Rethinking the Concept of Sustainability: Hiroshima as a subject of peace education

Abstract

The article discusses a sustainable educational approach for developing a moral value of peace by using a historical event, the bombing of Hiroshima. To make the case, the article uses the care theory of Nel Noddings to discuss the interpersonal aspects of peace education. The article asks how care theory handles tragedies like Hiroshima and it can contribute to a moral value of peace. The idea of caring is also examined, through Hiroshima, from a different angle, of the relationship between nature and human beings. The political position of this article is to expand the idea of sustainability by creating values for peace using material related to the bombing.

Keywords:

• Hiroshima
• peace education
• feminism
• care theory
• positive peace
• Buddhist philosophy

Notes

1. The book has been translated into over 17 languages.

2. See Hiroshima City (xxx).

3. Note that the closest Western equivalent to this line of thinking is German idealism: the idea of Geist, or mindfulness, in which everything stands in relation to everything else as an (interconnected) whole.

4. Note that the following quote from The Lotus Sutra. ‘Ignorance causes action, action causes consciousness, consciousness causes name and form, name and form cause the six sense organs, the six sense organs cause contact, contact causes sensation, sensation causes desire, desire causes attachment, attachment causes existence, existence causes birth, birth causes old age and death, worry and grief, suffering and anguish. If ignorance is wiped out, then action will be wiped out. If action is wiped out, then consciousness will be wiped out. If consciousness is wiped out, then name and form will be wiped out. If name and form are wiped out, then the six sense organs will be wiped out. If contact is wiped out, then sensation will be wiped out. If desire is wiped out, then attachment will be wiped out. If attachment is wiped out, then existence will be wiped out. If existence is wiped out, then birth will be wiped out. If birth is wiped out, then old and death, worry and grief, suffering and anguish will be wiped out’ (The Lotus Sutra, 1993, p. 131).

5. The author thanks Dr Cris Mayo for her generous support.