ABSTRACT
Despite the evidence of the destructive results of current development patterns and knowledge about possible alternatives, humankind remains trapped in patterns of destructive behaviour. If knowledge and logic cannot induce humankind to change to a more sustainable way of life, what will? Systems guru Donella Meadows argued that the most effective leverage point for change lies in the underlying set of beliefs about how the world works, for from our worldviews flow the values that underpin the implicit goals and rules of society.
This chapter argues that an ‘ecological’ worldview is arising, which calls for a reassessment of the continued dominance of what has been termed the ‘mechanistic’ worldview. Four themes are foundational to this emerging worldview: interconnection, interdependence, unpredictability and integration. From these themes flow values such as integrity, harmony, respect, mutuality, positive reciprocity, fellowship, responsibility, humility and non-attachment, which provide a solid and coherent base from which to develop a theory of effective and efficient action. The challenge lies in inculcating these values in global society in order to drive behaviour change.
The chapter proposes that the ecological worldview itself opens up the potential for solutions that are not apparent from within the old worldview. It puts forward an iterative strategy targeting personal, cultural and social transformation that builds on two such possibilities: the power of networked self-organization and the use of ‘technologies of mind’ to engage with value system transformation at several levels of existence. A three-tiered approach is suggested that consists of shifting personal experience through practices that foster a particular set of values, using environmental cues and social pressure to support these values and encourage a further set of values, and finally reinforcing these values through establishing mechanisms for peer-to-peer support in an arena that allows rapid social contagion to transform behaviour.
