BOOK INAUGURAL: «HANDBOOK OF ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION: CONCEPT, PHILOSOPHY, AND PEDAGOGY». Edited by Michael A. Peters, Benjamin J. Green, Greg William Misiaszek, Xudong Zhu. New York: Springer, 2025. – 1,400 p.
Abstract
This inaugural presents Handbook of Ecological Civilization as both a tribute and a call to action, which arises from a growing planetary consciousness that recognizes the urgent need to transition from industrial and extractivist civilization of modernity toward a more sustainable civilizational model—what is referred to as Ecological Civilization. Grounded in a rich platform of various cultural, spiritual, and scientific traditions, this volume embraces a global chorus of scientists and educators, indigenous leaders, and technologists to explore the concept, philosophy, methods, and moral imperatives of building a new type of global civilization. This Handbook also acknowledges China’s leadership in articulating Ecological Civilization as a state-level priority, with implications for global modernization discourses.
Keywords: ecological civilization, China, ecopedadogy, anthropocentrism, process philosophy, Anthropocene sustainability
Book cover of Handbook of Ecological Civilization: Concept, Philosophy, and Pedagogy (https://link.springer.com/referencework/10.1007/978-981-97-8101-0#about-authors)
Handbook of Ecological Civilization: Concept, Philosophy, and Pedagogy (Springer, 2025; living reference work, DOI: 10.1007/978-981-97-8101-0), edited by Michael A. Peters (with affiliations at Beijing Normal University & Tsinghua University), Benjamin J. Green (Beijing Language and Culture University), Greg William Misiaszek (Beijing Normal University), and Xudong Zhu (Beijing Normal University), comprises 79 entries organized around three core sections: the concept and history of Ecological Civilization (EC); the philosophy of EC and sustainable development; and comparisons with education for sustainability and ecopedagogical models.
The handbook positions EC—known in Chinese as shengtai wenming (生态文明)—as a distinctly Chinese transdisciplinary framework that integrates ancient philosophical traditions with contemporary socialist modernization, offering a model for global planetary sustainability beyond anthropocentric or Western-centric approaches. It emphasizes EC’s role in Chinese policy, education, and practice while fostering international dialogue.
At its heart, the Chinese concept of EC represents a civilizational paradigm shift from industrial society’s extractive growth to one of harmony between humanity and nature (tianrenheyi, or unity of heaven and humankind). Section 1 traces its historical and theoretical development, foregrounding its genesis in Chinese thought and its evolution into a national strategy. EC entered official discourse prominently under Hu Jintao (2007) and was enshrined in the Communist Party of China (CPC) constitution and national plans, culminating in Xi Jinping’s “Beautiful China” initiative and the 2018 constitutional amendment elevating ecological progress alongside economic, political, cultural, and social development. The handbook presents EC not merely as environmental policy but as a holistic restructuring of economic, social, political, and cultural systems to achieve “harmony between humanity and Nature,” informed by China’s relational worldview.
Chinese contributors play a pivotal role in articulating this indigenous foundation. Foremost among them is Pan Yue, author of the chapter “Chinese Tradition and Eco-civilization.” A pioneering figure in China’s environmental governance—former Vice-Minister of the State Environmental Protection Administration (2003–2016) and later Director of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission—Pan Yue published the influential 2006 article “On Socialist Ecological Civilization,” which helped establish the conceptual and policy foundations for EC as a socialist modernization pathway. His chapter in the handbook examines how core elements of Chinese tradition—Confucian emphasis on benevolence (ren) and harmony, Daoist principles of following nature (ziran), and broader aesthetics of balance—provide the philosophical bedrock for EC. It argues that these traditions enable a uniquely Chinese approach to eco-civilization, distinguishing it from Western sustainability models by rooting it in cultural continuity rather than purely technical or market-driven solutions. Pan Yue’s contribution underscores EC as both operational policy and cultural revival, informing China’s domestic “ecological red lines,” carbon neutrality goals (2060), and global initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative’s green development focus.
Zhihe Wang, co-author (with Michael A. Peters) of the “Dedication and Tribute to Dr. John B. Cobb Jr.,” represents another vital Chinese voice. Wang, founder of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China (IPDC) and a key promoter of constructive postmodern philosophy and process thought in China, has organized numerous international forums on EC since the mid-2000s. His work has established over 30 Centers for Process Studies and Constructive Postmodern Philosophy at Chinese universities, fostering dialogue between Whiteheadian process philosophy (emphasizing relationality, creativity, and ecological interconnectedness) and Chinese traditions. The dedication pays tribute to John Cobb (1925–2024), a process philosopher and early Western advocate for ecological civilization, highlighting the cross-cultural collaborations that have shaped EC’s global resonance. Wang’s perspective in the handbook bridges Eastern and Western thought, positioning EC as an “ecopoiesis”—a creative, life-affirming world-order—while critiquing hypercompetitive global capitalism. His contributions emphasize EC’s philosophical depth, linking it to Marxian ecology and philosophical environmentalism in Section 2.
Other Chinese or China-based contributors enrich the handbook’s focus. Lu Feng offers an “Analysis of the Concept of ‘Ecological Civilization’,” dissecting its theoretical contours. Ying Xue explores “China’s Ecological Civilization Construction and Relational World View,” grounding EC in relational ontology derived from Confucian and Daoist sources. Chen Liu addresses “Ecological Civilization and Chinese Human Geography,” while Yichen Wang (with Douglas Bourn and d’Reen Struthers) examines “China’s Education for Sustainable Development—Ecological Civilization Education and What Ecopedagogy Might Bring to It.” Li Yuhan contributes on integrating EC education into Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (TCSOL). These chapters illustrate EC’s permeation across Chinese academia, from human geography and relational philosophy to practical pedagogy.
Section 2 anchors EC’s philosophy in ancient Chinese aesthetics and spirituality, portraying civilization as harmonious coexistence rather than domination. Chapters connect EC to Marx (via ecosocialist underpinnings), philosophical environmentalism, and constructive postmodernism—areas where Zhihe Wang’s influence is evident through his long-term partnerships with figures like Cobb and the Center for Process Studies. Confucian values receive dedicated treatment in related entries (e.g., Mary Evelyn Tucker’s chapter on EC and Confucian ethics), reinforcing reverence for nature, cherishing tradition, and ethical governance as pillars.
Section 3 turns to pedagogy, comparing EC education with environmental education (EE), education for sustainable development (ESD), and ecopedagogy. It highlights EC’s integration into China’s national curriculum as a form of “planetary citizenship,” extending from local to global scales. Chinese contributors here underscore how EC education cultivates “wisdom for an ecological civilization,” contrasting it with Western models by emphasizing cultural specificity and socialist values. The handbook critiques decolonial and geopolitical dimensions (e.g., Daniel Araya on China’s geopolitical gambit; Jean-Yves Heurtebise on deconstructing Chinese EC), yet affirms EC’s potential as a global model amid hypercompetition and planetary crisis.
Overall, the handbook reimagines global society through EC’s lens, moving beyond anthropocentrism toward post-anthropocentric framings. It contributes to EC curriculum development by synthesizing theory, philosophy, and practice, with Chinese voices—led by Pan Yue’s policy-philosophical synthesis and Zhihe Wang’s dialogical bridge-building—providing authoritative depth. EC emerges not as a Chinese exceptionalism but as a scalable vision: rooted in millennia of Chinese thought (harmony, relationality, balance), operationalized through CPC-led modernization, and offered to the world as a pathway to “Beautiful China” and, ultimately, a flourishing Earth community.
The editors’ China-based expertise ensures the volume’s authenticity and transdisciplinarity, spanning 79 entries that inform teaching, research, and policy. By centering Chinese contributors and concepts, the handbook challenges Eurocentric sustainability narratives and advocates EC as a compassionate, tradition-cherishing civilization capable of addressing the Anthropocene’s crises. As a living reference, it invites ongoing contributions to this vital intellectual and practical project.
Reviewer:
Michael A. Peters, Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, is currently Distinguished Professor at Beijing Normal University (China), and Emeritus Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaig (the United States of America).
Suggested citation note
Peters, M.A. (2026). Book inaugural: "Handbook of ecological civilization: Concept, philosophy, and pedagogy". Ecopoiesis: Eco-Human Theory and Practice, 7 (2). [open access internet journal]. – URL: http://en.ecopoiesis.ru (d/m/y)