Guest post by Federico Tabellini
In this
age dominated by the here and now, discussing the future is a rare
thing. When we do discuss it, most of
the time it is to point out how badly things could go in the next few decades.
And yet,
what I want to present to you today is a book about the future. About a
prosperous future (for a change), and the path that – if taken – could link it
to our present. Here are some of the reasons why I really think you should read
it.
First
reason. It contributes to the solution of well-known problems: the
environmental crisis (in a broad sense), limits to growth, technological
unemployment, over-consumption; the list goes on. In the book, the analysis of
these problems and the description of how we might overcome them are both based
on consolidated academic approaches. Some of these approaches are often
considered incompatible with one another in the social imaginary. The most
significant achievement of the book is perhaps its attempt to integrate these
different approaches into a coherent, organic framework. I believe it’s a successful
attempt, but I will let readers judge for themselves.
The first section of the
book (chapters 1 and 2) offers an ‘overall picture of the situation’,
describing the profound nature of many of the issues dealt with on this blog, while
the second (chapters 3-7) proposes possible scenarios for the implementation of
solutions to the contemporary crises. It also describes the mutual interaction between
these solutions, as well as their plausible consequences on society.
The focus is on the long
run, and the approach is global, as are the challenges we face. The solutions
proposed are also global, and are considered not only in their short term
implementation but also in their long term effects. We could draw a comparison
with the popular book by Tim Jackson, ‘Prosperity
Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet’, but my approach has a
somewhat broader scope. As Jackson did in his book, I describe in detail
several macro-economic and institutional reforms we should implement to counter
the crises, but I also discuss issues such as the role of education and the
social dynamics that link the various actors that would carry out the change.
Second
reason. The book adopts a systemic approach in both the arguments it presents
and the conclusions that it draws from those arguments. The premise is simple,
almost banal:
'The final goal of any society is to produce the
greatest possible well-being for human beings in the long run.'
On this
premise, appropriately problematized (what does ‘well-being’ mean? What do we
mean by ‘long run’?), a series of logical steps are inserted, which illustrate
how the solutions to many of the great crises of our age become far more
obvious once we abandon a sectorial approach and embrace a systemic analysis of
the problems. Doing so also sheds new light on the deeper connections between
the various challenges we face. These connections mean that efficient solutions
to each and every one of them can be successfully implemented only if carried
out simultaneously and synergistically.
To
conclude, a final note. ‘A future history of the 21st century: how we overcame the crisis of civilization’ is an
essay, but it is built around a narrative device: the reforms and proposals
that it describes are presented from the perspective of a fictional author writing
at the end of our century. It’s a little like reading a history book, but instead
of the past, it describes the future. I think this small detail, aside from
making the read more pleasant, adds a level of realism to the dissertation.
The book is available worldwide on Amazon. All in
all, I truly believe that you won’t regret reading it. And if you do read
it, please share your opinions – I will be happy to answer and discuss any of
your queries.
FB.
FB.
