Where I end and you begin: Subjectification and autonomy revisited

This article examines the intersection of autonomy, freedom, and moral responsibility in environmental education, focusing on how educational frameworks can address collective environmental problems. Using Biesta’s educational theory—qualification, socialization, and subjectification—the article explores how environmental education traditionally emphasizes individual agency, which may conflict with the need for collective ethical norms to address environmental challenges. By analyzing negative and positive conceptions of freedom as defined by Berlin, the article critiques these approaches as too individualistic for fostering a responsible and ethical environmental ethos. Drawing on Arendt’s notions of freedom, it proposes a framework for environmental education that balances socialization with the development of autonomous, morally responsible individuals. This approach aims to harmonize individual moral agency with collective responsibility, offering a philosophically grounded vision for cultivating ethical attitudes toward environmental sustainability.