Civilizational Changes as a Challenge to Education:  Nurturing Human Integrity

Ryszard F. Sadowski

doi:10.21697/fp.2026.1.16

Published: 2026-08-28

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2026)

Civilizational Changes as a Challenge to Education: Nurturing Human Integrity

Ryszard F. Sadowski

Pedagogical Forum

Section: Colloquia

https://doi.org/10.21697/fp.2026.1.16

Abstract

This article seeks to diagnose the key educational challenges of contemporary civilization through the lens of Konrad Lorenz’s layered model of the human being. At the core of this model lies the claim that the human consists of three interrelated layers or components: (1) the body, (2) the soul (psyche), and (3) the spirit (mind). Lorenz emphasizes that the biological components (body and soul) evolve at a much slower pace than the cultural component (spirit/mind). This disparity leads to a growing imbalance among the layers and, consequently, to what he called the waning of humaneness. In this context, the article examines four of the eight so-called deadly sins of civilized humanity. Lorenz identifies these “sins” as lethal threats arising from the accelerated development of the cultural layer, which the biological layers are unable to follow. From an educational and pedagogical perspective, the paper discusses the following “sins”: (1) the degradation of nature, (2) the neurotic pursuit of success, (3) emotional entropy, and (4) the severance from tradition. Each of these phenomena is presented as a profound challenge to the process of education. The article does not offer specific pedagogical strategies but rather identifies these threats and encourages educators and philosophers of education to reflect on the necessity of addressing them within educational practice. In doing so, it advocates the preservation of humaneness as a central aim of education in a world increasingly shaped by dynamic and often dehumanizing civilizational transformations.

Keywords:

philosophy of education, environmental education, environmental anthropology, Konrad Lorenz, civilizational development, civilizational change, SDG 4

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Sadowski, R. F. (2026). Civilizational Changes as a Challenge to Education: Nurturing Human Integrity . Pedagogical Forum, 16(1), 185–202. https://doi.org/10.21697/fp.2026.1.16

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