HUMAN FLOURISHING IN PROGRESS AND DE-DEVELOPMENT

Activity 1. Now that you've understood Hickel's concept of de-development. You

require to explain the following ideas of the essential knowledge part of this unit.

1. What is the primary objective or purpose of the Sustainable Development Goals of

the United Nations?
-The sustainable development goals of the United Nations are the 17 SDGs are
interconnected and cover a range of issues such as poverty, hunger, health, education,
gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work
and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities,
sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate
action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions, and
partnerships for the goals.

2. What is the standardized unit that measures resource use and waste?
-The standardized unit that measures resource use and waste is global hectares.
Measurement unit which makes data and results globally comparable.

3. What is the standard response to eradicate poverty?

-The standard response to eradicate poverty cannot be eradicated without addressing
the pervasive inequalities in incomes and economic opportunities between and within
countries, between rural and urban areas, and between men and women. Reducing
such inequalities will need to start with improving access for the poor to productive
resources, basic services and social protection.

4. . What is the threshold of the Earth for adequately sustaining life?

- The Earth must have a minimum surface area of 1.9 hectares to sustain life. Cuba has
one of the lowest literacy rates in the world, with barely $6,000 in GDP per capita and
only 1.9 hectares in use.

5. According to the majority of middle-and high-income countries, what puts the planet
and society at risk?
-According to the most recent consumer study, around 70% of people in middle and
high-income countries feel that excessive consumption endangers the environment and
society. Another majority, like these, think that individuals should try to buy and possess
small, and that doing so would never compromise people's happiness.
6. How many hectares should each of us consume annually based on the resources available
on the planet?
-According to current estimations, our globe barely has enough resources to support a
yearly consumption of 1.8 "global hectares" for each of us. The term "global hectares" refers
to the standard unit of measurement for monitoring resource use and waste. A person in
Ghana or Guatemala consumes around this amount of food each day. For example, the
average consumption in the United States and Canada is around 8 hectares per person, but
in Europe it is only approximately 4.7 hectares per person, well beyond their fair share.

7. In this article, what are the two items about the quality of life?
-Life expectancy and happiness are the indicators of quality life given in the article.

8. What crisis on the planet would force us to slow down if we do not do so voluntarily?
- If we do not slow down willingly, climate change will push us to do so. We can't keep
ignoring nature's rules. If we do not act quickly, all of our hard-won gains against poverty will
be lost when the food system collapses and mass hunger reemerges to levels not seen
since the nineteenth century.

9. According to Dr. Jason Hickel, what must be done instead of urging developing
countries to 'catch up" with rich ones?
-We must consider how to get rich nations to "catch down" to more suitable levels of
development. We should look at societies where people live long and healthy lives while
earning and consuming at relatively modest rates, not as basket cases that need to be
converted into Western models, but as instances of efficient living.

10. How would the different areas of the world react to the idea of de-development?
-The concept of a rich country "growing" may be a strong rallying cry in the global south, but
it will be tough to sell to Westerners. It's difficult but not impossible since, according to
recent market polls, 70% of people in medium and high-income nations believe that
excessive consumption endangers the planet and culture. They also believe that we should
aim to purchase and own, and that doing so will not compromise our chances of success.
Activity 2. In this part, you are once again required to explain your
answer thoroughly on the questions below:

1. Why must we change our Paradigm of Growth and consumption to that of"
dedevelopment?
-We must end poverty by changing the rules of the global economy," says Jason Hickel.
There are still poor nations attempting to catch up, but Hickel believes that instead of
poor countries attempting to 'catch up' with rich countries, we should encourage rich
countries to 'catch down.' We should consider strategies for rich countries to catch up
with impoverished countries in order to achieve more acceptable levels of development.
We should look at cultures where individuals live long and happy lives while earning and
consuming relatively little.

2. . Why are the terms, de-development, de-growth, and zero seemingly

unacceptable to the common framework of human progress?
-De-development, de-growth, and zero growth appear to be undesirable because they
merely involve stopping overconsumption and beginning to limit the use of natural and
water resources to avoid scarcity in our world. This type of framework necessarily
requires a high level of development and continuous high level of progress, which is the
inverse of the terms "de-development" and "de-growth," which refer to poor countries
catching up with the development of rich countries rather than poor countries catching
up with the development of rich countries. The goal of “de-development” is for wealthy
countries to achieve suitable levels of development.

3. How has the notion of growth enframed us?

- The notion of growth has had a profound impact on human society and how we
understand ourselves and our place in the world. At its core, growth implies progress,
improvement, and the expansion of our capabilities and resources.
In the context of economics and business, growth is often seen as the key measure of
success. Companies strive for growth in terms of sales, revenue, and market share,
while nations aim for growth in terms of GDP and economic prosperity. This growth-
centric worldview has led to an emphasis on competition, innovation, and efficiency, and
has shaped our societal values and priorities.
4. How do we improve our lives and yet reduce our consumption?
-Us would be able to enhance our lives while reducing consumption by determining our
requirements and not focusing so much on our desires, and finding needs that would last
a long time in our hands; acquiring quality items would also be beneficial when we need
to minimize our consumption. To be able to minimize consumption, we must define our
lifestyle, which may simply involve minor behavioral changes and alterations to a
person's way of life. Improving our lives and decreasing consumption will always be
dependent on us since, as humans, we are the only ones who get to choose what sort of
life we want to live.

5. What are the similarities and differences between Heidegger’s The Question
Concerning Technology and Hickel’s article?
- It's unclear which specific article by Hickel is being referred to, so I will provide a
general comparison between Martin Heidegger's essay "The Question Concerning
Technology" and the work of Jason Hickel, a scholar known for his critiques of capitalism
and economic growth.

Similarities:

Both Heidegger and Hickel share concerns about the impact of technology on human
existence and the environment. They argue that modern technology is not neutral, but
shapes our understanding of the world and our relationship with nature.
Both authors critique the dominant paradigm of progress and growth, which they see as
unsustainable and destructive.

Differences:

Heidegger's essay is more abstract and philosophical, while Hickel's work is more
empirical and grounded in economic and social analysis.
Heidegger's critique of technology is more focused on its impact on human existence,
while Hickel's critique is more concerned with its impact on social and environmental
justice.
Activity 3. Clearly, Hickel from his article showed us how progress and
development are equated with growth and higher consumption, which could
be the development indicator. In this portion of the unit, you require again
to give your synthesis, conclusions, or arguments relevant to the topic
presented. I will supply the first item, and you will continue the rest

1. De-development or reducing the use of resources for impoverished country to

catch up would be the right paradigm shift, especially when it limits climate
change. But there might be no stopping or shifting by rich countries since growth
is always be the strategy for economic rise

2. The transition to alternative development models is not only necessary for

addressing global challenges such as climate change, but also for improving the
quality of life and well-being of people, especially those in the Global South who
are often left behind by the current development models.

3. Education and awareness-raising can play a crucial role in facilitating the

transition to alternative development models by promoting critical thinking,
fostering sustainability literacy, and empowering individuals and communities to
participate in decision-making processes.

4. A shift towards these alternative models requires fundamental changes in our

economic and political systems, including decoupling economic growth from
resource consumption, and prioritizing social and environmental objectives over
profit maximization.

5. Hickel argues that our current development models based on growth and higher
consumption are unsustainable and may exacerbate global inequalities and
environmental crises.