IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i14p8313-d857613.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

On Lao Tzu’s Ethics as the Inspiration and Practice of Education for Sustainable Development

Author

Listed:
  • Chuan-Shin Jeng

    (Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan)

  • Shin-Jia Ho

    (Department of Center for General Education, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taichung City 40401, Taiwan)

  • Wen-Ling Lin

    (Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan)

  • Fong-Han Chen

    (Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan)

Abstract

Ethics is at the core of education for sustainable development (ESD). Based on a literature review, this article discusses the inspiration and practice of Lao Tzu’s ethics in ESD. For this paper, a review was undertaken of the literature and three electronic databases were searched (Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar) from 1980 to 2022 to identify relevant research topics. The literature search strategy used keywords, titles, and abstracts to search for topics, including Lao Tzu (Taoist philosophy, ethics, Daodejing) and sustainable development education (administrative leadership, curriculum, teaching). Other related articles and books are also included in the bibliography. It was concluded that Lao Tzu’s “the Tao way follows nature” and “non-contention” can build a harmonious society; practicing “minimalism” can help achieve economic sustainability; and the concept of “the birth of the unborn” pioneers the coexistence of human beings and nature. Schools that practice ESD can apply Lao Tzu’s ethics to establish a sustainable and harmonious leadership relationship in the way of saints, and adopt a teacher–student interaction model that follows “the supreme good is like water” principle to establish ethical literacy and introduce ethics courses that are autonomous, interactive, and for the common good. Therefore, the exploration of Lao Tzu’s ethics allows Eastern thought to be at the core of the ethics and values of ESD, and provides practical insights into school administration, teaching, and curriculum implementation.

Suggested Citation

  • Chuan-Shin Jeng & Shin-Jia Ho & Wen-Ling Lin & Fong-Han Chen, 2022. "On Lao Tzu’s Ethics as the Inspiration and Practice of Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-14, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:14:p:8313-:d:857613
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/14/8313/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/14/8313/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vasiliki Kioupi & Nikolaos Voulvoulis, 2019. "Education for Sustainable Development: A Systemic Framework for Connecting the SDGs to Educational Outcomes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-18, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mohammed Abdullatif Almulla & Mahdi Mohammed Alamri, 2021. "Using Conceptual Mapping for Learning to Affect Students’ Motivation and Academic Achievement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-17, April.
    2. Francisco Del Cerro Velázquez & Fernando Lozano Rivas, 2020. "Education for Sustainable Development in STEM (Technical Drawing): Learning Approach and Method for SDG 11 in Classrooms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Fu-Hsing Tsai, 2023. "Using a Physical Computing Project to Prepare Preservice Primary Teachers for Teaching Programing," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, October.
    4. Mirjam Braßler & Martin Schultze, 2021. "Students’ Innovation in Education for Sustainable Development—A Longitudinal Study on Interdisciplinary vs. Monodisciplinary Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-17, January.
    5. Lei Zhao & Ruijie Zhu & Xu Cai & Junchao Zhang, 2023. "Improving Sustainability of Learning Outcomes: An Empirical Study of Medical Students’ Autonomous Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-15, March.
    6. Maryam A. Al-Hail & Luluwah Al-Fagih & Muammer Koç, 2021. "Partnering for Sustainability: Parent-Teacher-School (PTS) Interactions in the Qatar Education System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-25, June.
    7. Leire Agirreazkuenaga, 2020. "Education for Agenda 2030: What Direction do We Want to Take Going Forward?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-13, March.
    8. Ting Zhou & Rob Law & Patrick C. Lee, 2021. "Exploring Sustainable Measurements of Academic Research: How Do Faculty Members in Teaching-Oriented Universities of China Evaluate Good Research in Tourism and Hospitality?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-20, October.
    9. David Méndez & Miriam Méndez & Juana María Anguita, 2022. "Digital Teaching Competence in Teacher Training as an Element to Attain SDG 4 of the 2030 Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-13, September.
    10. Celia Rangel-Pérez & María-José Gato-Bermúdez & Daniela Musicco-Nombela & Cristina Ruiz-Alberdi, 2021. "The Massive Implementation of ICT in Universities and Its Implications for Ensuring SDG 4: Challenges and Difficulties for Professors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-14, November.
    11. Enrique Carmona-Medeiro & José María Cardeñoso Domingo, 2021. "Social Interaction: A Crucial Means to Promote Sustainability in Initial Teacher Training," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-24, August.
    12. Noor Hamwy & Jennifer Bruder & Abdellatif Sellami & Michael H. Romanowski, 2023. "Challenges to Teachers Implementing Sustainable Development Goals Frameworks in Qatar," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-19, July.
    13. Gianluca Stefani & Mario Biggeri & Lucia Ferrone, 2022. "Sustainable Transitions Narratives: An Analysis of the Literature through Topic Modelling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-25, February.
    14. Xiaomin Sun & Jing Qing & Syed Ahsan Ali Shah & Yasir Ahmed Solangi, 2023. "Exploring the Complex Nexus between Sustainable Development and Green Tourism through Advanced GMM Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-20, July.
    15. Bright Akwasi Gyamfi & Stephen Taiwo Onifade & Elvis Kwame Ofori, 2023. "Synthesizing the impacts of information and communication technology advancement and educational developments on environmental sustainability: A comparative analyses of three economic blocs—BRICS, MIN," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 744-759, April.
    16. Andreas Fröberg & Suzanne Lundvall, 2022. "Sustainable Development Perspectives in Physical Education Teacher Education Course Syllabi: An Analysis of Learning Outcomes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, May.
    17. Zhenwen Liu & Hsi-Chi Yang & Yan-Chyuan Shiau, 2020. "Investigation on Evaluation Framework of Elementary School Teaching Materials for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-19, May.
    18. Mayte Gómez Marcos & Marcelo Ruiz Toledo & Claudio Ruff Escobar, 2022. "Towards Inclusive Higher Education: A Multivariate Analysis of Social and Gender Inequalities," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, December.
    19. Mirjam Braßler & Sandra Sprenger, 2021. "Fostering Sustainability Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours through a Tutor-Supported Interdisciplinary Course in Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-21, March.
    20. Eva Stratilová Urválková & Petra Surynková, 2021. "Sustainable Development Indicators—Untapped Tools for Sustainability and STEM Education: An Analysis of a Popular Czech Educational Website," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:14:p:8313-:d:857613. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.