WORKSHOP SERIES #6/7
Perin Ruttonsha
This series of 45-minute workshops examines the balancing act that is implicit in global sustainability transition, organised around the following seven themes: (1) order in chaos; (2) reductionism reconciled; (3) parallel worlds (4) power and vulnerability; (5) shadows and archetypes; (6) relational well-being; and, (7) fierce and quiet kinds of love.
Some early Western conceptions of ethics, morality, virtue, and good governance have included reflections on the good life, divine order, duty, individual rights and freedoms, along with the veneration of progress as a virtue. Ostensibly, these notions had started to matriculate before Western civilisations had fully expanded to become a dominant presence across the world stage, or in the last two instances, as part of this growth. Importantly, historical pathways of globalisation have also been coupled with those of extensive social, economic, political, and technological complexification (Christian 2018; de Vries & Goudsblom, 2002). More recently, the magnitude and complexity of this human civilisational development has been compelling more comprehensive, social-ecological interpretations of justice—ones wherein we consider how to enable equality, equity, prosperity, health, wealth, and well-being for billions of people sharing resources on a finite planet, on which we are intrinsically dependent. A social-ecological framing of ethics, morality, virtue, and good governance should, arguably, extend beyond exhibiting basic consideration, care, and compassion for others—or even a general acceptance of diversity. Rather, it should also deliberate on highly pragmatic and politicised factors, with respect to land development, resource distribution, common grounds, trade, labour, environmental law, along with the health and economic impacts of environmental decline on diverse populations, worldwide. In other words, the concept of flourishing within the context of global change, is strongly concrete. In this workshop, we will consider how to recalibrate our social codes, combining individual notions of well-being with those of collective and relational well-being for all.