When we look at the state of the world today, what is most evident is the fact that the major problems of our time – energy, environment, economy, climate change and social justice – cannot be understood in isolation. They are interconnected problems, which means that they require corresponding systemic solutions. Today’s global economy has brought about critical distress for ecosystems and societies and we have to go to the very root of the problems to find a way out.
This volume develops a synthesized interpretation of ecological economics integrating different levels: (economic) system, (business) practice and the (economic) actor. It discusses how changes on a systems level are connected to changes in practice and development of individual consciousness. Transformative Ecological Economics delves into the insight and knowledge from different sources of inspiration (thermodynamics, Darwinism, anthroposophy and Buddhism) as well as into an integrated story describing and illustrating the core ideas, principles and values that characterize a utopian society anchored in ecological economics. Implementation of the deep changes demanded depends on our ability to write a new story, a utopian one for sure, but one which is in accordance with and based on the reality in which we live.
This book will be of interest to those who study ecological economics, political economy and environmental economics.
Part I Context of interpretation
Introduction part I
- Philosophy of Organism
- Ideology and Utopia
- Green Economy and ecological Economics
Part II Perspectives on ecological economics
Introduction part II
- Four Sources of Inspiration
- Thermodynamics
Rudolf Clausius
Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen
- Evolutionary theory
Charles Darwin
Kenneth E. Bounding
- Anthroposophy
Rudolf Steiner
Leif Holbæk-Hanssen
- Buddhism
Mahatma Gandhi
Ernst Fritz Schumacher
- A transdisciplinary perspective
Herman Daly
Johan Galtung
Peter Söderbaum
- Economics as a Moral Science
Amitai Etzioni
Amartya Sen
Laszlo Zsolnai
- Eastern Perspective
P.A. Payutto
Vandana Shiva
Peter Pruzan
- Management Perspective
Archie B. Carroll
Waldemar Hopfenbeck
Richard Welford
- Concepts and Projects
John Elkington
Tim Jackson
Manfred Max-Neef
William Rees
- Institutions, Law and Money
Ross Jackson
Polly Higgins
Margrit Kennedy
Bernard Lietaer
Malcolm Torry
- The beginning is near
Evelin Lindner
Otto Scharmer
Charles Eisenstein
- Summing up part II
Part III Ecological economics – a utopian narrative
Introduction part III
- A narrative approach
- Utopian narratives of Ecological Economics
- Worldview
- Economic system
- Business practice
- Image of man
- Change