Romanticism and Science Education

Nature as a Poem

Abstract

This philosophical poetic inquiry argues for relational approaches and creative expression in university science education. Poetic inquiry as a methodology can cultivate connection to the other-than-human world that promotes contemplative practice and a reciprocal relationship with life phenomena under study. Throughout this philosophical inquiry I incorporate my own poems and photography, both as a Romanticism-inspired praxis, and to elucidate the vital importance of an ethical-holistic pedagogy in the current era of human-powered climate change, dramatic species extinction, and habitat destruction. Goethean science, where students understand nature inwardly, offers an alternative to Newtonian science by incorporating the intentionality of phenomenological learning and the development of ecological literacy. If we approach the scientific method with wonder and ethical-ecological holism, we might fully acknowledge our moral responsibility toward the biosphere and all earthly beings.