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Humanistic Geosciences: A Cultural and Educational Construction

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Geo-societal Narratives

Abstract

Philosophical inquiry is a central element in the study of knowledge and imperative for geoscientists. Geoethics examines philosophical and ethical aspects of geosciences. In addition, cultural and educational talents are necessary to identify what ethical imperatives should prevail. Geoethical action is the responsibility of any person whose activities interact with the Earth system. It should guide citizens, scientists or not, in their relationship with the natural and social human niche. Thus, cultural frames and educational skills are fundamental. A ‘geoethical thesis’ was presented for the effectiveness of actions guided by geoethics, framing human action through Kohlberg’s rules of moral adequacy—Kant, Jonas and Bunge’s moral imperatives, which drive for new cultural and educational paradigms under the umbrella of Humanistic Geosciences.

Anyone who hates our world today, which has produced it and still nourishes it, is ungrateful. Whoever hopes to keep it as it is is a fool. How will school guide young people not to be ungrateful or fools?

—C.F. von Weizsäcker (https://www.cfvw.org/cfvw/gesellschaft/projektentwicklung/zukunft-der-bildung.html. Accessed 12 December 2020)

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0312/031210.html#:~:text=%22Science%20in%20the%20modern%20sense,result%20of%20this%20collective%20achievement. Accessed 3 March 2021.

  2. 2.

    https://youtu.be/JhowXxz_uAs. Accessed on 12 March 2021.

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Marone, E., Bouzo, M. (2021). Humanistic Geosciences: A Cultural and Educational Construction. In: Bohle, M., Marone, E. (eds) Geo-societal Narratives. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79028-8_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79028-8_15

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