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Part 1 of this issue of Cadmus contains discussion documents for the next in the series of World Academy conferences on New Paradigm of Sustainable Human Development, which will be conducted in Almaty, Kazakhstan on November 5-7, 2014. Efforts to date confirm the conclusion that a new paradigm must necessarily be founded on a new theoretical framework based on universal values and a trans-disciplinary perspective of social evolution. “Unification in the Social Sciences: Search for a Science of Society” by Garry Jacobs, Winston Nagan & Alberto Zucconi provides an overview of perspectives that emerged from two trans-disciplinary courses conducted by WAAS and World University Consortium in Dubrovnik earlier this Fall. Human aspirations and perceptions of the future play a crucial role in determining behavior and outcomes.

Anticipation: A New Thread for the Human and Social Sciences?” by Roberto Poli calls for incorporating the influence of the future in social theory. Society is a complex organization of human relationships with enormous power for accomplishment. 

In “Society and Social Power”, Janani Harish analyzes the origins and role of social power in human development and argues that society possesses all the capacities needed to solve the pressing challenges confronting humanity today. 

The individual is the source of all creativity and the catalyst for all social change, yet strangely the role of the individual is largely neglected by the social sciences. Ashok Natarajan explores this unique source of creative potential in “The Conscious Individual”. 

Part 2 of this issue of Cadmus continues our exploration of New Economic Theory with a report on issues discussed during the “11th International Colloquium on Global Crisis and Changes of Paradigms: Current Issues” conducted in Brasília on May 6-8, 2014. “Fictitious Capital & the Elusive Quest in Understanding its Implications: Illusions & Paradoxes” by Joanilio Rodolpho Teixeira & Paula Felix Ferreira examines the destabilizing role of financial speculation and its negative impact on the real economy.

“Replacing the Concept of Externalities to Analyze Constraints on Global Economic Growth and Move Toward a New Economic Paradigm” by Jim Lunday examines how the divorce of economics from governance and society leads economic theory to ignore the central role of political and social factors in economic performance and human welfare.

Erich Hoedl discusses the problems generated by application of traditional economic theory to the transition of East European societies in “European Transition into a Socio-ecological Market Economy”.

In “New Paradigm in the Service Economy – The Search of Economics for Scientific Credibility: In Between Hard and Soft Sciences”, Orio Giarini points out fundamental differences in the factors influencing performance of the industrial model of economy and the modern knowledge-based service economy and calls for formulation of theory and measures appropriate to the new context.

Part 3 is a collection of articles relating to political, educational, and ecological aspects of the new paradigm. In “A World Parliament and the Transition from International Law to World Law,” Andreas Bummel explains the urgent necessity for evolving representative, democratic institutions for global governance and rule of law.

In Chapter 3 of their work on “The Double Helix of Learning and Work”, Orio Giarini  & Mircea Malitza call for a new paradigm that links education and career in a life-long, mutually beneficial relationship. 

In “Approaches to a New Climate Contract,” Franz Josef Radermacher presents a strategy to effectively meet the objective of a maximum 2 degree C rise in global temperature and Francesco Stipo et al. present an article summarizing a new Club of Rome USA report on “The Future of the Atlantic and the Role of Africa in International Development”. 

Michael Marien reviews Yehezkel Dror’s new book Avant-Garde Politician: Leaders for a New Epoch, in which Dror addresses the multiple global crises and argues that humanity’s future will depend on our capacity to create new institutions that are better-equipped to foresee and act upon what lies ahead.

We hope you enjoy this issue.

The Editors

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