Reconsidering the Limits to Growth

Echoing the famous The Limits to Growth report from 1972, this edited volume analyses the changes that the World System has undergone to the present, on the fiftieth anniversary of the original report. During the past fifty years, both the concept and understanding of these limits have significantly changed. This book highlights that the evolution of the World System has approached a new critical milestone, moving into a fundamentally new phase of historical development, when the old economic and social technologies no longer work as efficiently as before or even begin to function counterproductively, which leads the World System into a systemic crisis.

The book discusses the transition of human society to a new phase state, the shape of which has not yet been determined. New approaches are needed both for the analysis of the global situation, and for forecasts. The book is based on an integrated approach including the world-systems, historical and evolutionary perspectives, as well as a systematic view of society, in which changes in one subsystem cause transformations in others. Through mathematical modelling, it defines the main vectors of transformations of the World System; makes a detailed forecast of the development of all the main subsystems of the society and the World System, while presenting horizons of changes from short-term to ultra-long-term; and presents different development scenarios as well as recommendations on how to achieve a transition to the most favourable scenario.

The book will appeal to members and followers of the Club of Rome, policy-makers, as well as to scholars from various disciplines interested in a better understanding of the World System evolution, global futures, development studies, climate change, and future societies.

Chapter 1. Introduction: Hoping for the Future

Part 1: Looking into the Past and the Future
Chapter 2. Macrohistorical Approach
Chapter 3. Future Society and Transition to It

Part 2: Problems, Forecasts, Solutions (Climate, Ecology, Demography, Aging)
Chapter 4. Climate and Energy: Scenarios of Energy Transition and Global Temperature Changes Based on Current Technologies and Trends
Chapter 5. Ecology: Life in the "Unstable Biosphere"
Chapter 6. Demography: Toward Optimization of Demographic Processes
Chapter 7. Global Aging - an Integral Problem of the Future: How to Turn a Problem into a Development Driver?

Part 3: Problems, Forecasts, Solutions (Technology, Economics, Socio-Political Development)
Chapter 8. Technology: Limitless Possibilities, Effective Control
Chapter 9. Economics: Optimizing Growth
Chapter 10. Socio-Political Transformations: A Difficult Path to Cybernetic Society
Chapter 11. Future Political Change: Toward a More Efficient World Order
Chapter 12. High Income and Low Income Countries: Toward a Common Goal at Different Speeds
Chapter 13. Africa - the Continent of the Future: Challenges and Opportunities

Part 4: Modeling Social Self-Organization and Historical Dynamics - from Agrarian to Cybernetic W-Society
Chapter 14. Modeling Social Self-Organization and Historical Dynamics: An Overview
Chapter 15. Modeling Social Self-Organization and Historical Dynamics: A General Approach
Chapter 16. Modeling Social Self-Organization and Historical Dynamics: Agrarian Society
Chapter 17. Modeling Social Self-Organization and Historical Dynamics: Industrial Society
Chapter 18. Modeling Social Self-Organization and Historical Dynamics: Global Phase Transitions
Chapter 19. Modeling Social Self-Organization and Historical Dynamics: Modern Society and a Look into the Global Futures: Cybernetic W-Society
Chapter 20. Modeling Social Self-Organization and Historical Dynamics: Africa's Futures
Chapter 21. Analyzing Social Self-Organization and Historical Dynamics: Future Cybernetic W-Society: Socio-Political Aspects
Chapter 22. Analyzing Social Self-Organization and Historical Dynamics: Life Quality Index
Chapter 23. Conclusion: Reconsidering The Limits - Suggestions (Come On!)