ETICA DELLA BIOLOGIA

Universal values for social innovations

a new ethical vision
V. Comar
Institute for Environment and Development, I.M.A.D., Dourados, MS, Brazil
www.imad.org.br E-mail: vito_comar@uol.com.br

Abstract

A civilization based on the three interrelated components of ideology, organization and technology is not
sufficiently guided in its rightful development, unless the concept of transcendence pervades the ideological
component. Governments have to change their perspectives towards governance, decision processes, planetary
partnership and resource use; scientists must cease to connive with materially oriented market forces; economists
stop viewing competition as the only market value, and environmental processes just from a consumer-based
perspective; educational processes need to foment an ampler quest for fundamentals, for social inclusion, for
excellence, for virtues. A paradigm change is not just welcome, but essential for life to continue.

1. Introduction The late Brazilian sociologist Darcy Ribeiro (1988)

So far, governments have been able to maintain their
authority and capacity to channel civilization’s progress
through their defense of the principle of justice. But how
long will this last? Have they themselves upheld this
principle? They were formed over a long-enduring,
tortuous and traumatic historical process – from
extended families, to tribes, city-states, states and
confederations - to secure the ordained continuity of
social life on the planet and thus encourage the
collective realization of humankind’s latent
endowments. Are they still doing that?
These are the questions asked and discussed in this
article, stressing the need for a new moral code, a new
ethics, a new structure for planetary governance, based
on universal principles, but characterized by recognition
of the transcendent nature of human beings. Planetary
social, economic, political and ecological disruption is
an outcome of a deeper disease, affecting the human
heart, its feeling of void and loneliness, of lack of
purpose within a consumer prone, consumer oriented,
consumer owned society, with its all powering
architecture serving an economy that has long stopped
striving for its goals of the pursuit of happiness and self-
realization and opportunities for everyone, independent
of class, creed, nationality or colour. Especially the
environmental question symbolically registers the impact
of such a pattern, showing eloquent signs that it can no
longer tolerate these abuses.
argued that the progress of civilization was based on
three interrelated components: ideology, organization
and technology. We present, in that order, the main
features of a novel ideology, the emergence of new
networks of organizational structures within today’s
technological advances and propose our own network
for the essential and cyclic processes of scientific
reflection and social action towards a more meaningful
society.
In September 2000, at the Millennium Forum in New
York, representatives of thousands of NGOs defined a
new world ethical framework which would be mirrored
by an international institutional structure emerging from
a re-engineering of the United Nations Organization.
The World Social Forum movement (Forum Social
Mundial-FSM), very active in Brazil, in its yearly sessions
did echo many of these considerations and proposed a
plan for action.
Since the Environment and Development Conference -
Rio 92 - NGOs have stressed the vital role of moral and
ethical principles as essential development components
and have proposed solutions to the question of
corruption within governmental and non-governmental
organizations. Seldom discussed in technical and
scientific circles, these principles have to be dealt with as
forcing functions of social interactions and the
construction of social capital, fundamental to
meaningful changes in human development and its
relationship to nature.

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In synthesis, this paper:
1. presents an ideological benchmark for social
innovation;
2. depicts some of the features of a new
organizational basis, on a local and international
scale;
3. delineates social and technological advances,
understood as technical support networks,
including the new perspectives of more
environmentally sound production and
evaluation practices, that facilitate interchange
and technical and scientific collaboration;
4. proposes an action plan with priorities and
international support structures.
2. The Growth paradigm – at the Crossroads
“But the paradigm of growth is a shared global attitude that may
switch all at once for all together when the truth becomes
obvious through some galvanizing event.
Or perspectives may shift gradually as books like this one
circulate”
(H.T. and E. Odum, 2001, p. 9)
In their fascinating book “The Prosperous Way Down”,
Howard and Elisabeth Odum revise intellectual views of
the future, expand on systemic principles - ruling our
relationship with natural resources and services - and
propose policies for a transition to a descent scenario,
emphasizing a ‘Large-scale ethics’.
These considerations, together with world events, like
the resurgence of fundamentalism, world summits on
global governance and personal experiences prompted
this paper, part of which was presented as a ‘Moment for
reflection for coherent action’ at the IV International
Workshop in Energy Studies – Energy and Ecology Issues
in Latin-America , held in Campinas, Brazil 1.
If the progress of civilization is based on three interrelated
components: ideology, organization and technology
(Ribeiro, 1988), we need an initial philosophical
approach within which to frame our argument, an
organizational vision to channel efforts and scientific and
technological tools to support development.
3. The Process of Civilization – an initial philosophical
approach
“It is fascinating that changes in attitudes appropriate for a time
of leveling and transition, such as complexity, diversity and
environmental adaptation, are already being recognized as new
ideals.”
(H.T. and E. Odum, 2001, p.11)
Many thinkers are already subscribing to the perception
that “Man doesn’t weave the net of life, he is just but a
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strand” (Cheaf Seattle, 1854). And to this must be added,
in terms of cultural values and codes, that
“Cultural…codes and biodiversity as the real wealth of
nations”, while “Information is the world’s real
currency”(Henderson, 1996). As we assist to the
breakdown of long-supported cultural codes, such as
fairness, justice, solidarity, righteousness, which have
lost their significance and original connotation, we are,
as we resign to the market ideology, assisting to the
breakdown of civilization, nothing short of that!
To confirm this phenomenon, according to Arnold
Toynbee (1934), in his “A Study of History”, this
breakdown is marked by a clear pattern which invariably
involves:
• failure of creative power in the minority,
• an answering withdrawal of collective imitation
on the part of the majority,
• consequent loss of social unity in the society as
a whole.
Toynbee sums it up as the “standardization is the mark of
a disintegrating society”.
As these new needs are arising, the response must be one
of new values. Such an effort cannot possibly be
undertaken by a philosopher or thinker alone, nor by a
multidisciplinary team effort of social scientists. It must
be rooted in the understanding - in a novel conception,
through a conscious individual and collective effort - of
the spiritual nature of man and on the belief of the
organic unity of humankind, of transcending the
limitation of a national socially functional and economic
boundary.
“The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens…
He is truly a man who today dedicates himself to serving
the whole of mankind…Blessed and happy is he who
arises to promote the best interests of the peoples and
races of the earth” (Bahá’u’lláh 2, 1872).
This is why the world’s social structures and the value
system, on which they were built, cannot satisfy our
new, present and urgent needs. We must recreate our
society and its values and abide by the ethic that: “We
are not the owners of this earth, but its guardians. What
man does to the earth he does to himself” (Cheaf Seattle,
1854).
4. Moral and Ethical Values echoed by NGOs
The Environment and Development Conference, Rio 92,
NGOs have stressed the vital role of moral and ethical
principles as essential development components and
have proposed solutions to the question of corruption
within governmental and non-governmental
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 ETICA DELLA BIOLOGIA
organizations. Seldom discussed in technical and
scientific circles, these principles have to be dealt with as
forcing functions of social interactions and the
construction of social capital 3, fundamental to
meaningful changes in human development and its
relationship to nature.
5. A planetary vision - Planetary Values
at the Millennium Summit & Forum
More than 180 chiefs of States met in New York, from 6
to 8 September of 2000, in the Millennium Summit. So
did representatives of more than 30,000 NGOs at their
Forum.
Towards the end of the Summit, Techeste Ahderom4
(2000) speaking to all governmental officials on behalf of
all NGOs, declared that it had been one of the world
meetings most touching and most representative of the
geopolitical diversity of participants which dealt with
questions and decisions, such as:
• establishing a just and lasting peace,
• eradicating poverty,
• sustainable development, at the same time
protecting our commonly shared environment,
• guaranteeing human rights in all parts, by all
nations,
• facing the urgent challenges brought on by
globalization.
The Millennium Forum’s Declaration of an Agenda for
Action considered that it was important to conceive a
Vision of the future of humanity as a thrust for action,
delineating concrete steps that United Nations (UN),
governments and members of organized civil society
(NGOs) could undertake to solve global problems. It
said: “We are ready to work with you and your
governments side by side, within a strong and new
partnership to create this new world. But organized civil
society (read NGOs) is ready to call you to your
commitments should you not honour your words: That
governments in the world would keep their
commitments within the principles with which they
agreed upon in the great global conferences of the 90s
(e.g. Agenda 21- where is that gone now?). We also must
be looking for greater NGO access in the UN General
Assembly and its principal committees”.
The Declaration ended with their Vision:
“Our vision is one of a world which is centered in the
human being and truly democratic, where all human
beings are full participants and determine their own
destiny. In our vision we are all but one human family,
in all our diversity, living in a common motherland and
sharing a just, sustainable and pacific world; guided by
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principles of democracy, equality, inclusion,
voluntarism, non discrimination and participation by all
people....”
Some fundamental points of the Forum’s Declaration
also were:
• it’s a brutal violation of human rights when 1
billion people go to sleep hungry.
• Call for an immediate canceling of the debt.
• Call for the immediate establishment of a
“Global fund for the eradication of poverty” to
offer the poor access to credit.
• Although Globalization offers “significant
opportunities for people’s relationships, sharing
of experiences and mutual learning”, in its
present unruly form, increased the “inequalities
between and within nations, drains local
traditions and cultures and increases the
disparities between the rich and the poor, thus
marginalizing great numbers of people in urban
and rural areas”.
• Call for government commitments to re-structure
the global financial architecture based in
principles of equity, transparency, proven
coherence and democracy.
• UN should supervise the World Bank, the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Word
Trade Organization (WTO).
• The UN Organization reinforced and more
democratic, is the only global institution capable
or providing the international structuring and
necessary coordination for the critical challenges
facing us.
• Call for a strengthened UN as our best protection
against global calamity, be it economic,
environmental, or caused by epidemics or new
conflicts.
• Call for a reinforced peacekeeping regime with
the establishment of international forces of
permanent policing and maintenance of peace.
• Call for a reformed Security Council by increase
in the number of members and of more
democratic procedures.
• Call for the eventual elimination of the right to
veto.
• Call for a proposal for global disarmament in a
Session of the General Assembly.
6. The era of the maturity of mankind and a common
goal for life
The author believes in the emergence of a world
civilization where the development of human potential
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is the fruit of universal spiritual values and material
progress and that thus, with a renewed vision, people
and governments should strive to achieve a common
goal for human life, best envisaged in this enlightened
declaration by Shoghi Effendi 5 (1936):
“The goal towards which the unifying force of life impels
humanity is one of a world federated system, which will
reign the whole earth, exercising an unquestionable
authority, harmonizing and incorporating the ideals of
the East and the West, free from the curse of war and its
sad consequences, in an effort to harness all existing
energy sources on the surface of the planet (notice
“surface”) – a system in which force is subordinated to
justice, and whose life is sustained by its universal
recognition of the one God..”.
For this vision and goal to be implemented, some
individual and collective building blocks would be fore
mount:
• Elevation of mankind
• Enlightening of world’s people
• Striving for universal peace
• The organic and spiritual unity of human kind
• Interior transformation affects the common
good
• Self-knowledge
• Recognition of our part in history
• Our individual and collective part as a
contribution to a favourable environment for
the development of civilization
• Tools for individual and collective action
• Examples of development alternatives
Summing up the Ideological Component of a novel
civilizatory process would have to consider:
• Human potential, including its transcendent
nature;
• Self-Determination of peoples;
• Social well-being;
• Cultural and Economic viability;
• Environmental equilibrium.
7. Organizational component
“Although political pressure to downsize has been directed at
government, more - not less - government coordination may be
needed to adapt society to the new stages ahead”
(H.T. and E. Odum, 2001, p. 10)
As we keep building our Social Capital - or our capacity
as a society to establish an agreed common set of values
and generate development goals, reflected in transparent
institutions and participatory processes with an efficient
information system for all and environment concerns –
the need for long-range planning on a planetary scale
will become paramount. Here, besides the value system
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ETICA DELLA BIOLOGIA
proposed above, we cite H.T. Odum’s idea (2001, p. 40)
to resuscitate Lester Milbrath (1989), where he proposes
a new institution to accomplish the transition to this
novel development mentality and model, as exposed in
the functions of a Council for Long-range Societal
Guidance:
• Assisting in learning our way out to a new
society;
• A consciously anticipatory…transforming [of]
the dominator society;
• Includes “ecojustice” (ecological wholeness
and social justice);
• Health structure that emphasizes wellness;
• Electronic town meetings;
• Soft energy; cogeneration;
• A planning structure that avoids large projects;
• A production structure that emphasizes
sustainability;
• A science court ruling on scientific accuracy.
Summing up, then, the items for the Organizational
Component of this civilizatory process would be:
• Building Social Capital;
• Administrative and communication
transparency;
• Participatory processes inbuilt into long-range,
planetary planning practices;
• Solidarity-based world economy;
• Constitution of a Council for Long-range
Societal Guidance, associated to participatory
processes;
• Definition of an International Scientific
Advisory Body;
• Establishment of an International Scientific
Court.
8. Technological component
Any technological advance has deep socio-cultural
implications. The excluded fraction of world population,
read ‘world’s poor’, is always marginal to these
developments and negatively impacted by them. Unless
the above proposed code of ethics is not universally
adopted, there is little chance of technology offering
meaningful and durable solutions.
Thus real social and technological advances must be
viewed as an integrated effort towards technical support
networks, including the new perspectives of more
environmentally sound production and evaluation
practices, that facilitate interchange and technical and
scientific collaboration. We have the means 6 and can
find the mechanisms to solve present negative trends, but
lack the moral and political commitment to bring this
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Figure 1 – The central hypothesis is that it is necessary to evoke the realization of the values implied by transcendency to assist in the present
ebb of our civilization.
about. Which brings us back to the nature of our first
questioning: how can we force governments to adopt the
new paradigm? Or will events need to force us to that?
The author takes the positive approach that we might
listen to Bahá’u’lláh’s prophetic injunction and,
motivated by it, recover our path to sanity and redeem
our nobility and our perception of the role of
transcendence (Figure 1) in the process of civilization:
Oh Son of Man!
Veiled in My immemorial Being and in the ancient
eternity of My essence,
I knew My love for thee and thus I created thee, having
engraved in thee My image and revealed unto thee My
beauty. (Bahá’u’lláh, 1872).
Note:
1. IV Biennial International Workshop Advances in Energy Studies
Ecology-Energy Issues in Latin-America. Universidade Estadual de
Campinas (Unicamp). Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, June 16-19,
2004. URL: www.fea.unicamp.br/energy
2. Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith.
http://www.bahai.org/article-1-2-0-6.html
3. Social capital could be defined as the capacity of a society to
establish an agreed common set of ethical values, generating
development goals, both reflected in transparent institutions
connected to participatory processes with an efficient information
system for all, thus granting true development towards the
common good, environment included.
30
4. Techeste Ahderom, representative of the Bahá’í International
Community. http://www.bahai.org/
5. Shoghi Effendi held for 36 years the Guardianship of the
International Bahá’í Community. http://www.bahai.org/
6. Strategic Environmental Assessment-SEA, Participatory planning
processes, Emergy, Exergy, Ecological Footprint, Geographic
Information Systems, Earth Monitoring Systems, new production
systems (agro ecology, industrial ecology etc.).
Bibliography
1) Bahá’u’lláh, 1872. The Hidden Words. Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
Wilmette, Illinois.
2) Chief Seattle, 1854. Chief Seattle’s 1854 Oration. Ver . 1.
Authentic Text Of Chief Seattle’s Treaty Oration.
3) Darcy Ribeiro, 1988. O Processo Civilizatório: etapas da evolução
sócio-cultural. São Paulo, Editora Companhia das Letras.
4) Hazel Henderson, 1996. Building a Win-Win World: Life Beyond
Global Economic Warfare.
5) Lester Milbrath, 1989. Envisioning a Sustainable Society: Learning
Our Way Out.
6) Odum, H.T.; E. Odum. 2001. The Prosperous Way Down -
Principles and Policies. University Press Colorado.
7) Shoghi Effendi, 1936. Call to the Nations: Extracts from the
Writings of Shoghi Effendi. Bahà’ì Publishing Trust. Wilmette.
Illinois.
8) Techeste Ahderom, 2000. Presentation at the 53rd Annual
DPI/NGO Conference, Global Solidarity: The Way to Peace and
International Cooperation, 28-30 August. United Nations
Headquarters, New York.
9) Toynbee Arnold, 1934. A Study of History.
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