On Some Misleading References to Theoria in Contemplative Education

• In Event: Contemporary Dilemmas of Ethics and Justice in Education

Abstract

‘Contemplative Education’ is an approach to teaching, learning, and scholarship that emphasizes engagement in ‘contemplative practices’. The most frequently implemented and researched contemplative practice is some variant of what has been called ‘contemporary mindfulness’, a modern hybrid form of canonical Buddhist meditation. Recently, scholars have drawn connections to the ancient Greek concept of theoria as an inspiration for a ‘Western’ contemplative practice. However, many of these recent references can be misleading, especially if careful distinctions aren’t made between Plato and Aristotle’s divergent uses of the term theoria. This paper argues in favor of something closer to Plato’s use of this term, which may serve, for example, as a better model for practices of reverential wonder within environmental education.

Author

• Tomas de Rezende Rocha, University of Washington - Seattle