practically and morally. Failure to construct a future world order and paradigm of global development that genuinely respects the planetary limits of sustaining life will have potentially catastrophic consequences, not only for humanity, but for all life on earth. Despite myriad forms of fragmentation and diversity amongst humanity today, we now live in a single and a single We are one “world civilization” “world system”. humanity (one species), living on one planet, consisting of one unified “web-of-life”, all mutually interdependent and ultimately bearing one common destiny. Yet, despite so much apparent material progress over recent decades, this world civilization is beset by multiple crises, each of global scale, and each auguring an ominous future. Thus people must face the historical imperative to transform the future now, or collectively face grave negative consequences. In a word, our dominant paradigm of must be transformed in order that not only “development” humanity, but all life on earth may survive and flourish into the future. The Failures of and the Specter of “Really Existing Globalization” “Global Dystopia” Our present is characterized by a long-term underlying historical-structural tension: between on the one hand an ever more globalizing and materially integrated economic structure; and on the other hand the persistence of a system of territorially bounded sovereign (nation) states. This tension has been intensifying in recent years, demonstrated in recurrent and deepening global systemic instability and crisis. Far from the realization of millennial liberal dreams of of and the “the end history” final victory of liberal democracy and free market capitalism on global scale, the actual conditions of the post-Cold War era show deepening systemic crisis and growing global disorder, a period of and potentially dangerous “hegemonic rivalry” forms of global competition among multiple centers of wealth and power. There is now also a growing specter of authoritarianism, accompanying parallel (but ostensibly tendencies towards the increasing transnationalisation of “opposite”)
practically and morally. Failure to construct a future world order and paradigm of global development that genuinely respects the planetary limits of sustaining life will have potentially catastrophic consequences, not only for humanity, but for all life on earth. Despite myriad forms of fragmentation and diversity amongst humanity today, we now live in a single “world civilization” and a single “world system”. We are one humanity (one species), living on one planet, consisting of one unified “web-of-life”, all mutually interdependent and ultimately bearing one common destiny. Yet, despite so much apparent material progress over recent decades, this world civilization is beset by multiple crises, each of global scale, and each auguring an ominous future. Thus people must face the historical imperative to transform the future now, or collectively face grave negative consequences. In a word, our dominant paradigm of “development” must be transformed in order that not only humanity, but all life on earth may survive and flourish into the future. The Failures of “Really Existing Globalization” and the Specter of “Global Dystopia” Our present is characterized by a long-term underlying historical-structural tension: between on the one hand an ever more globalizing and materially integrated economic structure; and on the other hand the persistence of a system of territorially bounded sovereign (nation) states. This tension has been intensifying in recent years, demonstrated in recurrent and deepening global systemic instability and crisis. Far from the realization of millennial liberal dreams of “the end of history” and the final victory of liberal democracy and free market capitalism on global scale, the actual conditions of the post-Cold War era show deepening systemic crisis and growing global disorder, a period of “hegemonic rivalry” and potentially dangerous forms of global competition among multiple centers of wealth and power. There is now also a growing specter of authoritarianism, accompanying parallel (but ostensibly “opposite”) tendencies towards the increasing transnationalisation of
Feb3_Session2_B.Gills_Evolution%20of%20Economy_Paper1.docx