On Potentials, Limits and Concerns of Education for Sustainable Development in General, and Anthropology as Teaching Content in Particular

Abstract This paper addresses the fundamental challenges inherent to the formation of systematic scientific theory within the highly complex domain of Education for Sustainable Development research. The initial stage of this contribution is an exemplary analysis of conceptualisations of Education for Sustainable Development, coupled with an investigation into the fundamental issues pertaining to the evolution of normative Education for Sustainable Development concepts. These critical reflections allow for an alternative proposal to be put forth regarding Education for Sustainable Development which will be sketched out, mainly to include knowledge of Anthropology to the teaching content of Education for Sustainable Development. Nevertheless, this proposal does not solve all problems in general, and the question of how debates about normative concepts and empirical research can be related to one another in particular. The final chapter of the paper addresses this question in outline.