Reinventing the dialogue with nature: A convergence of ecopedagogy and Erazim Kohák’s moral philosophy

In an era defined by the Anthropocene’s ecological crises and ontological disconnections, we argue for a philosophical convergence between Freirean ecopedagogy and Erazim Kohák’s moral phenomenology, providing necessary pedagogical foundations for ethical-ecological transformation. While ecopedagogy emphasizes conscientização and resistance to socio-environmental injustices, Kohák’s philosophy invites a moral reawakening to the lived presence of Nature beyond humans, grounded in experiential attentiveness and reverence. We argue these traditions are mutually enriching through meaningful dialectics, developing a framework wherein moral attentiveness and critical consciousness operate as co-constitutive modes of ecological learning. Through this synthesis, we interrogate the politics of world–Earth distancing and oppose teaching for Development as an extractive and epistemologically violent. By reimagining Nature beyond humans not merely as a pedagogical context but as a co-educator and moral subject, we propose educational practices centring structural critique, planetary citizenship, and spiritual humility. This convergence invites a reinvention of ecological education that decentres anthro­pocentrism, honours ontological plurality, and expands critical educational theory to include reverence and planetary care as foundational commitments.