Edward Goldsmith

Edward René David Goldsmith ( born November 8, 1928 in Paris, † August 21, 2009 in Siena ) was an Anglo- French environmentalist, writer and philosopher who was known for his critical views against the industrial society and the free market economy.

Life

Edward Goldsmith was the son of German Jews Frank Goldsmith and the Frenchwoman Marcelle Mouiller.

Goldsmith went to Millfield School in Somerset and then completed a degree with honors in philosophy, politics and economics at Magdalen College, Oxford University ( 1947-1950 ). During his studies, Goldsmith declined the reductionist ideas of Sciences and was looking for a holistic worldview. After his military service as a British intelligence officer in Hamburg and Berlin Goldsmith involved largely unsuccessful in a number of business models. He devoted most of his free time to continue the study of subjects that should keep him busy for the rest of his life.

He spent the 1960s with many travels around the world to make a first-hand picture of the destruction of the environment and traditional peoples. He came to the conclusion that the globalized industrialization was the real cause of all social ills and environmental degradation.

Work

Edward Goldsmith has authored and co-authored a number of books that deal with issues of environmental and social development. In 1969 he founded the environmental magazine " The Ecologist ". He taught at several universities and is a member of the " International Forum on Globalization " (IFG ), an association of sixty organizations from twenty countries, the awareness of issues of global economy operates, and organized campaigns.

1972 first appeared in the Ecologist and later in book form of the title "A Blueprint for Survival" ( A blueprint for survival ), an influential appeal, which was sold a total of 750,000 times. He drew attention to the urgency and the scale of environmental problems and advocated for the radical transformation of society in order to prevent what described the authors as a " breakdown of society and the irreversible destruction of livelihoods on this planet." This publication has been in primarily by Goldsmith written and signed by more than thirty of the then leading scientists including Julian Huxley, Peter Medawar and Peter Markham Scott. inspired by Blueprint gave Goldsmith and Robert Prescott -Allen led to the founding of the party " People" in the UK, which later was renamed " Green Party." However, he later came by his deep ecological views in conflict with the social-liberal theses of the party.

As an important member of a science-based deep ecology and systems theorist Goldsmith was an early proponent of the Gaia hypothesis, having previously developed a similar concept of a self-regulating biosphere.

Goldsmith expressed life a great sympathy for the cultures and values ​​of traditional peoples. He was at the foundation of "The Ecologist " the founding committee of "The Primitive People's Fund", which later became the organization Survival International emerged; today one of the largest non-governmental organizations to support traditional lifestyles of indigenous communities.

The " Organic Manifesto"

One focus of his work was a theory to unify the sciences. In the context of a holistic view of the world - which he held for the future of man is urgently required - he turned against his view excessively reductionist and mechanistic approaches of mainstream science. He called for a new scientific paradigm. His theory of a holistic science was strongly influenced by the cybernetic thinking. In particular, he referred to the General System Theory by Ludwig von Bertalanffy. A popular scientific publication of his theory is the book " The Way - An ecological manifesto" is published 1996 in German language.

Edward Goldsmith calls in this book, to maintain the natural order of the earth in order to ensure our survival. For this purpose an original, ecological worldview is necessary that takes into account the traditional knowledge and the wisdom of non- industrialized Altvölker to think and reflect back to the basics. For this he cites the results of several comparative cultural studies. Goldsmith goes into the reasons and cause- effect relationships and developed a holistic philosophy as a prerequisite for changing the present.

Awards

Edward Goldsmith was awarded for his work to protect nature and for use on meaning and situation of indigenous peoples, a number of awards, including the " Alternative Nobel Prize " ( Right Livelihood Award, 1991) and the French Order of Merit Legion of Honor.

Publications

Author

  • The Stable Society ( Wadebridge Press, 1978 ).
  • The Great U-Turn: De -industrial ising Society ( Green Books, 1988 )
  • The Way: an ecological worldview

Co -author

  • A Blueprint for Survival ( Penguin, 1972)
  • The Doomsday Funbook ( Joys Of Apocalypse ) 1977
  • The Social and Environmental Effects of Large Dams ( Wadebridge Ecological Centre):
  • 5,000 Days to Save the Planet. ( Hamlyn, 1990)
  • The Doomsday Fun Book New Edition. ( John Carpenter, 2006)

Influences on Gold Smith's work

See also

  • Bioregionalism
  • Criticism of globalization
Economic liberalism Peter Scott Cybernetics Mahatma Gandhi Conrad Hal Waddington Placide Tempels Integrated Authority File
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