Human–Nature Relationship in Gramsci: Contributions to Critical Pedagogy and Ecopedagogy

Abstract

This article offers a contemporary reassessment of Antonio Gramsci’s pedagogical perspective on the relationship between human beings and nature, based on selected notes from the Prison Notebooks . The central argument is that such a relationship should not be understood as external or unidirectional, but as a historically mediated dimension constitutive of subjectivity and social life. In this sense, the analysis situates Gramsci’s philosophy of praxis in dialogue with current debates in critical pedagogy and ecopedagogy, showing how his thought contributes to rethinking the socio-environmental question from an educational standpoint. Additionally, the study underscores the relevance of these reflections in contemporary global contexts marked by ecological crisis and political struggles for socio-environmental justice, where educational institutions face demands to develop transformative pedagogical approaches. Methodologically, the study adopts a conceptual and hermeneutic approach grounded in philological and diachronic interpretation of the Notebooks, combined with contemporary theoretical contributions in the pedagogical field. The results indicate that Gramsci’s understanding of the unity between labour, technique, and cultural formation provides a framework capable of overcoming dichotomies such as nature/society, manual/intellectual education, and theory/praxis. Within this perspective, nature is not conceived as a passive object to be dominated but as a co-constitutive dimension of human historical development. This conceptual articulation allows envisioning the school as a mediating space for the development of historical-environmental consciousness, capable of challenging neoliberal cultural and educational hegemonies. The article concludes that the philosophy of praxis provides a foundation for developing an ecopedagogy oriented toward collective emancipation and the democratization of knowledge.