Introduction and Thesis
in the late 1600s, Sir Isaac Newton revolutionized our understanding of physics and the natural world in a way that exalted its mechanical properties and made it predictable and understandable. Since then, the art of economics has been guided to emulate this reductionist mechanistic thinking in a way that might place it on par with this science that so captured the popular imagination. But economies, as it happens, are more akin to ecologies than machines. In other words, they are complex adaptive systems with obscure cause-and-effect relationships and cannot be understood holistically by looking at their parts. This effort to simplify them as if they were machines results in policies and behaviors that produce unintended consequences which are now driving us towards social and environmental collapses. It is my thesis that the application of ecological design principles to economics – and by extension to business – is the correct remedy to the flawed thinking that is the cause of the current social and environmental crises and therefore is the only viable pathway to a thriving future for humanity. This implies a radical rethinking of economics and business, and a new vision for society. Fortunately, the work of these transitions is already underway and one expression of this is the Regenerative Economics, defined as an economic system that seeks to regenerate its capital assets as its primary objective. How Regenerative Economics proposes to do this and why this is the correct pathway for humanity at this time is the subject of this OP.
This OP is the first in a series of three which will offer a comprehensive analysis of practicable pathways towards a thriving future in which humanity has re-learned to work in collaboration with each other and with nature to create a society that works for all. The intended audience is anybody working in, studying, or simply curious about systems change for a sustainable society. The information is applicable to those working in the public sector, such as city planners or administrators, as well as those in leadership positions in the private sector, including business owners and leaders interested in a more conscious role for their company within their community. That said, while the content may be a bit heady at times, I believe this knowledge is useful to any human engaging with the dominant economic system.
This Output Packet is in three parts: In the main section of the Core Report, “Regenerative Economics: How Business Can Be a Force for Ecosocial Justice,” I examine high-level concepts that put forth new models of economic thought and new visions for business as a driver of change. This is followed by two sections which offer additional analysis and supporting data for the concepts of regenerative economics, including "Is Regenerative Economics Ecologically Sensible Design?" and “The Conscious Company in Practice.” In the final section, “The Ecosocial Designer as a Facilitator of Change,” I examine how I, as an archetypal ecosocial designer, can create a regenerative livelihood in the role of facilitating this transition.