Class 10: Wessels, The Myth of Progress
POLI 294
Fall 2012
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Analysis Papers – not research
Get to pt quickly and concisely. Use specifics
Need strong argument for paper built on thesis
– in 1st para
Use thesis to guide your analysis
Go deeper rather than broader
Build on critical pts through next papers 
develop YOUR thoughts
Process not a result  Evolution
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Annie Leonard, Story
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Material Embeddedness: Linear systems embedded in
larger systems: capitalism, commerce, trade, governance,
institutions, at all scales (Hawken & Speth)
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Ideological Embeddedness: linear systems and materials
economy is supported by culture, history, tradition,
language, discourse, values etc. (Wessels)
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Dominant institutions and people within those instits try to
control both areas to retain control and power 
ideological embeddedness is vital to understanding enviro
degradation
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Need a new “Cultural Narrative”??
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“It’s a very recent phenomenon that landscapes
to which people were once connected have
become smothered by development—growth
that we are told is a sign of progress. But is
progress truly possible if its wake continually
generates loss—loss of connections to place
and community, loss of clean air and water, loss
of other species who are truly part of our
ancestral family tree?” (p. xii)
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Book Thesis: Challenge to our current “paradigm”
that “in order to progress we need to keep growing
the economy.”
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Paradigm: represents a core belief that dramatically
structures our worldview.
Econ growth: predicated on increasing consumption
of resources
Econ Development: centers on per cap income. can
occur w/o increasing consumption—encouraged
thru value-added activities (p. xvi)
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Conclusion: “Need for real community,
traditions that help us find our way, connection
to our place, and ample time for reflective
practice…without those connections we lose
any sense of responsibility for our actions.”
 “As such, greed becomes possible and when linked
to the need to consume, the combination allows for
dramatically selfish behavior.”
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1. Myth of “control”
2. Myth of Growth
3. Myth of Energy
4. Myth of the “free market”
5. Myth of “Progress”
Limits to growth
2. 2nd law of thermodynamics  Entropy 
Constant “heat”/energy loss perpectual
machine is impossible  Increased Disorder
 exposes the dangers of increased energy
consumption (over simplification and diffusion)
3. Law of self-organization  spontaneous
coordination from local interactions  initial
causal agent leads to positive feedback
1.
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Wessels Speech (part I) (9m)
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Wessels Speech (part II) (3m)
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Chaos Theory: initial conditions have a deterministic
effect on future conditions  complex systems are
highly sensitive to initial conditions
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Butterfly Effect: slight alterations of starting pt (in a
system) can “dramatically alter its future behavior.” (p4)
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Runs against predictability of Western scientific
paradigm based on linearity and reductionism
(breakdown into parts to understand system) (Newton
and Descartes)
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Today, scientific approach embraces linearity, and
culture (through education) perpetuates it
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Because of a complex system’s ability to feedback on
itself (contrary to linearity), predictability becomes
difficult
Melting Ice becomes a
positive feedback to climate
system. Reflective ice
disappears leaving dark
ocean to absorb more heat
 adding to temp increase.
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A complex system can jump to a ‘new behavior’ from
feedbacks  ‘bifurcation event’
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“predictability and control lie at the heart of
our reigning notions of progress. Our leaders
believe they can control the future by
constantly adjusting the parts. Technological
advances are touted as the means to control
one day those things that we can’t control
right now, allowing progress to
continue…control is a reality in a linear
system, but in a complex one, it’s simply a
myth.” (p21)
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“Limits to growth is an inherent law that
governs all organisms, populations,
ecosystems, and even the biosphere—systems
that are all nested within the other” (p31) (so
do “earth’s physical systems”)
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Based on 2nd Law of thermodynamics (Law of Entropy): although energy
can’t be created or destroyed (1st law), it can be transformed.
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However, this transformation is never 100% efficient (some energy is always
lost from system) (p42)
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Entropy: process where things naturally move from a state of order toward
disorder (or complexity to simplicity)
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Every enviro problem today is the result of entropy—caused by increasing
energy transformation by humans
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E.g. erosion of topsoil or deforestation—entropy leaves behind simpler, more
diffused ecosystem
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Myth: Progress = More Energy Transformation; however, more energy
transformation only leads to more entropy
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Solution is to reduce energy consumption, although renewables will help (still
energy transformation req’d) and focus on efficiency
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All biological systems increase in complexity and diversity, parts become
specialized and integrated—it is the key to sustainability of bio systems
(p64)
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Higher diversity creates resilience and stability; simplified systems can
tumult with loss of a single species. (p77)
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Opposite in corp world: Mergers lead to larger orgs (MNCs) and
competitive exclusion
 US Agriculture: sharp decline in # of farms, limited # of crops, and subsidies
(60% subs went to large agribus representing only 10% of US farms—2003)
(p78)
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Rise of Corp power: corps as persons (law), monopolization, interest group
power
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Indiv corps grow, simplifying system, with higher concentrations of power
 econ sys behaves in contradiction to natural complex systems
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Hierarchy of Progress
 Reverse today’s trajectory (all about materialism)
 Indivs must be fulfilled (emotional well being) at top,
material progress at bottom
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More affluent, higher levels of anxiety,
depression, and social isolation  focus in on
possessions and lifestyle (ephemeral pleasure)
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Live longer but less healthy
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Indicators of well-being is deteriorating
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Large part of prob is individualism & selfabsorption
Lessons from Ancient cultures:
 Reciprocal altruism
 Each had a critical role, but knew place within
world
 Part of land, not apart from it
 Reflective practice
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2 changes with advent of agriculture
 1. part of land replaced with being apart from it
 2. as villages grew, political hierarchies formed
▪ * resulted in exclusion
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With Ind Rev:
 Extended families shed for more mobile nuclear ones
 Societal changes accelerated, & with greater mobility, connections
that grounded people to place were lost
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Today (4th cultural transformation)
 Global, postindustrial culture  shifts in populations from pol &
econ upheavals and changing job mkts
 Nuclear family under assault (both parents work)
 Major decisions made by trade reps, MNCs, & appt officials
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Main Prob: “isolation of people from community, place and reflective
practice has become a crisis of culture.” (p109).
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As economy & consumption grow, entropy (sys becomes disorganized
& simplified as it loses energy) will accelerate. The feedback from this
mounting entropy will eventually destabilize and curtail econ growth.”
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“with an econ sys that continuously moves away from cooperative
integration of efficient, specialized enterprises to huge transnationals
that thrive on competitive exclusion, we find a system that grows
increasingly wasteful, lacks critical redundancy, and as a result moves
toward greater instability.” (p113)
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CSA: Community Supported Agriculture  people buy shares in a farm
and get all produce as members