ABSTRACT
A central problem with our culture is that the dominant notion of rationality is that of economic man, Homo economicus. In this model of thinking, human beings are always attempting to make the most of things, using their resources to maximize their wellbeing, happiness, pleasure, or whatever word is used to speak about satisfying the self. The model of the human being is very powerful and has fueled the evolution of the modern era. It began as a means to understand behavior in the market but has bled over to become a central tenet of our social culture as well. To create a sustainable world based on flourishing without bloodshed, we need to go straight to our dominant models of rationality and reason. Sustainability is a call to reexamine the foundations of our society once again, and understand and correct the ways in which our modern culture perpetuates the problems it creates.
