Analogies for Sustainable Development/by conceptual theme

Analogies by Conceptual Theme

These conceptual themes were developed as part of the GlobalESD.org project and are intended to frame foundational concepts for understanding sustainability discourse.

Transfer of Learning

All learning as transfer of learning Transfer of learning as evolutionary information processing Knowledge transfer as transfer of learning in the collective brain Biomimicry as analogy Concepts as species

Evolution, Cognition, and Multilevel Cooperation

Adaptive flexibility as musical instrument Adaptive flexibility as grass in the wind Evolutionary process as Immune system Evolutionary process as Innovation Evolutionary process as Learning Major transitions as a boat race Selection as winnowing Multilevel selection as fans on a billiard table Ecosystem as organism Earth as organism (Gaia hypothesis) Human society as organism Human society as beehive Organism as multi-cellular society Brain as collective action Brain as evolutionary ecosystem Brain as garden Brain as onion Brain as common pool resource Neural networks as telephone wires Neural networks as road networks Social learning as collective brain Social Learning as a Jazz Band Social Learning as bees Parable of the Commons Parable of the New Pastures Cancer Corruption as cancer Humans as cancer Homeostasis as mental health Homeostasis as group design principles

The Moral Brain

Brain as dual mode camera Brain as moral tongue Elephant and the Rider System 1- System 2 Sacred circling & moral magnetism Tribalism as politics, as football teams 90% Chimp, 10% Bee, 100% Human

Nature of Science and knowledge

Children as scientists Knowledge as bricks Scientific disciplines and theories as islands in an Ivory Archipelago Scientific disciplines and theories as languages Species of thought

Analogies for Sustainable Development