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Subtle Agroecologies
BOX 2.1 DIFFERENT WORLDVIEWS, WAYS OF
LEARNING AND WAYS OF KNOWING
India: In the Vedic tradition, the real world and the fundamental principles upon which life
systems are organised are different from those in the West (Balasubramanian and Devi,
2006). Reality is a continuum of matter, mind and consciousness. Vedic knowledge has a
notion of 9 existential principles, 41 qualities and 5 types of action, upon which, for example,
the Ayurvedic health system is based. The term Akasha refers to the unifying energy inherent in all four elements (earth, air, water and fre) in nature and thus also in every living
creature. Essentially, it is the all-encompassing spirit energy. In this worldview, all entities
can learn, and learning is not limited to the use of the fve senses. It takes place through a
combination of sensory perception, intuition, inference and teachings of seers or gurus. If
the mind is free from prejudices (lust, anger, greed, intoxication, delusion and jealousy), it
can learn from within. Meditative techniques and yoga are used in addition to ancient written texts in the pursuit of knowledge for liberation and Enlightenment. Lessons from previous lives can also play a role. In India, traditional knowledge and practices coexist parallel
with mainstream knowledge. Ayurvedic hospitals coexist with hospitals based on Western
medicine.
Latin America: The Andes: Studies by AGRUCO (AGRUCO 2001; COMPAS-AGRUCO
1998) revealed that in the Andean worldview, the natural, social and spiritual worlds are
united. Sacred time–space (Pacha Mama) goes beyond the physical or socio-economic
domains. There is a spiral notion of time that is not separated from space (territory); the frst
ordering principle is relation; everything is related and this leads to a reciprocal relationship
between humans, animals, plants, rocks, water, wind, sun, moon and stars. These relations are
embodied in astronomy, rituals and festas. In these cultures, learning takes place by experiencing the relationship between the human, the natural and the spiritual worlds. ‘It is through
our connection with Pacha Mama that we learn’ (Millar et al., 2006). Learning from within is
based on intuition and lessons from nature. More than being interested in mechanical explanations of ‘how things are’, there is an emphasis on the question ‘why things are’. In asking
‘why’, the interaction between the human, the material and the spiritual world is taken as a
given; questions of moral and ethics play an important role, as human behaviour can have a
direct infuence on the natural and spiritual worlds. In the Andes, traditional and mainstream
knowledge have a so-called syncretic relationship. Some traditional concepts have been redefned by mainstream to ft their frame of reference, but continue to be used in the traditional
communities. The notion of Pacha Mama has been replaced by Gaia, sometime in combination with the Virgin Mary.
Africa: In the worldview of the Dagaba people in Northern Ghana, the world is made
up of ancestors, the living and the not-yet-born, and nature is sacred (Millar et al., 2006).
Within this worldview, there is a hierarchy between divine beings, spiritual beings, ancestors, living human beings and natural forces. Nature provides habitats for human and spiritual entities. Time is cyclic and goes from the present to the past. Ancestral spirits have
powers that can be used in both negative and positive terms. In the present-day African
reality, one can observe two coexisting systems of beliefs and knowledge: traditional and
modern. The modern system is formally accepted, but the traditional system persists often
in an underground way. The traditional systems are labelled as satanic by imported religions
and as superstitious by mainstream scientists. Both traditional and mainstream sciences are
based on specifc values, logic and interpretation of cause–effect; this often leads to different
choices about lifestyle, spirituality and practices of farming and health. In addition, the ways
of learning are different. In the traditional African view, learning implies being receptive
Subtle Agroecologies
BOX 2.1 DIFFERENT WORLDVIEWS, WAYS OF
LEARNING AND WAYS OF KNOWING
India: In the Vedic tradition, the real world and the fundamental principles upon which life
systems are organised are different from those in the West (Balasubramanian and Devi,
2006). Reality is a continuum of matter, mind and consciousness. Vedic knowledge has a
notion of 9 existential principles, 41 qualities and 5 types of action, upon which, for example,
the Ayurvedic health system is based. The term Akasha refers to the unifying energy inherent in all four elements (earth, air, water and fre) in nature and thus also in every living
creature. Essentially, it is the all-encompassing spirit energy. In this worldview, all entities
can learn, and learning is not limited to the use of the fve senses. It takes place through a
combination of sensory perception, intuition, inference and teachings of seers or gurus. If
the mind is free from prejudices (lust, anger, greed, intoxication, delusion and jealousy), it
can learn from within. Meditative techniques and yoga are used in addition to ancient written texts in the pursuit of knowledge for liberation and Enlightenment. Lessons from previous lives can also play a role. In India, traditional knowledge and practices coexist parallel
with mainstream knowledge. Ayurvedic hospitals coexist with hospitals based on Western
medicine.
Latin America: The Andes: Studies by AGRUCO (AGRUCO 2001; COMPAS-AGRUCO
1998) revealed that in the Andean worldview, the natural, social and spiritual worlds are
united. Sacred time–space (Pacha Mama) goes beyond the physical or socio-economic
domains. There is a spiral notion of time that is not separated from space (territory); the frst
ordering principle is relation; everything is related and this leads to a reciprocal relationship
between humans, animals, plants, rocks, water, wind, sun, moon and stars. These relations are
embodied in astronomy, rituals and festas. In these cultures, learning takes place by experiencing the relationship between the human, the natural and the spiritual worlds. ‘It is through
our connection with Pacha Mama that we learn’ (Millar et al., 2006). Learning from within is
based on intuition and lessons from nature. More than being interested in mechanical explanations of ‘how things are’, there is an emphasis on the question ‘why things are’. In asking
‘why’, the interaction between the human, the material and the spiritual world is taken as a
given; questions of moral and ethics play an important role, as human behaviour can have a
direct infuence on the natural and spiritual worlds. In the Andes, traditional and mainstream
knowledge have a so-called syncretic relationship. Some traditional concepts have been redefned by mainstream to ft their frame of reference, but continue to be used in the traditional
communities. The notion of Pacha Mama has been replaced by Gaia, sometime in combination with the Virgin Mary.
Africa: In the worldview of the Dagaba people in Northern Ghana, the world is made
up of ancestors, the living and the not-yet-born, and nature is sacred (Millar et al., 2006).
Within this worldview, there is a hierarchy between divine beings, spiritual beings, ancestors, living human beings and natural forces. Nature provides habitats for human and spiritual entities. Time is cyclic and goes from the present to the past. Ancestral spirits have
powers that can be used in both negative and positive terms. In the present-day African
reality, one can observe two coexisting systems of beliefs and knowledge: traditional and
modern. The modern system is formally accepted, but the traditional system persists often
in an underground way. The traditional systems are labelled as satanic by imported religions
and as superstitious by mainstream scientists. Both traditional and mainstream sciences are
based on specifc values, logic and interpretation of cause–effect; this often leads to different
choices about lifestyle, spirituality and practices of farming and health. In addition, the ways
of learning are different. In the traditional African view, learning implies being receptive