February 20, 2001
Whitney Bauman: "The Ecological Self"Those present enjoyed an engaging, informative talk by Whitney Bauman on "The Ecological Self." Drawing on insights from Science, Eco-theology, Buddhism, and Process Theology, he contrasted the classical conception of the "isolated self" with the worldview of the "ecological self."
Whitney traced the roots of the former for us by referring to such varied sources as Plato, Aristotle, Newton, and Descartes. He then explored how scientists in the disciplines of geology/evolutionary history, ecology, neuroscience, and physics are all concluding from their research that the self of a being is very much an interrelated one that continually affects and is affected by other beings and conditions. Bhuddist thinkers, feminist writers, and theologians echo this perspective, and after citing the work of Thich Nhat Hanh and H. Richard Niebuhr among others, Whitney turned to Parker Palmer to help elucidate the direction education must take if this worldview is to be taken seriously. Paradigm shifts include moving from "fragmentation and doctrine" to "integration and dialogue," and taking a subject-centered approach that views learning as the collaborative efforts of a "community of truth." Thoughtful discussion followed and all agreed wholeheartedly that Whitney's important reflections should be more widely distributed!
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