ABSTRACT
The challenge facing educators is far more complex than merely providing students with the data connected with the scientific findings about changes in the earth's ecosystems. This chapter discusses the fundamental differences between the dominant view of individual intelligence and the nature of ecological intelligence. It provides a brief sketch of Gregory Bateson's background and explains how his insights are the basis for understanding ecological intelligence, as well as their practical implications for introducing educational reforms that do not rely upon the past misconceptions that are major contributors to putting our culture on an ecologically destructive pathway. The chapter presents a summary of the different ways in which individualism and the supporting cultural patterns are part of the experience of most Westerners. There are, of course, variations in how this sense of individualism is experienced. Differences can be traced to the influence of local cultural traditions, ideologies, religions, and what has been learned from personal experience.
