This paper investigates the responsibilities of the private sector in climate change mitigation within a capitalist system. It examines the incentives inherent in capitalism that drive corporate...Show moreThis paper investigates the responsibilities of the private sector in climate change mitigation within a capitalist system. It examines the incentives inherent in capitalism that drive corporate behaviour, particularly the pursuit of profit maximization, and how this affects the sector’s ability to engage in environmental sustainability. The research reveals that while companies can undertake certain green initiatives autonomously, their efforts are constrained by the need for profitability. Consequently, the paper argues that government intervention is essential to facilitate and enhance the private sector’s contributions to climate change mitigation. By analysing various academic perspectives, such as business sciences, environmental sciences, and legal sciences, as well as political sciences, this paper concludes that the division of responsibility between the state and private businesses is clear-cut: it is the government’s role to set moral and legal boundaries within which businesses must operate. This study contributes to the dialogue on corporate environmental responsibility by highlighting the limitations of private sector initiatives and the crucial role of government in enabling meaningful progress in climate change mitigation.Show less
The research will carry out a multidisciplinary socio-economic approach to the phenomenon of 'State Capitalism' in Brazil. The term is an expression that designates the mechanism of a political...Show moreThe research will carry out a multidisciplinary socio-economic approach to the phenomenon of 'State Capitalism' in Brazil. The term is an expression that designates the mechanism of a political-economic nature that manifests itself in the relations established between the State, through its public agents and high-level politicians, and large private economic actors (or business groups). It is about Brazilian-style capitalism, with the term crony capitalism as a correspondent, a phenomenon that has been the object of interdisciplinary studies, notably in the areas of Political Sciences, Economics and Law. In this context, the main gaps and bottlenecks that favor or stimulate the use of state- owned companies and banks as institutional channels for shady negotiations, which involve the exchange of favors and distribution of privileges, engendered between the ruling political class and, preponderantly, large private capital, will be object of deep analysis. Such insidious relations may culminate in reverse income transfer, loss of economic efficiency due to misallocation of scarce economic resources, constitution of oligopolies and market reserves, misalignment with the State's social policy projects, and increase in opportunity costs. The patrimonialist and personalist culture underlying the economic and social relations in Brazil has as a probable historical element the model of colonization and extractive exploitation imposed by the Portuguese colonizers, through the formation of the first government structures and the bureaucratic institutional design conceived by the colonizers in their exploratory enterprise. In addition to the historical and cultural value of understanding the phenomenon of 'capitalism of ties' existing in Brazil, as a legacy of the model of exploitation established in this country, its relevant economic and social impacts on public management and Brazilian politics are highlighted. With greater importance, the issues related to governance in state-owned companies and their effects on the political and economic spheres, which constantly lead to the destabilization and weakening of the republican state system, with impacts on representative democracy itself and on the implementation of state policies in the medium and long term. Direct effects can thus be observed in the level of trust of citizens in their public managers and political representatives, undermined by the personalistic and patrimonialist management of large companies and state-owned banks, by the opacity in the process of accountability to society in relation to the investment policies of these companies and by the promiscuous relationships that often permeate the negotiations between these companies, the ruling political class and its support base.Show less
The current degradation of Lancang-Mekong River basin’s ecosystem is partly caused by the development of hydropower plants. If nothing is done to stop the damage being done, the Mekong River...Show moreThe current degradation of Lancang-Mekong River basin’s ecosystem is partly caused by the development of hydropower plants. If nothing is done to stop the damage being done, the Mekong River Commission expect catastrophic consequences to the ecosystem by 2040. Thus, the thesis explored how regional organisations in the Mekong region address the current environmental issues related to hydropower development in the Lancang-Mekong River basin, and what the drivers of hydropower development are. By analysing reports, press releases, and strategies from regional organisations, the thesis found that the collective action problems of poverty reduction and environmental protection have created a dichotomy between economic development and environmental protection based on a trade-off and off-setting approach that is best explained by Nancy Fraser’s foreground and background stories. This dichotomy has resulted in a system, where benefits to the river are viewed as secondary to benefits from and beyond the river. Thus, new approaches to hydro-governance are needed in the region.Show less
In this thesis I examine the future of Artificial Intelligence at work. My goal is to investigate whether the replacement of human labor is imminent and whether the use of AI is a source of...Show moreIn this thesis I examine the future of Artificial Intelligence at work. My goal is to investigate whether the replacement of human labor is imminent and whether the use of AI is a source of celebration or worry for labor. I first present some of the hopes and fears around fully-automated, labor-replacing AI technology. I then argue that any predictions are best-situated within the historical and material parameters of value and profit. I aspire to examine how these relate to human-labor, set the pace and shape the limits of the use of AI and labor-replacement. I conclude this thesis by investigating whether it is possible for AI to dominate production within the current economic framework, or not.Show less
After the financial crash of 2008 the intellectual thought of the Austrian-Hungarian scholar Karl Polanyi (1889-1964) has seen a resurgence in academic research to explain the origins of the crisis...Show moreAfter the financial crash of 2008 the intellectual thought of the Austrian-Hungarian scholar Karl Polanyi (1889-1964) has seen a resurgence in academic research to explain the origins of the crisis. His notions of the (dis)embeddedness of markets and the double movement have proven to be useful concepts in the analysis of the origins and effects of the financial crash of 2008. However, currently there is an intellectual debate going on between so called hard- and soft-Polanyian scholars on the understanding of the notion of (re)embedding the market. Soft-Polanyians believe in the possibility of embeddedness and see in this Polanyian idea a call for the social-democratic ideal. Hard-Polanyians on the other hand do not understand Polanyian thought in this way and argue that Polanyi has never believed in the possibility of (re)embedding the market, since attempts to do so can only backfire societally. In addition to an analysis of this ongoing debate Polanyi’s moral and ethical approach in the conceptualization of the economy will be addressed in this thesis, with special attention to the notions of market dependency and human livelihood. Ultimately, the different perspectives present in this discussion are used to make an assessment of the potential(s) of the imposition of the financial transaction tax as it is currently underway in the legislative process of the European Union.Show less
This essay examines the societal and psychological repercussions of technology and techniques commonly employed in digital media. It identifies the workings of human attention and its exploitation...Show moreThis essay examines the societal and psychological repercussions of technology and techniques commonly employed in digital media. It identifies the workings of human attention and its exploitation as a major gateway for external influence to undermine the authoritative and intentional use of digital media. The ability to attract human attention is central to the business models of the largest digital companies today. By attracting and redirecting human attention towards advertisement, collecting valuable data in the process, companies like Alphabet, Amazon or Facebook turn major parts of their profits. It is proposed that the capability to attract human attention as a resource is best approached by understanding it as a form of capital in the tradition of Pierre Bourdieu. It, therefore, differentiates between incorporated, institutionalized and objectified attention capital. Objectified attention capital is of special interest since it resembles the material means to attract attention, including the digital infrastructure, server farms, algorithms and social media platforms owned by large corporations. With this focus on attention, the interplay between the human mind and the technologies employed can be traced, revealing the structural undermining of human intention by technological and economic rationale. The reversal of the roles of consumer and media are then diagnosed, implying the exploitation of the consumer as an end to generate behavioral surplus data and profits, overruling the original intent of the consumer in the process. The effects of this reversal and subsequent loss of human control are then embedded in the works of Jürgen Habermas and his concept of colonization. It is demonstrated, how the functioning of objectified attention capital is colonizing ever new areas of everyday life, subsuming and assimilating it under its logic. Four major repercussions of this process are finally laid out: Firstly, the formalization and decline of public debate. Utilizing the Habermasian terminology of the public sphere (Habermas, 1962), detrimental effects of objectified attention capital on the public debate are identified including the fragmentation of knowledge, leading to ‘post-truth’ politics, as well as the commodification of public discourse that takes away its spontaneity and with it its emancipatory momentum. Secondly, this approach is extended and applied to the democratic process, where the amplification and encouragement of moral outrage on digital platforms by filter-mechanisms of objectified attention capital are demonstrated. Referencing the works of Jan-Werner Müller (2016) and James Williams (2018), the populist tendencies of the increasing moral outrage are traced. Thirdly, the biases in attentional big data are brought forth that discriminate against women and minorities, since the data sets employed in objectified attention capital are often skewed, reproducing one-sided world views. Finally, the loss of human attention is understood as a decrease in human autonomy, increasing the control of technology over the future of humanity. However, utilizing the analytical tool of attention capital, several areas where steps against this development can be undertaken are identified, focusing on the regulation of objectified attention capital and the democratizing potential of institutionalized and incorporated attention capital.Show less
In this thesis I defend the claim that globalization, capitalism and consumerism are determining factors in contemporary society and therefore a normative political theory ought to incorporate an...Show moreIn this thesis I defend the claim that globalization, capitalism and consumerism are determining factors in contemporary society and therefore a normative political theory ought to incorporate an answer to how these factors must be dealt with. Agonists must either revise their agonistic democratic theories or oppose globalization, capitalism and consumerism all together. I have chosen the views of William Connolly and James Tully.Show less
In 2009, it is estimated that the Muslim population in Egypt reached 78,51 million, or 94.6% of Egyptians is Muslim (Scott & Jafari 2010, 6). Islam influence created a unique case for Egypt as...Show moreIn 2009, it is estimated that the Muslim population in Egypt reached 78,51 million, or 94.6% of Egyptians is Muslim (Scott & Jafari 2010, 6). Islam influence created a unique case for Egypt as a developing country. From the period of the 1950s until 2000s, there have been multiple attempts to apply different economic reforms in Egypt. However, the reforms also affected the concept of Islamic revival in the context of setting the guidelines to practice business. This thesis focuses on the implication of neoliberalism concept, especially in terms of wealth accumulation from the year 1970s. Arguably, neoliberalism also shaped the Islamic practice into the notion of ‘pious neoliberalism’ in Egypt. The phenomenon of ‘pious neoliberalism’ will be analyzed through the emergence of the Islamic Banking and Finance (IBF) and the halal food industry in Egypt and the practicality of it. The research concludes that there is a new phenomenon of Islamization that is distinct from the predecessors by embracing the idea of neoliberalism and capitalism. The research, thus, explores how this new phenomenon of Islamization, shaped by pious neoliberalism, is distinct from the predecessors by embracing the idea of neoliberalism and capitalism.Show less
What ontological changes does commercialization make to the relation of the crowd and the game played on the field? In chapter 1, I will use Johan Huizinga's ideas on sport and play from Homo...Show moreWhat ontological changes does commercialization make to the relation of the crowd and the game played on the field? In chapter 1, I will use Johan Huizinga's ideas on sport and play from Homo Ludens to prove that before we can speak of any changes brought about by commercialization, this relation must be accounted for nondualistically. In chapter 2, I will use Gadamer’s non-dualistic ontology of play and spectator that he develops in Truth and Method to prove that the spectator opens a possibility for play to transform into art, where, when the transformation is fully realized, the relation between play and spectator becomes one of “aesthetic non-differentiation”. I will also show that the proof of such a transformation having taken place in the case of football, hinges on a “perception of a meaningful whole” on the part of the spectator. In chapter 3, I will prove the existence of such a perception, by looking at the language of 'justice' surrounding football and I will prove also that these utterances point to a blockage in the transformation. In chapter 4, I will find the source of this blockage in commodification of football and its transformation into a spectacle.Show less
Cuba: a closed-off communistic island with a rich Caribbean culture, is slowly breaking down its walls to welcome foreign investors in a haven of opportunities and limited competition. However,...Show moreCuba: a closed-off communistic island with a rich Caribbean culture, is slowly breaking down its walls to welcome foreign investors in a haven of opportunities and limited competition. However, Cuba is still fighting its way out of a difficult position formed by a fascinating history, filled with political unrest and economic sanctions placed by the United States (U.S.). The current state of their cooperation has gradually been changing in the past couple of years, and a drastic overhaul of the political state is approaching. This changing political and economic environment marks the necessity of change that is eagerly awaited by Cubans who for many years have been deprived of the possibilities that capitalism could offer.Show less
Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719) suggests that true Christian spirituality and virtue was threatened by eighteenth-century capitalism. In his novel, Defoe illustrates how religious piety was...Show moreDaniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719) suggests that true Christian spirituality and virtue was threatened by eighteenth-century capitalism. In his novel, Defoe illustrates how religious piety was rendered difficult in the eighteenth century, an era in which many people participated in overseas trade because of the rise of proto-capitalism (Semmel 30). Crusoe has less difficulty being a devout Christian when living on the uninhabited island than he does before he is shipwrecked and after he goes back to society after twenty eight years of living in isolation. Crusoe’s lifestyle on the desolate island is in stark contrast to his lifestyle on the European mainland. On the latter, the European bourgeois capitalist culture motivates Crusoe to become wealthy and lures him into the trading business overseas. Yet on the desolate island, where Crusoe is the sole survivor of a shipwreck, he thanks God and repents the previous mistakes he has made. The absence of social and economic distractions gives him an opportunity to become more familiarized with Christianity. As Crusoe is isolated from society on the desolate island, he initially feels desperation and fear, which makes him turn to the Bible. It is because of what he reads in the Bible and his isolation from society that Crusoe reflects on his previous lifestyle and appreciates his new connection with God. However, by the end of the novel, the reader might wonder whether Crusoe has been able to keep the resolutions which he has made on the island. He is unable to maintain his religious piety when he leaves the island, as the capitalist society tempts him to become a private trader again. Indeed, by contrasting life on the mainland in a blooming market economy to life in isolation on an island, Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe suggests that capitalism and a society obsessed with materialism made conversion to true Christianity difficult, or even impossible. As regards the influence and historical context of Robinson Crusoe, I will approach the novel from a New Historicist perspective and explain that it is a product of its time. Below, I will first show that the novel reflects contemporary ideas of true Christianity and conversion. After placing the novel in a historical context, I will contrast Crusoe’s lifestyle on the mainland amidst society with life in isolation on the island to analyze Crusoe’s religious experience and his psychological change to see how the capitalist society affects him and renders him unable to maintain religious piety. I will do this in three separate chapters. In this paper, I will limit my research to The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, as a focus on the whole Crusoe trilogy would be more appropriate in a master thesis.Show less
