ECOLOGICAL PHILOSOPHY AND LIBERAL EDUCATION IN MODERN UNIVERSITIES

The accelerating environmental crisis has raised fundamental questions about the ethical foundations, educational purposes, and social responsibilities of modern universities.In response to these challenges, this paper examines the role of eco philosophy in enriching liberal education within higher education.Drawing on environmental philosophy, deep ecology, and ecological ethics, the study conceptualizes eco philosophy as a normative framework that challenges anthropocentric assumptions and emphasizes ecological interconnectedness, intrinsic value of nature, and moral responsibility.Methodologically, the study employs a bibliometric approach combined with qualitative content analysis of academic publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science.The analysis identifies major research trends, thematic clusters, and intellectual orientations related to sustainability, education, and higher education.The results indicate a sustained growth of sustainability oriented educational research, with increasing emphasis on ethical reflection, institutional responsibility, and holistic educational models.However, explicit integration of eco philosophy within liberal education remains limited and conceptually fragmented.The paper argues that integrating eco philosophical principles into liberal education can strengthen the capacity of universities to cultivate critical thinking, ecological awareness, and ethical responsibility among students.This integration supports the vision of the ecological university and contributes to reorienting higher education toward sustainability and long term societal wellbeing.The study offers a conceptual foundation for future research and educational practice aimed at addressing the ecological challenges of the twenty first century.