Education for sustainable development in the perspectives of “Information society”

Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics, 19 Kyoto St., 02156 Kyiv, Ukraine

^* Corresponding author: n.gusieva@knute.edu.ua

Abstract

Sustainable development aims at transforming existing way of development, which is gradually moving towards our planet’s ecosystem destruction and hypertrophied economic growth at the cost of other social life areas. In this paper, we prove that sustainable development of society implies changing methods of development themselves. The aim of this paper is to study possibilities and prospects for implementing principles of sustainable development in education sector, which essence is understood as developing ways of development and thinking themselves. To achieve this goal, dialectics is used as general theory of development, specifically its distinctive ability to differentiate qualitative, essential development from quantitative growth, quantitative transition within one essence. This paper proves that sustainable development is impossible without radical transformation of ways of activity, production, thinking and world perception. In this context, alternative potential, represented by “information society” models, is analyzed. Considering that desired model of sustainable development of society should not be only abstract ideal, it is proved that it might and should be embodied in daily practical activities today. Education as an area for intersubjective interaction where development of human subjectivity takes place has always been not only sector fulfilling existing society demands but also anticipating future society opportunities.