A philosopher's guide to natural capitalism: a sustainable future within reach
In: Earthscan from Routledge
"This book posits that a sustainable future is possible without abandoning Capitalism. In its present form as Consumer Capitalism, the organization of the global economy is clearly unsustainable. But Capitalism is a malleable concept that has assumed a variety of forms since the 17th Century, and it can be altered as needed. In Part I of this book, Wayne Henry sets out an economic model for a sustainable form of Capitalism, referred to in the literature as Natural Capitalism. In Part II, he abandons exposition in favour of rigorous philosophical analysis and critiques the older but still dominant narrative that underlies Classical Liberalism. The narrative will be reconstructed with great care and analyzed to understand why it has been so powerful and enduring, and, of course, why it is no longer appropriate for our present circumstances. In Part III, he investigates Classical Liberalism and globalized capitalism, the economic system it licenses, from a normative perspective. Finally, in the conclusion, Henry draws the threads of the discussion together in a way that emphasizes the differences between the two narratives, Classical Liberalism on the one hand, and the contemporary version of Progressive Liberalism that nurtures and supports Natural Capitalism on the other. This book will be of interest to a broad range of scholars and curious laypersons interested in a clear and interdisciplinary presentation of the issues arising out of climate change, including corporate governance, social and environmental policy, declining social capital and the capacity of democratic institutions to deal effectively with sustainability. It will be particularly relevant for students and instructors of philosophy, history, economics, political science, social policy and environmental sociology"--
In: Earthscan from Routledge
"This book posits that a sustainable future is possible without abandoning Capitalism. In its present form as Consumer Capitalism, the organization of the global economy is clearly unsustainable. But Capitalism is a malleable concept that has assumed a variety of forms since the 17th Century, and it can be altered as needed. In Part I of this book, Wayne Henry sets out an economic model for a sustainable form of Capitalism, referred to in the literature as Natural Capitalism. In Part II, he abandons exposition in favour of rigorous philosophical analysis and critiques the older but still dominant narrative that underlies Classical Liberalism. The narrative will be reconstructed with great care and analyzed to understand why it has been so powerful and enduring, and, of course, why it is no longer appropriate for our present circumstances. In Part III, he investigates Classical Liberalism and globalized capitalism, the economic system it licenses, from a normative perspective. Finally, in the conclusion, Henry draws the threads of the discussion together in a way that emphasizes the differences between the two narratives, Classical Liberalism on the one hand, and the contemporary version of Progressive Liberalism that nurtures and supports Natural Capitalism on the other. This book will be of interest to a broad range of scholars and curious laypersons interested in a clear and interdisciplinary presentation of the issues arising out of climate change, including corporate governance, social and environmental policy, declining social capital and the capacity of democratic institutions to deal effectively with sustainability. It will be particularly relevant for students and instructors of philosophy, history, economics, political science, social policy and environmental sociology"--
Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Preface -- Why this book? And why now? -- 1 Overview and plan of the book -- The power of narratives -- Central themes -- Some terminology clarified -- The plan of the book -- Part I Sustainability and Natural Capitalism -- 2 Genuine sustainability and what it will require of us -- How is "sustainable" to be defined? -- Political sustainability -- 3 Natural Capitalism -- A new focus for productivity -- The four principles of Natural Capitalism -- First principle: maximize resource productivity -- Second principle: biomimicry - closed-loop systems -- Third principle: cradle to cradle - a new business model -- Fourth principle: restoring natural capital -- Concluding remarks -- 4 The narrative of Natural Capitalism -- Infrastructural requirements of Natural Capitalism and the TIR -- The character of the post-TIR world -- The narrative of sustainability -- Concluding remarks -- Part II Classical Liberalism: the conceptual foundations of Consumer Capitalism -- 5 John Locke and the theory of private property -- Historical context and Locke's motives -- The theory reconstructed -- Some consequences of the theory -- 6 Adam Smith and the laissez-faire market -- Historical context and Smith's motives -- Reconstructing Smith's theory -- Some consequences of the theory -- 7 Contrasting visions: Classical versus Progressive Liberalism and the ideal state -- Robert Nozick: the Night Watchman State -- Stage 1: leaving anarchy behind -- Stage 2: limits of the state -- John Rawls: justice as fairness -- Stage 1: the Principles of Justice -- Stage 2: the Original Position -- The two views compared -- Joseph Stiglitz and the price of inequality -- Robert Putnam and social capital -- 8 Corporate governance and the limits of corporate social responsibility.
English
Routledge
1000908798, 1000908836, 9781000908794, 9781000908831, 1003388558
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