syste's, *hether species, ecosyste's or societies, through the

processes of 'utation and speciation, and through interaction *ith their environ'ents, enter a

state of critical diseuili"riu', they for' catalytic cycles 6that 'aintain t*o or 'ore dyna'ic

syste's in a shared environ'ent through coordinated functions, si'ilar to "ut even 'ore

integrated than sy'"iosis a'ong organic species7 p. ;!5. >hese 6hypercycles7 allo* for

dyna'ic syste's to e'erge at higher levels of organi)ation. For e-a'ple, in the conte-t of

societal evolution, 6@aAs the flo*s of people, infor'ation, energy, and goods intensify, they

transcend the for'al "oundaries of the social syste'7 ena"ling 6neigh"oring tri"es and villages

to converge into ethnic co''unities and integrated states7 p. %05.

8i+e the evolutionary syste's they descri"e, the 'a#or theoretical *or+s of Ka*+ins

1%:D1%<%5 and 8as)lo 1%<:5 dra* us into a dialectical tension "et*een integration and

;0



differentiation. 4hat e'erges is a yet 'ore integrative vision of societal evolution that holds the

pro'ise of natureculture continuu' converging at a higher level of co'ple-ity through

co'ple'entary processes of mimesis and autopoiesis. >ranslation sustaina"ility through the

educational practices of "io'i'icry and generative evolutionary5 inuiry. 8et us no* turn to

the latter of these t*o practices as a fra'e*or+ for leveraging the transfor'ative value of the

for'er.

Bela H. Banathy 20005, *hose *or+ in the area of social syste's design and

consciouslyguided societal evolution provides 'a#or inspiration for this essay, defines

evolutionary inuiry as 6a disciplined inuiry "y *hich evolutionary +no*ledge and

evolutionary co'petence are developed and applied in engaging in conscious evolution7 pp.

2;2!, italics added5. It is an intentional process of selforgani)ation and transcendence that

reuires an 6@uAnderstanding of ho* living syste's *or+,7 *here such +no*ledge is 6used

constructively to help us design a sustaina"le societal syste'7 >aylor, 200<. p. $5. Consistent

*ith the pre'ises of evolutionary syste's theory, conscious evolution of society through

disciplined inuiry and application of evolutionary +no*ledge reflects evolved hu'an potentials

enfolded *ithin hu'anity/s current post'odern stage of cultural develop'ent >aylor, 200<

cIntosh, 200: Banathy, 20005. >aylor 200<5 su''ari)es this pre'ise uite elegantly 6(t

the sa'e ti'e as our civili)ation has "eco'e unsustaina"le, our species has acuired the a"ility

to redesign living syste's7 p. $5.

Banathy 20005 further affir's that evolutionary inuiry proceeds fro' a core ethical

stance

>he right of people to guide their o*n destiny, to create authentic, nurturing, sustaina"le

co''unities, to control their resources, to govern the'selves and guide their o*n

evolution is a 'ost funda'ental hu'an right p. 25.

;1



I'plicit *ithin this core ethic is the pre'ise that, "y recogni)ing self-guided evolution as a

fundamental human right, diverse organi)ations and societies *ill "e a"le to selforgani)e in

*ays that, fro' a glo"al perspective, *ill support the e'ergence of a har'onious and

ecologically sustaina"le glo"al co''unity. Consistent *ith this vie*, any serious consideration

of the current and future role of education in society should "egin *ith a clear understanding that

the hu'an right to selfdeter'ination includes the right to learn and participate in the further

shaping of our co''on evolutionary story.

(s a processoriented discipline ai'ing at societal transfor'ation through the conscious

unfolding of hu'an potentials, evolutionary inuiry 6incorporates four interrelated do'ains

philosophy, theory, episte'ology, and functional application.7 3uch inuiry is 6 grounded in a

great variety of philosophical and theoretical positions in want of synthesis7 Banathy, 2000, p.

2!, italics in original5. >o fairly and accurately cover these relevant foundational perspectives

in depth, it *ould "e necessary to revie* a su"stantial "ody of interdisciplinary literature a tas+

"eyond the li'ited scope of this essay that 'ust "e reserved for another *riting. 4hat follo*s,

therefore, is a selective treat'ent dra*n fro' representative highlights in the literature pointing

to a generative synthesis of posthu'an and integral thought that is intended to set the stage for

further inuiry.

In the conte-t of organi)ational and educational syste's develop'ent, a process of

evolutionary inuiry infor'ed "y a posthu'an integral perspective provides a dyna'ic,

participatory, colla"orative and selforgani)ing fra'e*or+ for responding to legiti'ate concerns

over the lac+ of unifying values needed to lead change in the face of a threatened glo"al

co''ons. (s the *orld/s political econo'y "eco'es increasingly pluralistic and frag'ented,

the tas+ falls on education to euip learners *ith the +no*ledge and s+ills needed to overco'e

;2



*ithin any individual or social group, and "uilds resilience at 'ultiple levels "y virtue of its

inherent alliance *ith the generative and dyna'ic forces governing life itself. 8earning that

engages the *hole person and is guided "y vi"rant i'ages of co''unity and ecological health is

"oth self'otivating and selfvalidating.

4ithout di'inishing the i'portance of propositional +no*ledge as a legiti'ate vehicle

for cultural trans'ission, integrative posthu'an education can euip learners to e'"race and

*or+ *ithin the fra'e*or+ of co'ple- of living syste's "y consciously see+ing encounters *ith

the ualities of 6"eauty, truth and goodness7 cIntosh, 200:, p. 2%%5. Integral theorist 3teve

cIntosh 200:5 posits that these pri'ary ualities 6are the lures of perfection, the su"tle

spiritual attractors "ehind all for's of evolutionary develop'ent7 p. 2%%5, and further that

>he e-istential connection "et*een the "eautiful, the true, and the good and the

dialectical directions of evolution/s advance is evidenced "y the +inship that these valuesshare *ith the differentiated e-pressions of evolution found in each L of the distinct

do'ains of o"#ective, su"#ective, and intersu"#ective evolution. L +nity-comple"ity-

consciousness, feeling-thought-will, and aesthetics-science-morality each +ind of

evolution reveals this threefold striving for perfection in different *ays p. 2%%;005.

(s s+illfully applied *ithin the internal do'ains of hu'an consciousness and culture, such

pri'ary value attractors provide 6the method of integral consciousness7 *hich *e practice

6*hen *e use integral philosophy to see ho* every conflict contains a transcendent synthesis

that is *aiting to "e achieved7 p. ;0%, italics added5. ( si'ilar threefold pattern o"serva"le in

living syste's is descri"ed "y 3*i''e 9 Berry 1%%25 via their Cos'ogenetic rinciple. >his

principle descri"es a fa'iliar pattern *here"y opposing forces of integration the inward pull

to*ards unity5 and differentiation the outward pull to*ards co'ple-ity5 are resolved "y 'eans

of transcendence a shift "eyond the duality of conflict into an entirely ne* do'ain cIntosh,

200: Csi+s)ent'ihalyi, 1%%; 3*i''e 9 Berry, 1%%25. In a uest for transcendence aligned

*ith 8ife/s fa'iliar cos'ogenetic processes, an integral posthu'an education *ould invite

;!



learners to confront duality and conflict "y su''oning evolutionary consciousness to engage the

*hole of the 'ind"ody syste'. (s a turn to*ards holistic align'ent of the conscious self *ith

conte-tuallysituated inti'ations of a no'adic su"#ectivity inspired "y participatory encounters

*ith the i''anence of life, evolutionary inuiry can foster the e'ergence of an evolutionary

episte'ology. ?no*ledge acuired in this *ay transcends the classical su"#ecto"#ect "inary,

*hile fostering sustaina"ility in the pu"lic sphere of civic engage'ent and avoiding the allto

co''on pitfalls of dualistic, 6)erosu'7 thin+ing. Ho*ever, to i'prove prospects for

successfully transfor'ing educational syste's via evolutionary learning guided "y an integral,

posthu'an perspective and inspired "y the i''anence of 8ifeaspri'aryvalue, consideration

should also "e given to certain co''on factors that *ould i'pede evolutionary learning, and

strategies for 'ini'i)ing their deleterious influence.

Mi(etic Con&ciou&ne&& and Con&ciou& E%olution"

ic+ing up on Ka*+in/s characteri)ation of 'e'es as viruses of the 'ind author Richard

Brodie 1%%5, the original author of icrosoft 4ord, e-pounds on the current threat to

hu'anity posed "y the rapid and unchec+ed spread of har'ful 'e'es through the channels of

glo"al co''unication, as *ell as the historic opportunity presented "y the e'ergence of a ne*

science of 'i'etics, *hich offers the prospect of conscious evolution through 6the ne-t great

shift in education.7 Brodie/s description of this opportunity resonates *ith the integral

posthu'an perspective discussed a"ove, and carries a call to action

@>Ahe only *ay to *rest the course of our evolution a*ay fro' the rando' selectiveforces of 'e'es and get it in the hands of individuals is to "e a"solutely un*avering in

our "elief that each individual is entitled to life, li"erty, and the pursuit of happiness.Right no* all *e/re teaching +ids is the pursuit of grades and approval. >he pursuit of

approval is an engraved invitation to the iruses/ Ball. It suc+s you into *hatever

po*erful 'ind virus pushes the 'ost of your "uttons. Children 'ust "e taught to discern

and pursue their o*n valuesL (nd *or+ fast. >his one really is a crisis 1%%, 22%5.

;$



3i'ilarly Blac+'ore 1%%%5 challenges us to consider *hether cultural 'e'es, as self-

replicating units of cultural trans'ission, 'ay "e unconsciously and insidiously spreading in

*ays that 'ight influence the course of cultural evolution even to the e-tent of interfering *ith

our collective a"ility to consciously choose a desired future for ourselves and our decendents.

In our posthu'an, technologically'ediated *orld of the 21 st century, the path*ays for

replication and trans'ission of cultural 'e'es, *hether adaptive or 'aladaptive *ith reference

to the future of our species and of life on Earth, see' to "e virtually li'itless. 4riting at a"out

the sa'e ti'e as Ka*+ins, ('erican anthropologist Ed*ard >. Hall 1%:D1%<15 introduces a

concept very si'ilar to that of cultural 'e'es also infor'ed "y a posthu'an perspective. Hall

posits that 6the study of 'an sic5 is a study of his e-tensions7 and that 6it is no* possi"le to

actually see evolution ta+ing place, an evolution that occurs outside the organis' and at a greatly

accelerated pace *hen co'pared to intrinsic evolution.7 Hall e-plains ho* the very cultural

e-tensions language, tools, institutions5 that have allo*ed hu'ans to rapidly evolve *ith little

regard to ecological li'its, and e'erge as the do'inant species on Earth, no* threaten to destroy

6that part of the environ'ent that contains *ithin it the "asic ele'ents for satisfying hu'an

needs7 1%:D1%<1, ;<5.

Fro' the a"ove, it is "eco'ing clear that education can and 'ust serve to cultivate

discern'ent, not #ust in ter's of critical thin+ing s+ills, "ut in ter's of a conscious

understanding of the influence of culturally trans'itted i'ages, artifacts, technologies and ideas,

relative to the long ter' interests of the hu'an self as a participant *ithin a living "iosphere.

>his conscious understanding 'ust "e value driven and 'ust "egin *ith the educators

the'selves, *ho "ring *ith the' a full panoply of cultural 'e'es that are shaped "y the

do'inant cultural 'ilieu, as *ell as personal "ac+ground and e-perience. >o transfor' these

;



cultural 'e'es *ithin the very pu"lic sphere of educational syste's, leverage can "e o"tained

through conscious processes of organi)ational learning and social syste's design.

>he organi)ational learning approach contains, in 'any respects, a parallel set of

concepts and principles to those of the evolutionary approach. (lthough not 'adee-plicit in every article or "oo+, the variationselectionretention 'odel is the foundation

for analyses of learning in any conte-t, *hether "y individuals, groups, or organi)ations.

Because 'uch of the *or+ in organi)ational learning theory is grounded in social psychological and cognitive theories of hu'an "ehavior, it allo*s researchers to

for'ulate clear propositions a"out the conditions under *hich people act as agents of

their o*n fate (ldrich 9 Ruef, 1%%%D200p. $%5.

>hus, organi)ational learning can "e placed in service of cultural evolution "y 'eans of the

cultivation of evolutionary consciousness and the perfor'ance of evolutionary design *ithin the

organi)ational setting. aladaptive cultural 'e'es that 'ight over*hel' nascent efforts in

pursuit of an e'erging glo"al vision of education for a sustaina"le society, 'ay carry less s*ay

*ithin the confines of an organi)ational setting that is "roadly recogni)ed as an incu"ator for

innovative ideas and practices.

+io(i(icr* a& E(anci'ator* Learning and Con%ergence ,ith the Li!e -orld"

(uthor Janine Benyus 1%%:5, through her pioneering *or+ on "io'i'icry as a strategy

for adaptive innovation inspired "y nature, introduced to the *orld/s "usiness, research and

educational co''unities a vision of the hu'an evolutionary future *here *e learn to e'"race

co'ple-ity and 6co'e ho'e7 to a *orld of ecological li'its a *orld *here *e can 6stare

deeply into nature/s eyes7 and there find solutions to the great pro"le's facing hu'anity p. $5.

Benyus/ *or+ see's to have resonated strongly a'ong those *ho see+ a *ay to reconcile the

current 'ainstrea' reality of glo"al co''erce *ith increasing concern over the slo* progress of

the glo"al sustaina"ility agenda. 3he suggests that, through the practice of 6as+ing Gature,7 *e

can find innovative design solutions to 'any of the *orld/s econo'ic and social pro"le's. In

this *ay, Benyus offers to the pu"lic at large a deeply transfor'ative cultural 'e'e via *hat

;:



appears on the surface as a si'ple 'etaphor. Richard 8ouv 200$5 si'ilarly used 'etaphor to

capture the attention of a *ide pu"lic audience, *hile su"tly offering a transfor'ative non

dualistic vision of the hu'annature continuu'. He acco'plished this "y coining the phrase

6nature deficit disorder7 to descri"e his finding that children suffered develop'ental har' *hen

deprived of opportunities for unstructured interaction *ith the natural *orld.

3i'ilar appeals to engage *ith the pro"le's of co'ple-ity *hile *or+ing *ith or

*ithin5 an e-pansive, nondualistic, conception of Gature are found in the *ritings of an Ker

Ryn 9 Co*an 1%%D200:5, Hol'gren 200;5, >aylor 200<5, =i"lett 20115, Be#an 9 Pane

20125, Polli 20125, and Keacon 20125. >hese pioneering *ritings, "y recasting and revising

the evolutionary story and providing co'ple'entary critical perspectives regarding the legacy of

'odern scientific inuiry, together fra'e a ne* theoretical synthesis founded upon an integral,

posthu'an philosophical perspective. In practical ter's, this perspective opens the *ay for

radical revisioning of the longstanding dualistic and 'echanistic *orldvie* that has shaped the

evolutionary course of *estern society. >his *orldvie* is uite literally engraved upon the very

landscapes, institutional and legal structures, technologies, and patterns of thought and language

that are the legacy *estern colonial e-pansion, and that are the current reality of glo"al

capitalis'. Revisionary calls for a nondualistic, participatory culture of scientific and spiritual

inuiry suggests that the e'ergence of evolutionary consciousness 'ay also signal an epochal

'ove'ent in the direction of a ree'erging 6indigenous consciousness.7 >his process inevita"ly

"rings inuirers into challenging and potentially e'ancipatory5 encounters *ith the politics of

decoloni)ation and shifting identity for'ations, and *ith the presence of the ancestral ?re'er,

20025. E-plorations of indigenous and 6revisioning7 perspectives fra'e the conte-t for

conversations across cultures that ai' to heal and restore the deep connections that, ulti'ately

;<



unite hu'an societies in co''unity *ith each other and *ith the nonhu'an presences that

*eave the intricate fa"ric of life on our ho'e planet, Earth. 3uch e-ploration of

indigenousDspiritual perspectives in conversation *ith the e'erging realities of glo"al

co''unity are offered "y Keloria 1%:;D200;5, Kevereu- 1%%5, Ca#ete 20005, Moung, Haas 9

c=o*n 20105, and Jac+son 2010 20115 a'ong others. Courageous and visionary efforts to

transcend the colonial past, as *ell as post'odern cultural relativis', and forge 6ne*7

cos'ological perspectives for a living Earth co''unity are found in *ritings of Barry 1%<<5,

Ros)a+ 1%%25, Hara*ay 1%%25, acy 9 Bro*n 1%%<5, 3*i'' 1%%D200$5, >arnas 2005,

("ra' 20105 and aughan8ee 201;5.

>his hopeful vision of a transfor'ed *orldvie* *ithin the e'erging glo"al co''unity is

inspired, in part, "y evolutionary theory and the concept of convergence

>he ne* science of chaos and co'ple-ity tell us that a syste' that is far fro' sta"le is a

syste' ripe for change. Evolution itself is "elieved to have occurred in fits and starts, plateauing for 'illions of years and then leaping to a *hole ne* level of creativity after

crisis 1%%:, $5.

(s a 'i'etic science, episte'ology, and integrative discipline, "io'i'icry in education has the

potential to 15 e-cite the vital interests of the learnerasdesigner "y aligning learning and

discovery *ith the natural attraction that e-ist "et*een t*o converging syste's, hu'an culture

and the "iosphere 25 e'ploy conscious 'i'icry that provides a sta"le "asis for discern'ent

relative to life/s principles and a conception of the self as e'"odied participant *ithin the larger

co''unity of life and ;5 generate cultural 'e'es at the interface "et*een social syste's and

ecosyste's that are uniuely responsive to the pro"le's of co'ple-ity and therefore a"le to

co'pete *ith 'aladaptive cultural 'e'es, in essence 6"eating the' at their o*n ga'e.7

;%



Bio'i'icry also can infor' educational syste' redesign, "y inviting decision'a+ers as

participating 'e'"ers of a designing co''unity to conceptuali)e and inha"it the

schoolD*or+place as a living and evolving socioecological syste'. 3uch a process engages

hu'an design intelligence and hu'an agency *ith the selfgenerating for's and processes of the

natural *orld. By engaging intellect and i'agination infor'ed "y the study of healthy

ecosyste's, learners discover sustaina"le value and create future i'ages capa"le of guiding

dyna'ic change that e-presses the co'"ined intelligence of people and place, and 'o"ili)es the

vital energies of all syste' participants. >his process of educational syste' redesign is further

guided "y the "roader purposes of co''unity and glo"al sustaina"ility and of adaptive social

transfor'ation. In this regard, syste's thin+ing and "io'i'icry are co'ple'entary, as "oth

inspire *hole syste' interventions that e-tend *ell "eyond curriculu', and enco'pass *hole

institutions and districts as learning co''unities. (s a co'ple'ent to the ideal of the 6syste's

citi)en7 3enge 2012, $$<$:<5 *ho has acuired ha"its of thought and social co'petencies that

ena"le 'astery of co'ple-ity, "io'i'icry anchors learning in i'ages of health and natural

intelligence that are deeply connected *ith an e'erging participatory consciousness.

Further'ore, "io'i'icry and "io'i'etic education serves to alleviate the two great

burdens of society the first is the 6"urden of the intervener7 an archetypal pattern o"served

a'ong social syste's that occurs *henever *e opt for 6a solution to a syste'ic pro"le' @thatA

reduces or disguises5 the sy'pto's, "ut does nothing to solve the underlying pro"le'.7

eado*s, 200<, p. 1;$5. Bio'i'icry, in essence, reverses the pattern of the 6uic+ fi-7 leading

to a cycle of repeated short ter' interventions, "y tapping the deep intelligence of natural

syste's to e-tend the reach of ecological design and ecological services into all do'ains of

hu'an activity. 3econd, as discussed a"ove, "io'i'icry education serves alleviate the "urden

!0



i'posed "y co'peting, 'aladaptive cultural 'e'es, in essence serving as a for' of inoculation

that strengthens the hu'an capacity for conscious discern'ent and future creating design guided

"y nature/s principles.

Conclu&ion"

(s citi)ens of the 21st century, *e have "een a"le to hold a 'irror up to ourselves in an

effort to "etter understand the "ehavioral and sociocultural di'ensions of the glo"al ecological

crisis. 4ith due respect for the secure ground of hard*on international consensus, *e +no*

that hu'an agency lies at the root of the glo"al crises, and that hu'an agency also is needed to

effect positive change visvis our individual and collective capacities for conscious pro"le'

solving. n the pre'ise of this +no*ledge, this essay considered ho* *e 'ight identify and

transcend those 6hidden7 structures of hu'an consciousness and culture that perpetuate

'aladaptive patterns of thought and "ehavior and that cannot "e overco'e "y policy declarations

or e-ternali)ed incentives alone.

>hrough a partial synthesis of current literature, I found tentatively support for the

proposition that education can only retain its legiti'acy if it serves to facilitate the necessary

shift to*ard integral, posthu'an and "io'i'etic 'odels of societal develop'ent 'odels that

see+ to align hu'an consciousness and hu'an activity syste's *ith the principles and patterns

e-pressed "y healthy natural ecosyste's and ascertaina"le through ongoing close o"servation

and acceptance of feed"ac+. >his conclusion is echoed in the elouent *ords of ihaly

Csi+s)ent'ihalyi 1%%;5 *ritten t*enty years ago "ut even 'ore relevant today 6@tAhe 'odel for

ho* to go a"out i'proving the 'e'es that control our psychic energy S the la*s of the land, the

!1



rules of conduct, the "eliefs, the institutions in *hich *e live S co'es straight fro' evolution

itself7 1%%;, 2:05.

8earning infor'ed "y an integral, posthu'an perspective attends to "oth interior and

e-terior do'ains of hu'an +no*ledge, using a variety of integrative and transfor'ative learning

strategies. >hese learning strategies 'ight include education for uality of life and integral

develop'ent /3ullivan, 1%%%D20015, storytelling and creative 'ythology 8arson,

1%%0D1%%5, e-periential e-ercises for reconnecting and revisioning acy 9 Bro*n, 1%%<

Moung, Haas 9 c=o*n, 20105, practices of sociallyengaged spirituality and spiritual inuiry

Roth"erg, 1%%; 1%%$ Heron, 1%%<5, generative dialogue Isaacs, 1%%%5, presencing ?re'er,

2002 3char'er, 201;5, and evolutionary learning and design Banathy, 2000 8as)lo 9 8as)lo,

200!5. >hese and other co'ple'entary learning strategies facilitate active participation in the

shaping of a selfvalidating, posthu'an evolutionary story at all levels *hen guided "y shared

inuiry into crosscultural, natureinspired, living values that transcend the old "inaries e.g.

science vs religion o"#ective vs e-periential5 and that are derived fro' the ethical i'peratives of

21st century glo"al citi)enship. >he envisioned fra'e*or+ for educational change *ould lead to

engaged learning that develops the hu'an capacities for values"ased inuiry across the full

spectru' of socially organi)ed and technologically'ediated hu'an activities, *hile supporting

the e'ergence of hu'an culture that e'"odies the sta"ility, generativity and resilience of healthy

natural syste's.

4ith its potential to guide learners in school and society to*ards fulfill'ent of their

evolutionary potentials, *hile responding to the urgent tas+ of recovering precious ecological

services *ithnatureinspired solutions to the pro"le's of co'ple-ity that have confounded the

!2



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an evolutionary framework for global sustainability education

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