Skip to main content

2014 | Buch

The Bubble Theory

Towards a Framework of Enlightened Needs and Fair Development

verfasst von: Min Ding

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Buchreihe : SpringerBriefs in Business

insite
SUCHEN

Über dieses Buch

​The term sustainable development (SD) has now become a ubiquitous idea, philosophy, and guiding principle in our society. Governments, business, NGOs and individuals have embraced the mindset, and even the education institutions talk about graduating young people with sustainability in their DNA. Despite its noble origin, however, sustainable development is a concept that embodies compromise. This compromise has led to a term that is devoid of scientific foundation and actionable guidelines.

In this volume, Min Ding offers an alternative to SD, introducing a framework, which he calls the Bubble Theory, built on three layers: the symbiotic duo (subconscious desires at the self and species levels); enlightened needs (manifested desires of the self and species beyond basic survival and procreation), and human development principles (with fair development as the ideal principle for the present). These fundamental concepts of enlightened needs (EN) and fair development (FD) have profound implications for both the theory and application of new practices in business and policymaking.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Review, Motivation, and Theory
Abstract
In this chapter, I present background information for the new ideas proposed in this book. Here, I provide the book’s context, motivations for the new framework, and information for the development of specific elements of the new theory. This is not meant to be viewed as comprehensive; rather, it should be viewed as support for the rest of the book. Readers seeking detailed background information should explore alternate sources. The background is organized into three subsections: the history of the cause characterized by SD; the current state of the earth; and the current state of SD-related thinking and practice. Motivations for new theoretical framework are discussed in the context of the current state of SD. I conclude this chapter with a succinct summary of the two building blocks of the book, the Bubble Theory and the concept of onerization. I provide a high level understanding of these theories before delving into specific details in later chapters of the book. The next three chapters in this book are organized based on the Bubble Theory, and onerization is discussed in the context of various aspects of the Bubble Theory.
Min Ding
Chapter 2. The First Layer of the Bubble Theory: The Symbiotic Duo
Abstract
The foundation and first layer of the Bubble Theory is the symbiotic duo, where the desires of the species and the desires of the self (an individual member of the species) reside. Despite the fact that these desires are often at odds with each other, one cannot survive without the other. Without individuals, there is no species to speak of. Without the species (i.e., other individuals in the same species), an individual cannot survive for long, let alone lead a fulfilling life. This symbiotic relationship between the two entities is the fundamental force that drives how human society operates. In this chapter, I discuss the scientific basis of this relationship, and follow with a detailed analysis of the misaligned interests of the duo—specifically, the misaligned objectives between species and individuals, and the misaligned objectives of different individuals. Finally, I discuss the mechanisms behind the delicate equilibrium of the duo. The principle of self-insufficiency forces individuals to compromise for the good of species. The principle of childlessness forces species to defer to the needs of individuals. Finally, at a more fundamental level, the law of miniminds states that desires of the species and desires of the self are embedded in each individual’s mind, and an intrapersonal equilibrium between the two types of desires exists within each of us. These three forces together ensure the broad equilibrium we observe in human society. This structure, however, is not static. It evolves in both the desires of the duo and the equilibrium, and onerization has accelerated this change.
Min Ding
Chapter 3. The Second Layer of the Bubble Theory: Enlightened Needs (ENs)
Abstract
The desires and the delicate balancing act between the species and the self are typically subconscious and are not directly observable. Like any subconscious drives, however, some have seeped through the confines of the subconscious and emerged as overt individual preferences, expressed as his or her needs. These needs span a broad spectrum of desires at both the self and the species level that are typically not observed in other species; thus, the term enlightened needs (ENs). The ENs derived from the symbiotic duo constitute the second layer of the Bubble Theory. In this chapter, I first define and characterize ENs, which I follow with a discussion about recent changes in ENs, largely driven by onerization. I then describe the desired solutions for ENs from three perspectives: how individuals change the ways in which they live their own lives, what they demand from the private sector, and what they demand from the public sector.
Min Ding
Chapter 4. The Third Layer of the Bubble Theory: Human Development Principles (HDPs)
Abstract
As an individual’s ENs bubble up into the public domain, they sometimes merge with similar ENs of other individuals to form bigger bubbles. When bubbles become large enough, they may become human development principles adopted by society at large. Human development principles (HDPs) form the last layer of the Bubble Theory. In this chapter, I first provide an overview of HDPs, and discuss the pros and cons of two broad categories of such principles—optimization-based and heuristics-based. I argue that heuristics-based principles are most appropriate in the current stage of human development. I then formally propose and justify the concept of fair development (FD) as the ideal candidate heuristic at present. I discuss how FD is operationalized and contrast it with the concept of sustainable development (SD). I conclude this chapter and the Bubble Theory by proposing ENs and FD as an actionable framework for both the private and public sector, and discussing the relationship between ENs and FD.
Min Ding
Chapter 5. The Role of the Private Sector
Abstract
Drawing from the Bubble Theory, and more specifically, the framework of enlightened needs (ENs) and fair development (FD), I now embark on the prescriptive components of this book. In this chapter, I discuss the role the private sector should play, specifically, how a for-profit business should operate in this environment. The most important role of the private sector is to maximize profit for shareholders—no more, no less. After clarifying the position of private sector members, I discuss demand from two angles. The first is the source of demand, either from the ENs or FD. The second is the three types of customers: individuals, other members of the private sector, and members of the public sector. I then propose the concept of bubble audit that a firm can use to identify its Achilles’ heel, and those of its competitors and (business) customers relative to current demands. Guided by both identified demands and the results of the bubble audit, I discuss how the private sector should identify opportunities and create value for itself through innovation. I conclude this chapter by suggesting modifications to the organizational structures of firms that will facilitate their quests for value creation in the face of new types of business opportunities.
Min Ding
Chapter 6. The Role of the Public Sector
Abstract
In the final chapter of this book, I discuss the role the public sector should play, specifically, how a government should behave when FD is the dominant HDP. Unlike firms in the private sector whose role is to follow demand, public sector members must strike a balance between satisfying demands and enforcing FD that may not be preferred by some members of society. It is also critical for a government to understand its importance but limited role in nature, and to not play god. The rest of this chapter discusses the three L’s that I use to define the public sector’s role: learn (the science), listen (to the people), and lead (the development). A member of the public sector has a duty to facilitate the acquisition and dissemination of new knowledge related to ENs and FD (learn). As a representative of the people, it is also one’s duty to listen carefully to what constituents have to say, or in the jargon of the Bubble Theory, understand the bubbles of the people (listen). Finally, a government must take actions to address the demands of its people (lead); however, it should not blindly follow, and must balance the desires of the self and the species through the FD policies it adopts, as well as policies that address selected ENs.
Min Ding
Backmatter
Metadaten
Titel
The Bubble Theory
verfasst von
Min Ding
Copyright-Jahr
2014
Verlag
Springer International Publishing
Electronic ISBN
978-3-319-00921-6
Print ISBN
978-3-319-00920-9
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00921-6