ABSTRACT
Thedifficultiesofachievingsustainabledevelopmentreflectseveralinternaltensions inthethree-pillarapproach:Theadoptionofeconomicdevelopmentasaseparatepillarfromsocialdevelopmentchallengestheviewthatthepurposeofoneistoachieve theother;economicvaluationoftheenvironmentremovesthedistinctionbetween environmentalandeconomicgoals;andnodistinctionisdrawnbetweenthedevelopmentofdevelopingcountriesandthedevelopmentofdevelopedones.Thesetensions areshowntobesymptomaticofdifficultissuesbeingavoided.Acloserexamination revivesdoubtsaboutwhethertheconservationoftheglobalcommonsandthedevelopmentofdevelopingcountriescanbothbeachievedwithoutmajorchangesineconomicstructuresandgovernancesystems,nationallyaswellasglobally.Itisconcluded thatthedevelopmentofmoreappropriatesystemsrequiresimaginativeresearchin everydisciplineofthesocialsciences,withavitalroleforcooperationbetween AmericanandChineseinstitutions.
