The Uncanny Challenge of Self-Cultivation in the Anthropocene

Self-cultivation-taking pedagogical action to educate oneself-is an integral part of non-formal adult education. Ever since Greek antiquity, it has been a central ingredient in the western philosophical and educational tradition. However, we argue that the global challenges that have emerged in the present era of the ecological crisis call for a new kind of understanding of this basic educational phenomenon. Based in particular on recent work in dark ecology and its central concept of the 'uncanny', we outline a few key features of our time in relation to the contemporary challenge of self-cultivation. We then review extant literature on self-cultivation to ascertain whether the theoretical resources that have been used to conceptualise it in the past are capable of addressing these new aspects of self-cultivation. We conclude that each of the theoretical resources analysed here offer valuable insights into the novel challenges facing self-cultivation, though not all important questions can be answered. By specifying the contributions and limitations of these theoretical resources, we pave the way for future work on conceptualising self-cultivation for our times.

Automated summary

Self-cultivation, an integral part of non-formal adult education, has been a core element in the western philosophical and educational tradition since ancient Greek times. However, the global challenges brought about by the ecological crisis require a new understanding of self-cultivation. Drawing from recent work in dark ecology and the concept of the 'uncanny', the authors outline key features of contemporary self-cultivation in response to these challenges. Although existing theoretical resources provide valuable insights into the novel challenges facing self-cultivation, not all important questions can be answered. By identifying the contributions and limitations of these theoretical resources, the authors pave the way for future research on conceptualizing self-cultivation in our times.