Ekologinen itsekasvatus: Aikuiskasvatuksen filosofiaa ekokriisien ajassa

This doctoral dissertation analyses and develops the concept of self-cultivation (itsekasvatus) as an educational phenomenon in the Finnish discipline of adult education in the time of ecological crises. In the study, self-cultivation is defined as a process concept of civilisation (sivistys). The concept describes the educational activities of adulthood, in which individuals aim to expand the ethical horizon of their understanding and actions, while to recognize its social dimensions, by practicing their thinking in a versatile way. The concept of self-cultivation holds a central importance and has a strong conceptual history in the theories of general education from the 19th and early 20th centuries. It has also been central to the first formulations of the Finnish adult education discipline in the mid-20th century. Today, the concept has largely disappeared and has been overlooked in many recent formulations of adult education theory, although mental growth remains as a central aspect of adult education and its theoretical foundations.

As the ecological crisis unfolds, it fundamentally challenges our habitual ways of thinking and acting, highlighting the urgent need for large-scale cultural change in today’s ecologically unsustainable societies. This study focuses on analysing and developing adult education theory based on the normative premise that the fundamental nature of adult education, in times of ecological crises, must prioritise safeguarding of the foundational conditions of life over economic interests. The purpose of the study is to utilize the relevant conceptual resources developed in Finnish educational philosophical theories on self-cultivation over time to advance the adult education theory based on this premise. A systematic analysis conducted with a critical-hermeneutic research approach reveals a particular ecological strand among Finnish self-cultivation theories. Among its representatives, the study particularly focuses on the self-cultivation concepts proposed by Juho August Hollo (1885–1967) and Urpo Harva (1926–1994). The applied part of the study develops a synthesis of the ecological strand in Finnish self-cultivation theories and the sociocritical theory of Erich Fromm (1900–1980), which is called the model of ecological self-cultivation.

In the model of ecological self-cultivation, the central insights from proponents of the ecological strand on the educational tasks of self-cultivation, particularly their views on the meaningfulness of life as well as the relationality and interconnectedness between humans and nature, challenge the operational logic of the prevailing capitalist society. The model of ecological self-cultivation is based on the three peer-reviewed articles (I–III) included in this dissertation. The model of ecological self-cultivation outlined in this integrative part is developed from the analyses presented in these articles. In the model of ecological self-cultivation, the central challenge of self-cultivation in times of ecological crises is the market- oriented social character promoted by capitalist societies, which leads to a biophobic attitude characterised by a desire to take control overt nature and fears of nature. The self-cultivator challenges this manifestation of the market-oriented social character thought the cultivation of a biophilic, life-cultivating will: in practicing ecological self-cultivation, one engages the art of living through knowledge, senses, and experience, recognizes the effects of their relational connection to the broader world, and consciously develops their ability to practice love as a feeling, will, and action.

In this research, ecological self-cultivation is conceptualized as a process concept of ecological civilisation (see Värri 2014; 2018): it refers to the practice by which ecological civilisation can be pursued. The task given to the model of ecological self- cultivation is to provide a theoretical outline of an adult education process required in times of ecological crises. As an emansipatory practice, it could support the development of individuals’ and communities’ thinking towards greater ecological awareness. In addition, the model aims to increase understanding of how the structures of capitalist societies, which accelerate ecological crises, influence individualistic behaviour and societal mindsets.

The doctoral dissertation offers new perspectives on the value of using the concept of self-cultivation to formulate adult education theories that correspond to current ecological challenges. Furthermore, it sheds light on the uniqueness of the Finnish theories of self-cultivation by exploring the cultural-historical development of the concept, especially in terms of its ecological dimension. The aim of this research is, therefore, to advocate the value of civilising adult education and to develop a philosophy of adult education that more consciously addresses the challenges of the ecological crises as a part of the practice of self-cultivation in capitalist societies.