Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in subsequent chapters of this book. The book points to the human spirit as the most crucial point of departure towards all transformations. It focuses on three keywords: "Reconnecting, Reframing, and Rethinking". The book explores several philosophical approaches to sustainability, including that of philosophers John Rawls, Immanuel Kant, Aristotle, and John Stuart Mill. The traditional economic models imply standardized ways of doing business and inducing development. The book argues that the current academic paradigms and models which underlie sustainability theory and practice are overly simplistic and in need of reconsideration to take into account the non-linear and complex nature of the world system. It draws lessons from the Amazonian Aboriginal cultures. The book suggests the importance of placing ecoethics at the center of education, allowing people to develop a new awareness of an ancient perspective that she translates in a poetic and compelling way as "being-person-careful-caring-and-loving-with-the-world".