Philosophical Challenges in Environmental Management Education in Nigerian Universities

Abstract

University disciplines have overtime developed philosophical platforms through which the definition, content and methodology of their disciplines emerged. In law its philosophy is embedded in Jurisprudence, in History, Historiography, in Geography, History of Geographic Thought and in Science, History of Science. In Environmental Management the development of its philosophy is constrained by its nature, derivation from several existing bodies of knowledge, and its recent emergence as a discipline. But disciplines which borrow extensively from established disciplines, such as Urban and Regional Planning, have developed philosophical standpoints. Urban and Regional planning has History of Town Planning. Attempt to evolve a philosophy for Environmental Management is complicated by the fact that the global environment is changing very rapidly with emerging theories and empirical research becoming increasingly more sophisticated, while causes, effects and solutions to environmental problems are pursued in a variety of disciplines. Environmental Management is a chemistry of arts, social sciences, sciences and applied sciences. Despite this congery, comfort comes from the discipline being a melting pot. This paper attempts to chart a course for the development of not only the philosophy, but also the history of the emergence of global concern for sustainable management of the biosphere.