Temporality: Meditations on Time and Learning in the ‘Anthropocene’

Abstract

This paper explores the intersection of temporality and learning in the context of transformative education, particularly in response to the Anthropocene and climate change.Recognizing the paradoxes inherent in modern education-where the urgency of transformation conflicts with the time required for deep learning-we engage in two philosophical meditations to critically examine how time constructs shape and constrain educational practices.Drawing from continental philosophy, we interrogate dominant temporal paradigms in modern schooling, particularly the accelerationist pressures of neoliberalism, which prioritize efficiency and assessment over reflective learning.We argue that enriched conceptions of temporalityrooted in expansive, relational, and historically situated understandings-offer pathways for world-making practices that support just and sustainable futures.Through engagement with cultural tools, decolonial perspectives, and alternative knowledge systems, we propose an expanded temporality for education that fosters deep, transgressive learning.Our meditations invite further contemplation on how time can be refigured in the learning sciences to support transformative change.