Theoretically Speaking
Whose Telos? : An Analysis of the Ideologies Guiding Transnational Politics
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Dominic Chequer
The neo-Gramscian vein of scholarship has been a growing body on the topic of the global political-economy. What has for sometime now been viewed as the rise of a Globalist Bloc is becoming substantiated with research to support the theoretical frameworks posited by originators in the field. With the world shifting to a post-GDP model of measuring societal ‘progress,’ the World Economic Forum contributes its own composite index to the debate, attempting to shift the global telos towards its own agenda. Using the research methods of rhetorical analysis and ideological criticism, I answer two questions: Does the World Economic Forum constitute a policy group for the Globalist Bloc? If so, what are the hegemonic ideologies promulgated by such a body. The rhetoric of the World Economic Forum begins to materialize a Globalist Bloc, simultaneously exhibiting that the World Economic Forum is indeed an instrumental method for it to wield hegemonic influence over the global system. What is revealed by the text is that the Globalist Bloc is self-conscious and has the capability of monitoring global civil society’s frustrations, responding to these frustrations in a rather sophisticated manner, and implementing its own desired agenda through the governments of the world. Finally, we are able to see that two of the ideologies closely identified with the hegemony of the Globalist Bloc are the Growth Paradigm and Ecological Modernization.
Gandhi and His Theory of Nonviolence in the Violent World
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Anna Hamling
As we celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth on 2 October, 2019, his theory of nonviolence needs to be revisited, analyzed, and applied in the twenty-first century, often referred to as 'the age of violence'. Gandhi was a key leader in the Indian freedom struggle that released India from the chains of its colonial domination. The focus of this study is on the change of social and political conditions (‘satyagraha’) that rooted Gandhi's spiritual self-purification.
Empowerment of the Affected: A New Model of Decision Delegation to Cope with Negative External Effects at Different Levels
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Söllner Albrecht, Felix Bausch, Yanis Hamdali, Franziska Lichter
The positive outcomes of globalization are increasingly overshadowed by negative external effects. Climate change, environmental pollution, or resource depletion may serve as examples. In spite of some regulatory attempts the results have not been satisfactory to many stakeholders to reduce negative external effects. Whereas some noteworthy research can be found on the existence of external effects and on possible ways to internalize these effects, hardly any research has addressed the delegation of decision power to the affected parties at different levels to cope with the problem. Therefore, we aim at closing this research gap by developing a novel framework on how to delegate decision-making power based on the related negative external effects of the decisions. Starting with the concept of subsidiarity, which, according to Alexandre Tocqueville, can be a counterweight to centralized decision-making, we argue that a new "principle of global subsidiarity" is needed, where decisions are made by the actors that are actually affected by the external effects. The framework is based on a delegation loop. It includes the delegation of the decision making to the involved actors, ranging from the local to the global level, as well as the subsequent delegation of the adopted implementation measures to those affected. By doing so, we hope to generate a framework for decision making at different levels that will enhance the legitimacy of decisions by empowering relevant and affected stakeholders.
