Skip to main content
Hello Visitor!     Log In
Share |

Transdisciplinary theory

Unification in the Social Sciences: Search for a Science of Society
Anticipation: A New Thread for the Human and Social Sciences?
Society and Social Power
The Conscious Individual
Employment & the Unity of Social Sciences*
Twelve Action Lines For a Better World
Relevance of Spiritual Principles for Resolving Social Problems
A Brief History of Mind and Civilization
Mind, Thinking and Creativity
Knowing Beyond the Structure: Maximizing Social Power through a Synergistic, Values-based Approach on Diversity
Unifying Subjectivity and Objectivity*
Blind Spots of Interdisciplinary Collaboration - Monetising Biodiversity: Before Calculating the Value of Nature, Reflect on the Nature of Value
The Role of Presuppositions in the Social Sciences

WAAS ST Working Group
Get Full Text in PDF In February 2021, the World Academy of Art and Science hosted an expert panel on societal transformation as part of its 60th anniversary conference. From this, a working group was formed for the purpose of identifying, developing, promoting and implementing practical, catalytic strategies for addressing major challenges and evolving human society into sustainable form. The... Read more
Ashok Natarajan
Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Individualism and collectivism are two competing philosophical and social movements that have divided the world for centuries. Their origins can be traced back to ancient times. They are founded on different interpretations of the value and place of freedom and equality in society. While their rivalry is ancient, it is also evolving and taking on ever new forms.... Read more
Garry Jacobs, Janani Ramanathan, Ralph Wolff, Remus Pricopie, Piero Dominici, Alberto Zucconi
Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Every institution of higher education and every government is trying to overcome the problems it faces and improve the reach, relevance, financial viability and effectivity of education. But no one is thinking globally for solutions that will be optimal from the perspective of humanity as a whole. The enormous challenges we face in education today can best... Read more
Garry Jacobs
Get Full Text in PDF Abstract There is an imperative need to reconceptualize the role of the firm in modern society based on a holistic perspective in order to correct the imbalances and excesses generated by a too narrow conception of purpose and the inadequacies of current theory to explain and reveal the underlying process by which firms, stakeholders and society at large grow, develop and... Read more
Carlos Blanco
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract This paper addresses the problem of how to identify a small and parsimonious set of principles or “postulates” that may help us understand the great theoretical foundations of the social sciences. From a philosophical point of view, it presents ten premises that are perhaps essential for any attempt at elaborating a social theory. When one tries to elaborate... Read more
Frank Dixon
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Over the past 15 years, sustainability has become mainstream in the corporate and financial sectors. But environmental and social conditions are declining rapidly in many regions. Nearly all corporate and financial sector sustainability strategies are focused on company-level activities, such as unilaterally mitigating negative environmental and social... Read more
Martin Ramirez, Juan Cayón-Peña
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Scientists have an important role not only in avoiding inappropriate and dangerous decisions, but also advising policymakers and other stakeholders about the best and wiser moves to make towards a human-centered society, thereby fomenting scientific knowledge and enhancing cross-cultural connections and joint research. They should also not forget... Read more
Carlos Blanco
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Any expression of rationality is based upon premises, many of which cannot be ultimately justified. The role of these presuppositions becomes particularly important in the domains of the social sciences and the humanities. A philosophical reflection on the foundations and methodologies of these disciplines can shed valuable light on how to overcome the... Read more
Joachim H. Spangenberg
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Defining, assessing and valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services is an exemplary field, illustrating the necessity as well as the obstacles to interdisciplinary collaboration between natural scientists and economists. Despite the frequent use of identical individual motivations and similarities in the terminology, the discrepancies and misunderstandings... Read more
Murugesan Chandrasekaran
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract The contribution of modern science to the progress of civilization is immeasurable. Even its tendency toward exclusive concentration on the objective world has had salutary effects of great value. Modern science has wiped away much that was merely superstitious or speculative. Its rejection of unfounded opinions and prejudices has helped the thinking mind... Read more
Marta Neškovic
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract In this article, a principal place is given to the question of how the ways we conceptualize the use of our mind influence the generation of social power. We define social power as the potency of socially integrated individuals to accomplish specific predetermined values. These values can be related to anything from concrete material prosperity to abstract... Read more
Janani Ramanathan
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Global civilization is the product of diverse cultures, each contributing a unique perspective arising from the development of different mental faculties and powers of mind. The momentous achievements of modern science are the result of the cumulative development of mind’s capacity for analytic thinking, mathematical rendering and experimental validation. The... Read more
Garry Jacobs
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract The rational mind is the highest evolved status of human consciousness. The evolution of mind and civilization has proceeded hand in hand for millennia. The development of new capacities of mind made possible the development of tools, language, agriculture, permanent settlements, towns, cities, religion, trade, transportation, communication, government, law,... Read more
Ashok Natarajan
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Society unknowingly follows the course of spiritual evolution. Spirituality is the quest for self-existent order and harmonious perfection. The evolution of society is driven by an irrepressible aspiration for the values that are the translation and embodiment of that order. The history of civilization is a record of its progressive emergence. Spirituality is... Read more
F. J. Radermacher
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract This article describes a global governance system that—from the author’s point of view—would lead to sustainability and allow the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which have just been adopted at the UN level. Major elements are (1) the integration of existing international regimes in the area of the UN, WTO and the world financial... Read more
Ivo Šlaus
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Employment and the unity of social sciences are discussed. The paper argues that employment is the simplest and the best indicator of human-centered sustainable and secure development. 1. Introduction The 20th century is referred as the measuring century.1 Indeed, the conception of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its operational definition were introduced in... Read more
Ashok Natarajan
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract This article traces the evolutionary development of human consciousness and its increasingly complex and sophisticated organization as human personality from the instinctive behavior of the animal and the subconscious conformity characteristic of early forms of human civilization through progressive stages of transition from physical to social to mental levels... Read more
Janani Ramanathan
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Society is the source of immense power. Over the past few centuries humanity has record­ed phenomenal growth in its collective capacity for accomplishment, as reflected in the 12-fold growth in global per capita income since 1800. The remarkable achievements in living standards, longevity, science, technology, industry, education, democracy, human rights,... Read more
Roberto Poli
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract Anticipation is increasingly at the heart of urgent contemporary debates, from climate change to economic crisis. As societies are less confident that tradition will provide an effective guide to the future, anticipatory practices are coming to the foreground of political, organizational and personal life. Research into anticipation, however, has not kept pace... Read more
Garry Jacobs, Winston P. Nagan, Alberto Zucconi
 Get Full Text in PDF Abstract The social sciences have contributed significantly to humanity’s remarkable progress over the past two centuries, but the multidimensional crises confronting the world today reflect the need to rapidly move beyond the limitations imposed by the compartmentalization of social science disciplines and the absence of common unifying principles equivalent to those... Read more
Transdisciplinary theory
Garry Jacobs, Janani Ramanathan, Ralph Wolff, Remus Pricopie, Piero Dominici, Alberto Zucconi
Martin Ramirez, Juan Cayón-Peña
Murugesan Chandrasekaran
Janani Ramanathan
Ashok Natarajan
Janani Ramanathan
Garry Jacobs, Winston P. Nagan, Alberto Zucconi