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Culture, Economics and Technology - the oncoming challenge for Europe by F. Moser


1.0 Introduction / Problem Description

Europe and the Western World are facing a challenge to cope with a severe oncoming crisis pertaining to the interrelationship of Culture, Structure and Technology.

These fields are closely interrelated (comp. Fig. 1). The oncoming crisis is one revealing itself in the field of economics - especially so the problem of unemployment - of structure, i.e. the national and supranational organisations in the field of politics, industry etc. and of technology.

Scientists analysing the situation of Europe and the Western World have concluded that to continue the present industrial-economic philosophy will certainly lead to an ecological and/or economic collapse.

To continue "business as usual" is not possible (compare Fig.2) (sceario 1). A radical change in technology to scenario 3 is required in order to obtain a "sustainable development".

Any one of the basic fields shown in Fig. 1 by itself cannot solve the problem of growing unemployment and continuously growing mass flows. A radical change is necessary to avoid a collapse. However, how do people react to such a situation?

Paul Kennedy, historian at Yale University, concludes his best-selling book "Preparing for the 21st century" with the following statements:

  1. To continue a philosophy in politics, economics and technology of "business as usual" will certainly lead to disaster;
  2. To dispair and do nothing will have the same effect;
  3. A radical change in all fields as given is necessary. This involves a change of consciousness in the people. Such a change is unlikely to occur and would - in a democracy - be impossible to implement because the majority of the population is either not informed of the whole situation or incapable of the necessary radical changes required.

The purpose of this contribution is to bring up this problem and indicate ongoing underlying paradigmatic changes in science which cause the problem situation in politics, economics and technology.

2.0 The Paradigm change in Science

Fig. 3 gives a schematic picture of the change in scientific paradigms from a mechanistic to a holistic world view. As always we depend on science to tell us "what is" we need information about this change in order to determine what we shall have to do.

3.0 Results of the Holistic Paradigm

The holistic paradigm shows us that this world has definitely a metaphysical structure. We have to accept the fact that a biological reality as we know it is complimentary to a metaphysical reality as described since ages by all religions. Therefore the problem we face is how to adopt again to this new metaphysical paradigm. We cannot very well go back to our medivial thinking. Are we prepared for a new magic-mystical world view based on a UNIVERSAL-LAW 5UL)?

4.0 Outlook

A solution to present day problems cannot be given off-hand. It will take generations to do so. From our present order we will have to go through a chaos-situation in order to build-up a new and hopefully better order than we have (comp. Fig. 4). This is the challenge we are facing today and long into the 21st century.

The new economy must be based on a holistic ethics derived from the holistic paradigm and the principle of self-organisation which is also one of the basic ideas in this new world view (comp. Fig. 5)

Figure 1:

Note: This paper was given in reference to a previous one on "how function regional 'Islands of Sustainability'?"

" How Realistic are Regions of Sustainability?"

 

1. Definition of problem

The discussion about the so-called 'sustainable development' has started to preoccupy in ever larger circles people, fore mostly scientists.

Primarily it is a matter of two questions!

  1. What do we have to understand under the concept 'sustainable development'? and
  2. How can this - if at all - be attained?

A sustainable development is such, as it has been defined by the BRUNDTLAND-Report, which does not impede the ability to live by future generations (see Ref. 1).

In the report it is stated:

" Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Many reflections have led towards demanding the operationalisation of this definition: (see Ref. 2)

1. Anthropogenic material streams must not alter the size and quality of natural reservoirs

(such as for fossil raw materials and ground water).

2. Anthropogeneic material streams must not exceed the local capacity for assimilation and should remain within the extend of deviations by the geogenic rivers.

3. Renewable resources must not be used up faster, than how they can be renewed under sustainable conditions.

4. The natural variety of living species and the picture of the landscape must be retained or improved upon.

In order to fulfil these conditions, there is needed

Various premises lead to the recognition that

  1. a sustainable economy, i.e. technology must attain a reduction in material streams by at least the factor 10 when compared with today
  2. the prevailing technology seems to make possible an improvement at the best around factor 3

Out of that follows the conclusion: in order to attain a sustainable manner of economising, i.e. technology, it is necessary

A Dutch study group has undertaken primarily the first option. It can be called the development of a HYPER-technology in the areas of

The SUSTAIN-group has turned more towards the second option. It can be circumscribed by the concept 'regions of sustainability' or 'islands of sustainability' (IOS);

In this workshop, it is a matter to develop and to explain premises for a theory about these 'islands of sustainability',

2 Basic reflections (thesis)

1. Practically due to political, economical and ecological reasons it seems that the creation of 'islands of sustainability' is the only realistic as much as the short-, middle- and long term feasible path, in order to attain sustainability.

Every kind of top-down strategy, which is based upon accordance with the nations of the first and the last world, appears to be in vain.

Also the possibility of developing a HYPER-technology (a top-down strategy), which could be conceived for a time span of 15 to 30 years, seems to be questionable alone for the reason, that long-term planning periods cannot be considered by both the economy nor politics.

2. World-wide, but especially in Europe, it can be detected a regionalisation of the political and economic structures. Out of that follows, that the so-called bottom-up strategies appear to be successful.

3. Principally speaking, future cannot be planned. Neither the development of HYPER-technologies nor the reduction of material streams guarantee a development towards sustainability. The latter is rather a dynamic process which is steered by the respective world picture of the society in question.

4. It is maintained, that as the first step of development towards a sustainable society (for which one foresees a time period of 30 to 50 years) the creation of "local sustainable islands" is both senseful and necessary. They are marked by the demand that

Naturally these "local sustainable islands" live at the expense of their surroundings. Actually, the impression of being sustainable is created. Nevertheless that fulfils the conditions of natural ecological systems.

Through such regions the streams of materials and energies are reduced locally, not globally. But they are unconditionally a first step towards a global sustainable society.

Only in a second development phase is it possible to transfer over to the creation of so-called "authentic sustainable regions", which can avoid the import of non-sustainable services.

In this manner it is to be expected, that over a long term a sustainable condition is attainable.

5. In the "islands of sustainablity" the transparency can lead towards the motivation of the people concerned and bring about the networking of the shortest routes better than any other method.

6. The "islands of sustainability" will contribute substantially politically and economically in future towards resolving the problem of unemployment and hence contribute towards a better political culture.

References

Note: Taken from the Journal of the Symposia "Regional Concepts on the path towards a sustainable manner of economising" with the workshop 'How do function regional 'Islands of Sustainability'", 2.-3. November 1993, Technical University of Graz

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