Dictionary of Terms
This dictionary of terms is not meant to be a dictionary of sociology of how words are most commonly used, it simply provides an explanation of what I mean when I use one of these contestable terms. I still need to add in definitions on Macroeconomics Microeconomics ETR Carbon Trading Forth Cause
Dictionary of Terms
Economy
The economy or macro-economy is the system of which all human activity is part.
Environmental-macroeconomy
Environmental-macroeconomics is concerned with the volume of transactions between the Macro-Economy and Ecosystem.
Environmental-microeconomy
Environmental-microeconomy is concerned with the value of things within the ecosystem in a specific field.
Ecosystem
The ecosystem is a planet’s ability to absorb and produce various substances and energies. It is in constant change, however this changes takes place on a scale upon which the span of human existence in a blip.
Formal-Institution
These Institutions have rigid roles set down in law and policy documents such as government departments or businesses.
Formal-roles
These roles have rigid expectations set down in law and policy documents such as that of policeman or head chef.
Individual
Individuals are 1 of the 3 core components of society (Individuals, Roles and Institutions). People, human beings, all of whom take on varying Roles within Institutions.
Informal-Institution
These institutions roles are not set down in law or policy documents in the same clear way as Formal-institutions although sometimes they are just as or even more rigid than those in Formal-institutions and extreme deviation from the roles can result in the breaking of laws. An example of an Informal-Institution is the family or group of friends.
Informal-roles
These roles have relatively unclear expectations for the most part although sometimes they are just as or even more rigid than those for Formal-roles.
Institution
Institutions are 1 of the 3 core components of society (Individuals, Roles and Institutions). They are collections of various roles undertaken by various individuals. There are 2 types of institutions Formal-Institutions and Informal-Institutions.
Internationalisation
Internationalisation is the growth of trade and interdependence between countries (Scholte 2000).
Liberalisation
Liberalisation is the process of removing bars to international trade and the opening up of markets and a decrease in state regulation (Scholte 2000).
Morality or System of Morality
Morality or a system of morality is a way of deciding what outcomes are desirable or undesirable; although some choices may seem utterly mundane they still involve a system of morality.
Even if the choice between 2 different types of chocolate bars did not involve the complications around production, transportation as well as the economic relations between the producers and distributors and was simply about the taste it is still a moral choice. An individual with who has decided it is more moral (in that it makes them happier) to abstain from some pleasures like chocolate will make a different choice from an individual with a more hedonic moral system.
Someone or something that is acting morally is achieving the goals of the system of morality to which they adhere.
Research
Research is a systematic process that generally consists of 3 steps
1. A subject is chosen and the sources of evidence needed to be examined to understand the subject is decided
2. data is collected from this evidence
3. the data is analysed to draw conclusions sometimes in relation to an initial hypothesis
However this is a massive oversimplification, the way evidence is deemed to be of importance, data is collected and data analysed can vary greatly with each step being split into any number of further steps or steps repeated.
Role
A role is a label given to an individual that has certain expectations and duties tied to it normally as part of an institution. There are 2 types of roles, Formal-roles and Informal-roles.
Society
A society collection of institutions, roles and individuals, again this is an oversimplification.
Sustainability / Sustainable
Historically it appears to mean the ability to maintain balance of a certain state or process in a system (Wikipedia 2009). In general this term is normally now a prefix to objects, processes or organisations. This term is applied either to objects, processes or organisations and I will set out specific definitions for each of those uses.
When an object is described as sustainable such as sustainable cod or sustainable shoes it means that the processes that have given rise to the object are sustainable processes
When a process is described as sustainable such as sustainable fishing or sustainable flying it means that the process itself is sustainable.
When an organisation is described as sustainable such as the sustainable fishing company or sustainable homes (http://www.sustainablehomes.co.uk/whoweare.aspx) it means that organisation only carries out process that our sustainable.
Looking at these definitions we can see that the root of sustainability’s meaning comes from what sustainable processes are. A process is sustainable if it can be carried or for the foreseeable future OR can be terminated without harming the system within which it exists.
Universalisation
Universalisation is the process of certain objects, roles and institutions becoming global and typical around the world. Things like the Gregorian calendar, business suits and so forth are examples of universal objects and concepts (Scholte 2000).
Westernisation
Westernisation is a certain type of Universalisation where certain features of modernity such as capitalism, rationalism, urbanism and individualism become global (Scholte 2000).
References
Berger, P. & Luckmann, T. (1966) // The Social construction of reality: a treatise in the sociology of knowledge// London: Penguin Books
Daly, H. (1991) ‘Elements of Environmental-macroeconomics.’ in Ecological Economics: The science and Management of Sustainability ed. By Costanza, R. New York: Columbia University press 32-46
Giddens, A. (1994) Beyond Left and Right: The future of radical politics Cambridge: Polity Press
Lovelock, J. (2006) The Revenge of Gaia: Why the Earth is Fighting Back – and How We Can Still Save Humanity London: Allen Lane
Scholte, J. A. (2000) Globalisation: a critical introduction. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan
Wikipedia (2009) Sustainability [online] available from
I think one of the biggest problems when discussing anything is that people disagree simply because they attach different meanings to different words. So I am definitely going to keep this and expand on it. I´ve saved a copy off-line that I will try and keep up to date as well as a back up.
Looking at my work before I was much more interested in developing some kind of methodology for decision making. I think I was getting a bit ahead of my self though, the first thing I want to do with this blog is show the need for a new way of making decisions. I want to show that modern philosophy, science and politics most important task right now is to provide this because of the inadequacy of our current methods.
This is because right now I feel the wrong decisions are being made. Right now I am making the wrong choices all the time in my life as is the rest of the world. The main reason I believe this is because of the state of the planet. Right now I think I would be correct in saying the debate about climate change is over and that we make an undeniable impact on the planet and if we continue impacting the planet in the way we do we will see the end of human civilisation as we know it (I´m gonna pop civilisation in the DoT [Dictionary of Terms] as a collection of existing institutions, roles and individuals with prior knowledge of past institutions roles and individuals). If anybody has any suggestions about the entries in DoT I´d love to hear them.
I think the most comprehensive proof of the danger to civilisation posed by climate change is shown by the IPCC. To be honest if you want to debate of discuss the validity of climate change of or the dangers it poses I´d rather you just, well go and kill your self not only for the survival of the human race but because I think there are much more important discussions to be had. However I could be wrong maybe if you have some kinda earth shattering revelation about the whole subject please let me know.
Anyhow I think its important to examine why decisions are being taken / not being taken right now that encourage climate change and risk the end of human civilisation. This isn´t the only problem I see right now though. Everywhere I look I see irrationality and injustice, when I go into the city centre I will pass homeless people, when I switch on the TV I will see undeserved riches enjoyed by celebrities juxtaposed with undeserved suffering and poverty. I don´t understand why we don´t all go to David Beckham's house and say ¨listen Dave tomorrow people will die of starvation if we don´t get them some food, so we´ve taken 90% of your money and we´d like you to sell off another 90% of your possessions and we´ve used this to feed some of those people. It´s not just you we´re doing this to all the super rich because to do anything else just seem stupid.¨ Maybe 90% is unfair but you get the gist.
Bah I´m outta time, hopefully next post i´m gonna try and come up with a good old beginning middle and end idea of the piece I´m gonna try and write and move on from there.
