Dominant modern development : its rationale and limitations

Abstract

Under modern development, which is widely equated with development, 'help' is always given from 'developed' countries to 'developing' countries. It is assumed that 'developed' countries are in a position to guide 'developing' countries.

Modern rationalism is based on an assumption, sometimes explicitly but often implicitly, that things are knowable to human beings, that we have an ability to know everything. This assumption with actual inability of human beings to know has made the world material centred, economy centred and consequently increasingly unsuitable for humans to live. This same assumption has also made us, who believe in modern rationalism and living in the modern centre, put ourselves above nature and peoples living in non-modern lives. Although, in reality, modern rationalism has stripped us of the ability to deal with the complex real world. Ever growing systems backed by the rational belief in efficiency coupled with our lack of imagination has made it difficult for us to think of how our modern life is actually an inhumane form of lifestyles, we have forgotten to think of nature and future generations. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)