Handbook of Ecological Civilization
Description
This handbook explores the concept of Ecological Civilization (EC) through a transdisciplinary lens, organized into five key sections: 1. Dedication and Foreword; 2. Philosophical, Technological & Scientific Foundations; 3. Transformative Educational Approaches and Applications; 4. Practical Applications & Global Perspectives; and 5. Theory, Policy, and Educational Practice, with an additional Ecopedagogies section and Afterword.
The Dedication introduces EC, tracing its philosophical roots and contemporary relevance, particularly in China's vision for green modernization. It highlights Dr. John B. Cobb Jr.'s foundational contributions and sets the stage for EC as a paradigm integrating sustainability, education, and global leadership. The Foreword is provided by Mirian Vilela, Executive Director of the Earth Charter International Secretariat.
Philosophical, Technological & Scientific Foundations delves into the theoretical underpinnings of EC, drawing from Chinese traditions like Confucianism and the concept of "Unity of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity." Chapters explore EC's philosophical, technological, and scientific dimensions, addressing topics like eco-intelligence, green algorithms, and compassionate civilization, alongside global perspectives such as Indigenous Maori/Pasifika views and cosmo-politics.
Transformative Educational Approaches and Applications examines pedagogical frameworks for EC, emphasizing innovative teaching methods. It covers ecopedagogy, place-based learning, and the integration of EC into curricula, with case studies from China and beyond, including rural education initiatives and higher education reforms.
Practical Applications & Global Perspectives focuses on real-world implementations of EC, from urban green technology to nonformal environmental education. It includes global case studies, such as African youth engagement with the Earth Charter and children's ecological imaginaries, highlighting diverse pathways to sustainability.
Theory, Policy, and Educational Practice analyzes EC's role in shaping educational policies and practices, particularly in China. It explores human-environmental harmony through geography education and critiques competing global paradigms, offering insights into EC as a response to planetary crises.
The Ecopedagogies section connects EC with global environmental pedagogies, integrating Chinese philosophy, Freirean ecopedagogies, and concepts like Ujamaa and glocalization to foster socio-ecological transformation.
The Afterword synthesizes critical ecosophy and peace studies, proposing a systems-based framework for EC in an era of planetary precarity. It draws on Bateson, Guattari, and posthumanism to advocate for educational resilience and collective action toward flourishing futures.
This handbook, with contributions from global scholars, offers a comprehensive exploration of EC, bridging philosophy, education, and practical applications to address the urgent need for sustainable, equitable, and interconnected global systems.
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Persons
Michael A. Peters is a globally esteemed philosopher of education and public intellectual whose scholarship has profoundly shaped contemporary thought across philosophy, education, and political economy. He is currently Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University (P.R. China), Emeritus Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (USA), and Research Associate in the Philosophy Program at the University of Waikato (New Zealand). He served as Distinguished Professor of Education at Beijing Normal University from 2018 to 2024.A Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (FRSNZ) and Humanities New Zealand (FHSNZ), as well as a Fellow of the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (FPESA), Peters was awarded a Personal Chair at the University of Auckland in 2000. He held the Research Chair in Education at the University of Glasgow (2000-2006) before his appointment as Excellence Hire Professor at Illinois (2005-2011) and later Professor of Education at Waikato (2011-2018).Over a distinguished career, Peters has authored more than 120 books and 500 scholarly articles. His intellectual leadership includes serving as Editor-in-Chief of Educational Philosophy and Theory for 25 years, as well as founding and editing numerous other influential international journals that span philosophy, critical theory, digital learning, and global education.
Peters' research is characterized by its interdisciplinary breadth and critical engagement with pressing global challenges-from knowledge socialism, the politics of the university, and digital epistemologies to ecological civilization and post-apocalyptic thought. His most recent works include Civilisational Collapse and the Philosophy of Post-Apocalyptic Survival (Peter Lang, 2025), and he is currently editing the landmark Handbook of Ecological Civilization (Springer, 2025).
He has been honored with multiple accolades, including honorary doctorates from the State University of New York (SUNY, 2012) and the University of Aalborg (2015), in recognition of his global impact on the philosophy of education and critical social thought.
For more on his work, visit: https://michaeladrianpeters.com/
Benjamin J. Green is an Assistant Professor at Teachers College, Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU), having previously taught at both Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), and China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU). He holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Education from the Faculty of Education at Beijing Normal University (BNU). He is the author of How China's System of Higher Education Works (Routledge, 2023), as well as over 40 international publications in SSCI and/or Scopus indexed journals, such as Educational Philosophy and Theory, and Postdigital Science and Education. He is also coeditor of the forthcoming volumes titled Handbook of Ecological Civilization (Springer, 2025) and The Geopolitics of Postdigital Educational Development (Springer, 2025). His previous works on postdigital collective intelligence, higher education (HE) governance, HE internationalization, US-China relations, critical cosmopolitanism, and AI-driven EdDev, highlight an overarching concern for co-evolutionary systemic adaptability in the face of increasingly complex global crises.
Greg William Misiaszek , Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor at Tohoku University's Graduate School of Education after being an Associate Professor at Beijing Normal University's Faculty of Education. He holds the position of Associate Director at the Paulo Freire Institute, UCLA. He is the Chief Editor of the Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Environmental Education (with Karen Malone); Executive Editor of the Teaching in Higher Education journal, and Bloomsbury Book Series Editor of Freire In Focus (with Carlos Alberto Torres). His work focuses on ecopedagogy, comparative/international studies, adult/higher education, socio-environmental justice, planetary sustainability, Freirean scholarship, anti-anthropocentrism, migration, technologies, (eco)linguistics, and Indigenous/Southern epistemological diversity through (post)critical theories of globalizations, citizenships, race, gender, and postdigitalism, among others. His latest solo-authored books include Ecopedagogy and the Global Environmental Citizen: Critical Issues, Trends, Challenges and Possibilities (2025, Routledge) and Freire and Environmentalism: Ecopedagogy (2023, Bloomsbury). His latest edited books include the Palgrave Handbook on Critical Theories (Springer, 2023, with Ali Abdi) and Handbook of Ecological Civilization (2025, with Michael Peters, Ben Green & Zudong Zhu). He has four solo-authored books, six edited books, and over 70 other publications. Dr. Misiaszek holds a Ph.D. from UCLA in Comparative Education, an M.S. in education (University of Southern California (USC)), and a B.S. in Environmental Studies (USC).
Professor Xudong Zhu
holds the esteemed position of Dean at the Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University. In addition, he fulfills the role of Director at the Center for Teacher Education Research at Beijing Normal University and is recognized as a Distinguished Professor under the prestigious Yangtze River Scholar Program, an honor bestowed by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. Professor Zhu's contributions extend beyond academia into education and social services both within China and internationally. He has been a pivotal member and the Secretary-General of the National Advisory Expert Committee on Teacher Education under the Ministry of Education. Moreover, he occupies the role of Secretary-General for the Teacher Education Branch of the China Association of Higher Education.
Acknowledged as one of the most prolific and influential scholars in the realm of teacher education research in China, Professor Zhu's academic pursuits encompass the discipline construction of teacher education, policy formulation, comparative education, and the history of education abroad. His scholarly output is impressive, with around 200 academic papers to his name. Professor Zhu has also authored, edited, and translated approximately 30 books, serving as the Editor-in-Chief for two book series-totaling 47 books-and as the compiler for another two series, adding up to 13 books. His voluminous publications have positioned him as a leading authority in the domain of teacher education in mainland China. His exemplary contributions to higher education have been recognized with the First Prize of National Teaching Achievements in Higher Education and the Special Prize for Teaching Achievements in Higher Education in Beijing.
Content
Section 1 Foreword.- Section 2 Philosophical Technological and Scientific Foundations.- Section 3 Transformative Educational Approaches and Applications.- Section 4 Practical Applications and Global Perspectives.- Section 5 Theory Policy and Educational Practice.- Section 6 Ecopedagogies.- Section 7 Afterword.