The Sense of Wonder as Key to Eco-Bildung

This chapter explores the sense of wonder as a crucial element in understanding and nurturing Eco-Bildung, aligning with contemporary discussions on Ecological Literacy and Education for Wonder. It argues for a phenomenologically informed perspective on Eco-Bildung, emphasizing passive-receptiveness, and non-willing, drawing from Meister Eckhart’s Gelassenheit and Daoist Wu Wei. This approach seeks a nature connectedness rooted in wonder, love, and a sense of being at home in the world. The chapter examines the shift from Holocene to Anthropocene worldviews and the need for a Post-Anthropocene culture fostering a reverent relationship with the more-than-human world. It introduces a framework of five levels of reflection, including Existential Reflectivity and Ontological Awareness (Eco-Tonality), to cultivate a deeper ecological mindset. Contemplative wonder is presented as distinct from inquisitive wonder and enchantment, connecting to an apophatic truth experience. The chapter further discusses Gelassenheit and Wu Wei as pathways to transcending anthropocentric perspectives and fostering a non-utilitarian engagement with nature. By integrating aesthetic, philosophical, and spiritual dimensions of wonder, the chapter suggests ways to practice wonder-evoking Eco-Bildung for existential sustainability and planetary well-being. It concludes by proposing four dimensions of deep contemplative wonder: Wow-Wonder, Wisdom-Wonder, Without-Why-Wonder, and Wu Wei-Wonder, to enhance ecological commitment and hope.