Refuge and resilience: Being-together in a postapocalyptic era - the apocalyptic problematic in Western philosophy

Abstract

This text presents a comprehensive overview of the author’s experiences and contributions to PESA, as well as the themes and concerns that have shaped their academic work. The lecture series, named in the author’s honour, aims to foster new thinking among emerging scholars. The author’s intellectual journey has been deeply influenced by the contemporary apocalyptic zeitgeist, which they frame as a series of local and global crises that underpin the spirit of the age. These crises encompass environmental degradation, geopolitical tensions, the erosion of democracy, and the potential for nuclear conflict. The author’s work in EPAT has been characterised by a commitment to innovation and inclusivity, with a focus on topics such as social justice, decolonization, and gender and subjectivity. The genre and methodology of collective writing and open peer review have been instrumental in nurturing the work of younger scholars. The author’s inaugural lecture, ‘Refuge and Resilience: Being-together in a post-apocalyptic era,’ explores the dynamics of being-together as a means of fostering deep relationships with the environment and biosphere, and as a source of resilience and cultural value. Four key themes are discussed: the apocalyptic problematic in modern Western philosophy, the philosophy of place, complexity and catastrophe, and ecopedagogies for living in the post-apocalyptic era. The author argues that apocalyptic philosophy can be used to unsettle the dominant worldview without resorting to fanaticism or fundamentalism, and that the concept of ‘Being-together’ can provide a framework for community, renewal, and resilience. The label ‘post-apocalyptic philosophy’ is proposed as a means of moving beyond the determinism of apocalyptic thinking. The author concludes by suggesting that the themes of Being-together offer a basis for the development of a new curriculum.

Keywords:

• Refuge
• resilience
• apocalypse
• Being-together
• Western philosophy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael A. Peters

Michael A. Peters is Distinguished Professor of Education at Beijing Normal University, Faculty of Education, PRC, Emeritus Professor in Educational Policy, Organization, and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Senior Research Fellow at Auckland University (NZ), and Research Associate in the Philosophy Program at the University of Waikato (NZ). He was the editor-in-chief of Educational Philosophy and Theory for 25 years and founding editor of several international journals including The Beijing International Review of Educational Research (with Prof Xudong Zhu). Michael was made a Fellow of NZ Academy of Humanities, The Royal Society of NZ and PESA. He was also awarded honorary doctorates from State University of New York and the University of Aalborg (Denmark). He is currently working a couple of books on apocalyptic philosophy.