While some people debate whether globalization really exists, it proceeds apace, affecting all societies. It presents us with unknown challenges and, as governments start to discuss what to do about these challenges, it is becoming obvious that globalization is not manageable. With globalization the juggernaut of the 21st century, all countries of the world become interdependent in relation to the coming energy crisis, climate change, the sharper cleavages between rich and poor countries and people, and the emergence of a multicultural social structure. This interesting and erudite book adopts a distinctive approach to the multiple dimensions of the globalization debate. The impressive coverage of philosophical thought - including Popper, Weber, Habermas, Lipset and Hobbes - makes a valuable contribution to the debates on globalization.
Biography
Jan-Erik Lane, University of Freiburg, Germany
'For some globalization is positive, while for others it is largely negative. In this unusual and interesting book, Jan-Erik Lane supports the latter perspective. He focuses on the difficulties of controlling what he regards as the unstoppable momentum of Globalization and considers the prospects of an Open Global Society emerging as a result of the impact of the accelerating inter-connected challenges facing the human race. Using a rather unique approach, the author discusses the ideas of a wide range of historical and contemporary philosophical thinkers to throw new light on the multiple dimensions of Globalization. As such, this study provides a distinctive and useful contribution to the literature on this important subject.' John Baylis, Swansea University, Wales 'Comprehensive, thoughtful, provocative, depressing. Jan-Erik Lane has described a Juggernaut that none of us can escape, but all of us must ponder.' Ira Sharkansky, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel 'This book is an outstanding contribution to the understanding of globalization. This very rich and original approach refers to the evolution of economic and social thought and to an extraordinary amount of most recent data showing that most challenges can be solved by adequate policy. Some are just the result of bad regulation and short-sighted business strategies.' Beat Bürgenmeier, University of Geneva, Switzerland 'Lane's perceptive study demonstrates the complexity of change and adaptation...It is a salutary reminder that the past has always to be contextualized before drawing lessons for the future.' Development and Change