Goetheanum Pedagogical Section
Work and free play to prevent greed, simplicity and versatile sensory perception to educate lively thinking, emotional warmth and the creation of astonishing «islands» in space and time. That would go a long way. A contribution by Philipp Reubke.
In June 2023, the newspaper «Le Monde» launched a long-term assignment on environmental destruction and global warming: «Extreme» was the only appropriate word to describe the extent of the destruction and imbalance, as well as the enormous acceleration of these phenomena.1 Humanity and nature are at their outermost limits, our current way of life can no longer be continued, the end of our resources is in sight.2
This is not a new observation. As early as 1972, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) published a study entitled, «Limits to Growth» on behalf of the Club of Rome.3 The seriousness of the situation is recognised, but we cannot and do not want to change our destructive way of life. What is new, however, is the awareness of the causes of evil in the human soul. The editor-in-chief of «Le Monde» does not say this quite so directly, but almost: «greed» and «cynicism» are the fatal tendencies of modern man4, it is a matter of rethinking our relationship to life5, not only our environment, but also our world view must be cultivated and further developed.6
Anyone who recognises that human will, feelings and thinking are responsible for the environmental catastrophe is not far from the realisation that education can contribute to a healthier relationship between humans, the earth and the cosmos. A «spiritual ecology» not only looks for new techniques to generate or save energy, but also tries to tackle the root of the climate crisis in the human mind and soul.
The «Hague Circle - International Council for Steiner Waldorf Education» took up this topic in November 2023. We began to focus on what can be done, through education and teaching, to counteract greed and cynicism, to learn to think differently about life and the living, and our relationship to the earth, humanity and cosmos. The following are some suggestions for pre-school education.
Free play as education for «spiritual ecology»
Young children have a particular advantage over adults in that their desire for physical movement and activity is much greater. They prefer running and jumping rather than sitting, they like to touch, try things out, build and break things rather than thinking. If this urge to be active is supported pedagogically, the child experiences the intense joy of doing things him or herself every day. Then, it is no longer the possession of fascinating objects that takes centre stage, but the satisfaction of having created something out of one's own initiative. Rather than explaining to young children that it is better to share something with others, it is more meaningful for them to grasp the daily experience in free play that forcefulness and greed lead to loneliness, while co-operation brings joy.
Of course, this is sometimes uncomfortable and worrying, even tedious for adults. The tendency to scratch and hit because you want something that the other person has doesn't stop overnight with young children and takes time to transform into positive energy. And then there is the further challenge for many adults of putting intellectual comfort aside and developing a burning desire for practical activity themselves. We know that young children learn a great deal by imitation.
An educator who digs up the garden, tends the compost heap and builds birdhouses, an educator who makes table puppets, sews doll clothes, cleans windows, and cooks soup has done more to educate children in spiritual ecology than someone who admonishes four-year-olds to separate out their recycling. It’s better to do than to own, to enjoy what you can do and not so much what you have, to be satisfied with what you are and place less value on how you appear. These values can be cultivated particularly well in early childhood through a pedagogy that emphasises free play and practical work for the young child.