Acknowledging Change:
Acknowledgment that social systems evolve from and respond to social and environmental realities–all paradigms have a lifespan.
Paradigms are not corrigible by normal science at all. Instead, as we have already seen, normal science ultimately leads only to the recognition of anomalies and to crises. And these are terminated, not by deliberation and interpretation, but by a relatively sudden and unstructured event like the gestalt switch.
Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962)
All paradigms have a lifespan
The first tenet of design economics recognizes that social systems evolve in response to social and environmental realities. This principle acknowledges that all economic paradigms have a lifespan and must adapt to remain relevant and effective.
In our rapidly changing world, economic models need to be flexible and responsive to shifts in technology, society, and the environment. Traditional economic theories often struggle to address contemporary challenges like climate change, wealth inequality, and technological disruption. Design economics, by contrast, embraces change as a fundamental aspect of economic systems.
This tenet is exemplified in the work of visionaries like Hazel Henderson, who proposed Solar Age Economics, and Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics. These approaches recognize the need for economic models that account for environmental sustainability and social well-being alongside traditional economic metrics.
By acknowledging change, design economics encourages us to continually reassess and adapt our economic thinking. It pushes us to develop models that can evolve with societal needs and environmental constraints, rather than clinging to outdated paradigms. This adaptive approach allows for more resilient and sustainable economic systems that can better serve humanity in the face of ongoing global challenges.
Embracing this tenet means being open to new ideas and willing to challenge long-held assumptions about how economies function. It’s about creating economic frameworks that can grow and change with us, ensuring that our economic systems remain relevant and beneficial as we move into an uncertain future.
Thomas Kuhn
Thomas Kuhn’s “Structure of Scientific Revolutions” (1968) aligns with the first tenet of design economics. His concept of paradigm shifts mirrors the evolution of economic systems. Like science, economics experiences periods of orthodoxy followed by transformative changes. This cycle reinforces the principle that economic paradigms have lifespans, prompting us to anticipate and adapt to necessary shifts in economic thinking.
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