Integral Economics: Releasing the Economic Genius of Your Society (Transformation and Innovation)

Why on earth is economics perceived to come in only one or at best two different a-cultural if not a-moral guises? There are real, and many, alternatives to the economic mainstream. The trouble is, of course, that they are hidden from us. In Integral Economics Ronnie Lessem and Alexander Schieffer pave the way for a sustainable approach to economics, building on the richness of diverse economic approaches from all over the globe. By introducing the most evolved economic perspectives and bringing them into creative dialogue they argue that neither individual enterprises nor wider society will be transformed for the better without a new economic perspective. Here, they introduce a comprehensive framework based on the same 'Four Worlds' model that is applied to enterprise and research in their earlier works. Given the richness of even mainstream economic theory reviewed in this book, let alone the variety of alternative approaches introduced, it is frustrating that policymakers and business practitioners are impoverished by a lack of apparent economic choice - between a seemingly failing capitalism and an already failed communism. The 'villains of the piece' in relation to this lack of choice are not so much the financial community and governments, though they do have much to answer, but the schools of economics and the business schools, that have created the very social ethos, the philosophical principles, and the mathematical models, that influence events. Integral Economics is partly addressed to academics and students in those very schools, who have either realized the error of their ways, or, less dramatically, are curious to explore whether our businesses and communities could be run in a different way. It will be welcomed by informed senior practitioners, eager to understand the current rethink of economic theory and practice and to discover how to position themselves, their organizations, and their society within a new framework. Contents......Page 6 List of Figures......Page 11 About the Authors......Page 13 Acknowledgements......Page 14 Prologue......Page 16 PART 1 ORIENTATION......Page 26 Chapter 1 Re-inventing Economics......Page 27 1.1 Introduction: Is there an Alternative to the Western Mainstream?......Page 29 1.2 Towards an Integral Economic Perspective......Page 33 1.3 Releasing Economic Gene-ius......Page 37 1.4 Conclusion: Moral Core to Living Economy......Page 40 References......Page 41 Chapter 2 Revisiting Mainstream Economics......Page 42 2.1 Introduction: The Development of Economic Analysis......Page 44 2.2 Economics of Self-Sufficiency: Stone Age Economics to Aristotle’s Autarky......Page 45 2.3 Developmental Economics: Historicism to Marxism......Page 46 2.4 The Rise and Fall of Social Economics: J.S. Mill, Institutionalism, Marginalism......Page 50 2.5 Neoliberalism to Living Economics: Smith, Keynes, Daly......Page 59 2.6 Conclusion: Towards Economic Renewal......Page 62 References......Page 64 PART 2 INSPIRATION......Page 66 Chapter 3 The Moral Economic Core......Page 67 3.1 Introduction: The Protestant Ethic as Western Moral Core......Page 69 3.2 Indigenous Moral Core: First Nation People......Page 72 3.3 Eastern Moral Core: Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian......Page 75 3.4 Northern Moral Core: Catholicism to Distributivism......Page 83 3.5 Enriched Protestant Moral Core: Quaker, New Reformation......Page 86 3.6 A Middle Eastern Moral Core: Islam......Page 89 3.7 Conclusion: Revitalizing the Moral Economic Core......Page 93 References......Page 95 Chapter 4 The Centered Enterprise......Page 97 4.1 Introduction: Sekem – Revitalizing Islamic Economics......Page 99 4.2 Self-Sufficiency: A Sustainable Community in the Desert......Page 101 4.3 Developmental: A Fusion of the Occident and the Orient......Page 103 4.4 Social: The Economics of Love......Page 104 4.5 Living: Ultimately Restoring the Earth......Page 105 4.6 Conclusion: Releasing Sekem’s Gene-ius......Page 107 References......Page 110 PART 3 TRANSFORMATION......Page 111 Chapter 5 Economic Commons......Page 112 5.1 Introduction: Community and Economics......Page 114 5.2 Revisiting the Co-production of Livelihoods......Page 115 5.3 Social Production: A Critical Review......Page 116 5.4 African Economic Humanism......Page 119 5.5 Conclusion: Economic Humanism and the Economic Commons......Page 121 References......Page 122 Chapter 6 Grassroots Economics......Page 123 6.1 Introduction: Community, Culture and Economics......Page 125 6.2 Culture and Community: A (Not Only) Mexican Perspective......Page 126 6.3 From Parochial Universe to Global Pluriverse......Page 127 6.4 From Pluriverse to Earth Democracy......Page 131 6.5 Conclusion: Economics from the Grassroots......Page 134 References......Page 136 Chapter 7 Subsistence Economics......Page 137 7.1 Introduction: Beyond Efficiency – Towards Sufficiency......Page 139 7.2 From Sufficiency to Subsistence......Page 141 7.3 Subsistence, Markets and Globalization......Page 142 7.4 Subsistence and the Commons......Page 145 7.5 From Labor to Work and Fulfillment......Page 146 7.6 Conclusion: Sufficiency and Subsistence......Page 149 References......Page 150 Chapter 8 The Social Business......Page 151 8.1 Introduction: Grameen – A Bank for the Poor......Page 153 8.2 Starting the Economic Engine at the Rear......Page 154 8.3 The Global Reach of Grameen’s Micro-Credit Approach......Page 159 8.4 Building a Self-Sufficient Economy: From Grameen Bank to Grameen Phone......Page 160 8.5 Towards the Social Business......Page 162 8.6 Conclusion: Creating a World without Poverty......Page 164 References......Page 165 Chapter 9 Co-evolutionary Economics......Page 166 9.1 Introduction: Economics and Culture......Page 168 9.2 Development Revisited: The Illusions of Progress......Page 171 9.3 Towards Co-Evolutionary Economics......Page 174 9.4 Conclusion: Re-Culturalization and the Economic Mosaic......Page 175 References......Page 178 Chapter 10 Conscious Economics......Page 180 10.1 Introduction: Economics and Wholeness......Page 182 10.2 Levels of Consciousness......Page 184 10.3 The Economics of Health, Beauty and Permanence......Page 185 10.4 Aiming for Right Livelihood......Page 186 10.5 Education, Organization and Discipline......Page 188 10.6 Conclusion: The Necessary Shift in Economic Consciousness......Page 189 References......Page 191 Chapter 11 Associative Economics......Page 192 11.1 Introduction: Culture, Politics and Economics......Page 194 11.2 The Nature and Scope of the Threefold Commonwealth......Page 195 11.3 The Liberation of Capital......Page 197 11.4 The Capital Economy......Page 202 11.5 The Metamorphosis of Capitalism......Page 203 References......Page 204 Chapter 12 The Developmental Enterprise......Page 206 12.1 Introduction: Canon – Linking Business and Consciousness......Page 208 12.2 Spirit, Heart, Mind and Body of Canon......Page 209 12.3 Towards Co-Evolution at Canon......Page 211 12.4 Conclusion: Beyond the Japanese Economic Miracle......Page 213 References......Page 216 Chapter 13 Economics of the Common Good......Page 217 13.1 Introduction: Re-interpreting Adam Smith......Page 219 13.2 Sismondi’s New Principles......Page 222 13.3 John Hobson and the Economics of Social Reform......Page 225 13.4 The Advent of Humanistic Economics......Page 227 13.5 Conclusion: Towards an Economics of the Common Good......Page 228 References......Page 230 Chapter 14 Social Learning and the Network Economy......Page 231 14.1 Introduction: From Limits to Growth to No Limits to Learning......Page 233 14.2 Network Society and Information Economy......Page 236 14.3 Overcoming Social Under-Development......Page 240 References......Page 242 Chapter 15 Open Economics......Page 244 15.1 Introduction: Economics in an Open Society......Page 246 15.2 Society and Economy Open for Improvement: The Case of India......Page 247 15.3 Economies in an Open Society......Page 249 15.4 Conclusion: The Future is Cooperative......Page 255 References......Page 256 Chapter 16 The Cooperative Enterprise......Page 257 16.1 Introduction: Mondragon – Humanity at Work......Page 259 16.2 Origins and Philosophical Foundation of Mondragon......Page 260 16.3 Building on Basque Culture and Context......Page 264 16.4 The Development of Mondragon......Page 265 16.5 Organizational Culture and Cooperative Knowledge......Page 268 16.6 Conclusion: Cooperative Remaking of Economics......Page 271 References......Page 273 Chapter 17 New Economics......Page 274 17.1 Introduction: Re-Grounding the West, from Within......Page 276 17.2 The Need for a New Economics......Page 277 17.3 New Economic Theory: Putting People First......Page 280 17.4 Revisiting the Nature of Work: Towards ‘Own Work’......Page 282 17.5 Constructing the Antithesis to the Growth Economy......Page 283 17.6 Conclusion: New Economics to a New Economic Agenda......Page 285 References......Page 286 Chapter 18 Real Economics......Page 287 18.1 Introduction: A New Economic Map, Agenda and Practice......Page 289 18.2 Caring Economics: From Domination to Partnership......Page 290 18.3 Wall Street’s Phantom Wealth versus Main Street’s Real Wealth......Page 292 18.4 Agenda for a Real Economy......Page 294 18.5 Transforming Money: Towards a New Integral Money System......Page 296 References......Page 302 Chapter 19 Well-being Economics......Page 304 19.1 Introduction: Towards Genuine Wealth......Page 306 19.2 What’s Wrong with the Picture of Progress? From GDP to GPI......Page 308 19.3 The Genuine Wealth Model......Page 309 19.4 The Genuine Wealth of Communities and Nations......Page 315 19.5 Conclusion: Towards Sustainable Development......Page 317 References......Page 318 Chapter 20 The Sustainable Enterprise......Page 319 20.1 Introduction: Interface – Giving Back to the Earth......Page 321 20.2 Ecosense: The Ecology of Commerce......Page 323 20.3 The Transformation of Interface......Page 324 20.4 The Sustainable Enterprise of the Next Industrial Revolution......Page 326 20.5 Towards the Global Benefit of the Sustainable Enterprise......Page 328 20.6 Conclusion: The Sustainable Enterprise as Part of a Global Movement for Life......Page 329 References......Page 331 PART 4 INTEGRATION......Page 333 Chapter 21 The Integral Economy......Page 334 21.1 Introduction: Activating Economic Gene-ius......Page 336 21.2 The Four Economic Paths of the Integral Economy......Page 338 21.3 A New Integral Economic Map......Page 348 21.4 Conclusion: The Fully Integral Economy – Integrating Four Worlds and Center......Page 350 References......Page 352 Chapter 22 Co-creating the Future......Page 353 22.2 Catalyze Economic Gene-ius via Integral Economy Laboratories......Page 355 22.3 Commit to a Burning Issue, Relevant Economic Path and Moral Core......Page 360 22.4 Maintain Interconnected Focus: Middle-Up-Down-Across......Page 361 22.5 Build an Integral Economic Ecosystem......Page 363 22.7 Conclusion: The Future is Integral – Let’s Make it Happen......Page 366 References......Page 367 Epilogue......Page 368 Index......Page 384

Why on earth is economics perceived to come in only one or at best two different a-cultural if not a-moral guises? There are real, and many, alternatives to the economic mainstream. The trouble is, of course, that they are hidden from us. In Integral Economics Ronnie Lessem and Alexander Schieffer pave the way for a sustainable approach to economics, building on the richness of diverse economic approaches from all over the globe. By introducing the most evolved economic perspectives and bringing them into creative dialogue they argue that neither individual enterprises nor wider society will be transformed for the better without a new economic perspective. Here, they introduce a comprehensive framework based on the same 'Four Worlds' model that is applied to enterprise and research in their earlier works.

Given the richness of even mainstream economic theory reviewed in this book, let alone the variety of alternative approaches introduced, it is frustrating that policymakers and business practitioners are impoverished by a lack of apparent economic choice There are real, and many, alternatives to the economic mainstream. The trouble is, of course, that they are hidden from us. In Integral Economics Ronnie Lessem and Alexander Schieffer pave the way for a sustainable approach to economics, building on the richness of diverse economic approaches from all over the globe. They do so by introducing the most evolved economic perspectives and bringing them into creative dialogue to produce an integral, dynamically balanced approach. They argue that neither individual enterprises nor wider society will be transformed for the better without a new econom