Earth in Mind

by Orr, David W.

• ISBN13: 9781559634953
• ISBN10: 1559634952
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-30
• Publisher: Island Pr

Summary

In Earth in Mind, noted environmental educator David W. Orr focuses not on problems in education, but on the problem of education. Much of what has gone wrong with the world, he argues, is the result of inadequate and misdirected education that: alienates us from life in the name of human domination; causes students to worry about how to make a living before they know who they are; overemphasizes success and careers; separates feeling from intellect and the practical from the theoretical; deadens the sense of wonder for the created world. The crisis we face, Orr explains, is one of mind, perception, and values. It is, first and foremost, an educational challenge. The author begins by establishing the grounds for a debate about education and knowledge. He describes the problems of education from an ecological perspective, and challenges the "terrible simplifiers" who wish to substitute numbers for values. He follows with a presentation of principles for re-creating education in the broadest way possible, discussing topics such as biophilia, the disciplinary structure of knowledge, the architecture of educational buildings, and the idea of ecological intelligence. Orr concludes by presenting concrete proposals for reorganizing the curriculum to draw out our affinity for life.

Author Biography

David W. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics at Oberlin College.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction to the 10th Anniversary Edition	xi
Introduction	1	(6)
Part One The Problem of Education
What Is Education For?	7	(9)
The Dangers of Education	16	(10)
The Problem of Education	26	(9)
The Business of Education	35	(8)
Part Two First Principles
Love	43	(5)
Some Thoughts on Intelligence	48	(6)
Reflections on Water and Oil	54	(6)
Virtue	60	(4)
Forests and Trees	64	(6)
Politics	70	(4)
Economics	74	(5)
Judgment: Pascal's Wager and Economics in a Hotter Time	79	(10)
Part Three Rethinking Education
Rating Colleges	89	(5)
The Problem of Disciplines and the Discipline of Problems	94	(5)
Professionalism and the Human Prospect	99	(5)
Designing Minds	104	(8)
Architecture as Pedagogy	112	(5)
Agriculture and the Liberal Arts	117	(5)
Educating a Constituency for the Long Haul	122	(9)
Part Four Destinations
Love It or Lose It: The Coming Biophilia Revolution	131	(23)
A World That Takes Its Environment Seriously	154	(18)
Prices and the Life Exchanged: Costs of the U.S. Food System	172	(13)
Refugees or Homecomers? Conjectures About the Future of Rural America	185	(19)
Hope in Hard Times	204	(8)
Conclusion: Earth in Mind	212	(3)
Index	215