Civilization Project and Ecological Prudence *

With the full development of Man as its central concern, this paper rejects both economism, which sees Nature as something to be appropriated without regard for its finiteness and fine balance, and ecologism, which treats the conservation of nature as an end in itself without regard for the well-being of the race. It steers clear of the false choice between economic growth and quality of life, and proposes, instead, a strategy of development that makes the maximum use of the flows of renewable resources but only a sparing use of Nature's capital stock, through the employment of prudent technological styles with the help of science and the devising of appropriate social organization at all levels. The strategy is relevant no less to the industrialized countries than to the countries of the Third World. The strategy calls for a ceiling on material consumption to ensure to everyone the satisfaction of basic human needs. It does not envisage a return to some past mythical golden age but takes the present situation as given, and then goes on to outline the steps by which a style of development can be attained that does not entail great social costs and that is consistent with enlarged social responsibility.