Engaging with the Sustainable Development Goals by going beyond Modernity: An ethical evaluation within a worldview framework

Abstract

Non-technical summary The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets are an important achievement. They largely reflect the worldview of Modernity, with its emphasis on scientific and planning rationality and emancipatory ideals. This worldview is no longer evident and dominant, and it is time to systematically explore complementing worldviews. Explicit use of worldviews, as sets of values and beliefs, and ethics enriches the interpretation and implementation of the SDGs. This facilitates the engagement of citizens in their real-world diversity and the development of respect for and empathy and cooperation with people holding other values, beliefs and morals. Dialogue around ‘the middle road’ can give guidance to just, fair and sustainable development pathways.

Untitled

“…Intelligent Matter Following the target goal, we propose developing the author's concept of moral values formation in the personal worldview (see Figure 1). Сoncept basis is the modern foreign and domestic scientists ideas on the peculiarities of the human worldview formation (Buchtel, 2020;de Vries, 2019); the role and place of morality in a society considered by philosophical moralists (Hartman, 2019;Luco, 2019;Severini, 2021); the process of self-awareness (Munzel, 2019;Thapan, 2019); essence and values structure (Maslova et al, 2020); the specifics of moral values and the need for their formation in a growing personality (Curry et al, 2019;Narvaez, 2021;Rashid, 2020;Stringer, 2021). These methodological principles, identified as a result of analysis, synthesis and generalization of the scientific base of the research question, have provided the basis for constructing a scheme of the conceptual model of the place of moral values in the personal worldview (see Figure 1), which is described below.…”

“…Considering the above, we underline the immediacy of the problem raised in the scientific positions of experts in both philosophy and psychology and pedagogy, which is primarily related to the research of the essence and patterns of the growing personality value system through the lens of social demands. Values form the basis of human life, its real interaction with the outside world (Buchtel, 2020;de Vries, 2019). The value system covers the full range of human existence, as values express significance by acting as internal stimuli produced externally through emotional expressions, judgments, behaviour (Capes, 2019;Kaspar, 2019;Maslova et al, 2020;Severini, 2021).…”

Corona and the climate: a comparison of two emergencies

“…Governance of the global commons thus needs to be guided by a risk perspective that is informed by scientific research and that can partially anticipate and thus address still invisible risks. While science evolves over time and its diversity of views is a source of its strength (de Vries, 2019), scientific advice can provide informed guidance to address, inter alia , climate and health risks. To achieve this, decision-makers need solid information on the different variables of the emergency formula in order to be able to prevent and manage emergent crises.…”

“…The therapy rests on the willingness of people to reconsider and overhaul their lifestyles, as well as systemic changes to be promoted at the highest political levels that make those lifestyle and industrial changes easier. A shift away from consumerist lifestyles and the excessive exploitation of natural resources for short-term gains is necessary (de Vries, 2019). In the case of the climate emergency, science has sketched potential pathways out of the crisis, but more societal discussions are needed to determine local, regional and national implementation (Rockström et al , 2017).…”

Unearthing insights for climate change response in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…For example, responses to the question, ‘Are you worried about climate change?’ often include statements like, ‘No, God will help me/us through this’, which is frequently heard outside the modern worldview and yet isn't easily accepted in the dominant (modern) discourse. De Vries (2019, p. 11) suggests that the modern worldview ‘no longer offers satisfactory principles and rules for the relationships of human beings with each other and with the natural world in the Anthropocene’ and underlines the important role of storytelling, values and beliefs, and more inclusive dialog regarding sustainability issues.…”