For the Common Good

摘要: Words ought to be a little wild, for they are the assault of thoughts upon unthinking. - John Maynard Keynes THE WILD FACTS In our time, it is facts themselves that more than wild and constitute an on unthinking economic dogma. We need help from rhetoric. The summarized in calm words various State World reports put out by World-watch Institute, especially first essay 1987 volume Lester Brown Sandra Postel, entitled "Thresholds Change." Some are: 1. There hole earth's protective shield ozone. More ultraviolet radiation now reaches earth will predictably increase skin cancer, retard crop growth, impair human immune system. unprecedentedly wise response, representatives thirty-one nations have agreed quantitative limit production chlorofluorocarbons, probable cause ozone depletion. 2. evidence C02-induced greenhouse effect has already caused perceptible warming globe. As recently as 1983, noticeable change was not expected another 50 years. Now being connected careful students 1988 drought Midwest. 3. Biodiversity declining rates species extinction due takeover habitat, tropical rainforests, which support half world's only 7% its land area (Goodland 1987). addition, acid rain kills temperate zone forests raises acidity lakes above tolerance thresholds many species. Because industrial accidents, people Chernobyl, Goiania (Brazil), Bhopal dying air pollution, toxic waste contamination ground water, poisoning. All these appear us related one way or central underlying fact: scale activity relative biosphere grown too large. Over period 1950-86, population doubled 2.5 5.0 billion. same time period, gross world product fossil fuel consumption each roughly quadrupled. Further growth beyond this overwhelmingly likely costs rapidly increases benefits, thus ushering new era "uneconomic growth" impoverishes rather enriches. This fundamental fact so far found expression sufficiently feral successfully civil stupor discourse. Indeed, contrary Keynes, seems wildness either nowadays taken clear untruth. Moral concern "unscientific." Statement "alarmist." An Inquiry into Human Prospect (1974) economist Robert Heilbroner reflected about meaning pressure economy biosphere. He considered political traumas faced when no longer possible. 1980 revision his Inquiry, he projected continuing (but gradually slowing) until middle decade next century. When ends, sees (as earlier 1974 edition) highly authoritarian governments control transition decline (Heilbroner 1980, p. 167 ff.). appreciate Heilbroner's rare willingness connect physical limits ecosphere. at heart project well. But we believe thought, foresight, imagination can lead much less disruptive transition. Whereas assumes there realistic alternatives capitalism socialism (both economies), do agree. To conceive radically different forces both think through discipline economics well biology, history, philosophy, physics, theology. Part been against very disciplinary boundaries knowledge organized (produced, packaged, exchanged) modern university. …