Beyond-Humans Reinventions of Criticality and Freirean Ecopedagogy: Posthumanist Disruptions of the Anthropocene and Wicked Problems

• In Event: Freire's Radical Utopia: Denouncing the Historical Moment and Announcing Solidarity and Activism in Academia

Abstract

This paper argues that criticality and Freirean ecopedagogy in higher education (HE) must be reinvented with posthumanism to address socio-environmental problems of the Anthropocene. Traditional critical approaches, often rooted in humanism, constrain students' reflexivity by prioritizing human impacts over Nature's intrinsic value, thereby entrenching environmental violence [3, 4]. Posthumanism, as beyond-humans epistemologies, offers a vital lens for HE teaching. It widens students’ reflexivity to holistically place humans within Nature/Earth, fostering praxis that values all Earth, not just its human utility Reinventing criticality, including Freirean ecopedagogy, is essential for HE to fulfill its planetary social and environmental responsibilities. This broad discussion emphasizes the urgent need for posthumanist reinventions to counter global environmental challenges.

Author

• Greg William Misiaszek, Tohoku University