Article Preview
TopIntroduction
The globalisation represents the major feature of the current socio-political world changes. Its effects cannot be neglected, in view of the economy-pulled up-grading (global viewpoints), and of the ecology-pushed regulations (no-global viewpoints). The resulting society moves towards high complexity cross-linked political frames, with impending constraints on the life-quality issues. The global viewpoints, shortly recalled, have recently shown critical falls-off, and the simple financial instruments do not seem contributing creditable aids to the international stability. The no-global viewpoints, the other way, provide suited ecology warning, but the conservatism of the precaution principle does not allow viable innovation.
The role of technology is believed essential to make possible devising sustainable growth, the basic way to generate spendable riches, and taking the ecology parameters under control. The all is referred as giving rise to the ‹robot age›, a technology-driven issue, already, properly recognised. The technological appropriateness, nevertheless, is necessary, but not sufficient to support stable international surroundings. The study intends to prospect the somehow imaginative picture of the world to come, where the modelling of the knowledge society features and annexed robotic aids are weighed against the economy/ecology balanced drivers.
The selected topics come from transversal sources, and develop across economy and ecology conditions (Antonelli, 1995; Cowen, 2011; Forey, 2004; Kleinert, 2004; Michelini, 2008, 2010; Michelini & Coiffet, 2009; Mokyr, 2003; Morris, 2008; Pielke, 2010; Rajan, 2010; Ridley, 2010; Rogers, 2010; Steingart, 2008; Zakaria, 2008), to motivate the eventually sketched technology-steered solving hypothesis. The study organises in three sections:
- •
The global outlook, economy-driven approaches, possibly aiming at the hyper-market setting;
- •
The no-global outlook, ecology-driven approaches, mainly looking at caution headway paths;
- •
The post-global outlook, approaches acknowledging the global/no-global inconsistencies, and in coherence suggesting the altruism path, with linked hyper-democracy vision;
- o
Each section providing only introductory comments on, otherwise, well assessed questions.
- o
The paper develops questioning looks on the future, imagining the conflicting issues, each based on mutually exclusive socio-political choices:
- •
The global consent, permitting the hyper-market setting, with scale-economy effectiveness and the removal of local inefficiencies and position profits;
- •
The no-global dissent, aiming at safeguarding the sectional achievements, along autarchy ruling, and the protection of the uncontaminated original (wild) surroundings;
- •
The post-global approach, accepting the global village constraints, and devising altruism rules, so that the generations to come could inherit an artificially upgraded surroundings.