Though the idea of global problems is not new, the modern situation is unprecedented in knowledge of (i) its immediacy and global scale (ii) feasibility of solutions. However, there is disagreement on what the problems are and whether they are being adequately addressed. That ideology affects how the issue is addressed does not negate the problems.

There is any number of lists of problems put out by individuals and institutions. How ought we to address the situation? It is useful to first reflect on origins of this work and the problem of the problems. That is followed by the problems and links to sources.

Origins of this work

I came to consider the problems in relation to an attempt to understand and act in the world. It was and is a construction of meaning—not intended to be just realist (conceptually and empirically), but also practically, which was one source of interest in problems.

What the world is like

Ordinary realism

‘Ordinary realism’ is a name I give to a ‘minimal’ view that is, roughly, what is common to most people’s direct view from experience, not overly influenced by belief and ordered by reason without venturing deeply into philosophy.

This view is simply that the world of everyday affairs is important. What is that world? It is what it takes to live with adequate safety, security, and meaning, without disruption from destructive political or religious influence. For ordinary realism, meaning is mundane—it includes personal enjoyment and relations with others, family, friends, and community. It allows but does not insist on religion or philosophy.

Maximal realism

The view referred to above in origins of this work could be described as maximal reasoned realism. Here are some elements of the view without details of its reasoning—

1. It dispenses with ideology, e.g., materialism, by saying “the world is what it is, no more and no less”. This may seem trivial, but it is not, for (a) it avoids ideological prejudice (b) it allows for a maximal but consistent reality (c) it allows the strengths of material and other views to be admitted as pragmatic approximations in their valid realm of use.

2. It has an argument that the universe is the realization of the greatest conceptual possibility—i.e., far greater than is typically thought. This is consistent with ordinary experience in that the ordinary is limited in time and space. It meshes with ordinary experience in that the ‘ordinary world’ is situated in the limitless universe, and it is an endeavor to see and experience that situatedness as a unit.

3. It suggests, in parallel with some streams of thought, that though instrumental address of problems is important, immersion in the world is essential as a way of life and as an approach to problems and opportunity.

Traditional world views

Traditional world views include—

1. Ordinary realism, enhanced by meaning found in this world according, e.g., to ‘secular humanism’, which argues that human being is the author of meaning. It does not argue that human being is all that is meaningful. It allows a semi-spiritual sense in, e.g., the idea of evolution as ‘God’. It does not allow a jump from that concept to a religious concept of God but, of course, individuals do make that equation.

2. Religious views. A paradox of religion, even without dogma and myth, is that it is a source of meaning, it gives power, often abusive power, to a few. A pragmatic approach to that paradox is (i) to recognize that we cannot remove religion by excision (ii) education and address of poverty, which may loosen religion’s hold where it is non-rational (iii) to employ maximal realism to re-view and rewrite religion.

The problem of the problems

Here are some reflections.

System

1. The problems constitute a system which ought to be looked at as a unit.

A system—meaning, resources, economics, and politics

2. Many sources list only material problems. However, questions to consider include—

a. Questions of ‘meaning’ in the sense of ‘meaning of life’ as an end in itself and because, with meaning, people will be individually motivated to solutions. Further, the issue of meaning implies that problems and opportunities ought to be looked at as a single system.

b. So—what is it that is meaningful? What is a good life? Prerequisites for meaning are adequate material safety, security, and education, especially for those traditionally denied education. Education would be to a level at which people can make informed technological, economic, political, and religious choices (and religious choice include secular and other alternatives to religion as well as no religious or spiritual stance at all).

c. The issue of political will in the face of destructive political forces, e.g., inertia and power for its own sake—individual or group (e.g., by economic class or religion).

d. Economic and related issues concerning what the problems are, how pressing they are, and how to allocate economic resources toward their solution.

e. In addition to the economic and political, what problems are ‘bottleneck’ issues—either because they are pressing in the extreme or because resolution is necessary to be able to address other problems.

The problems

Overview

Let us present a system based on the reflections above.

1. Poverty, population, education, and political will. A bottleneck set.

2. Economic analysis of problem sets and prioritization of resources to be allocated.

3. The problem of meaning and of destructive politics.

Addressing the problems

Issue – the sheer number and classes of problems is overwhelming

The problems ought to be addressed first, by vertical and horizontal grouping. The vertical strata are defined by bottleneck issues. The horizontal groups are sets of similar and interacting problems.

The problems will be prioritized by economic principles and allocation of resources.

Part of that address is education with focus on practical and meaning issues.

Issue – perfect rationality is not possible

Good enough rationality is good enough.

Issue – differing and sometimes contrary views and priorities

We need realism, holism, experiment, learning, and dialogue.

We cannot wait for perfect agreement. Sometimes independent action is needed.

We must think globally but also emphasize putting our own behavior in order.

A catalogue of problems

There are various lists of problems. Following combines and modifies a recent 2004 UN High Level Threat Panel’s and Richard Smalley’s around 2005 ‘Top Ten Problems of Humanity for the Next 50 years. I have made some additions—enfranchisement (Smalley listed democracy and education separately), environment and resources (were listed separately), culture (emphases opportunities, includes knowledge of the world, an appreciation for what is of worth, and the understanding of conservation and planning—which makes the list reflexively complete), and geopolitics. The list below begins with ‘problems’ but beginning with the environment and resources the items present problems and opportunity.

Poverty, disease, and population.

Population is a root issue. Intervention is possible. Moral concerns make moral action difficult to conceive and there is a tendency to therefore neglect the issue. This should not prevent reflection and search for solutions. Better education, improved economic status, and political enfranchisement result in lower birth rate (as low as 1.4 children per couple in some places). Education and opportunity for women and minorities is recognized important; however, men are critical too; and the power and wealth class are not to be excluded from the thought that education is important. It is critical to reach across borders. Exclusion reinforces negative practices. Inclusion is at least an invitation to the positive.

At issue is what political and economic principles are needed to raise all groups above poverty.

Violence and atrocities

War, terrorism, and transnational organized crime.

Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, and biological).

Genocide, sex trade, body part kidnapping, and other atrocities.

Environment and resources

Pressing issues of climate change.

Environment—climate, land, air, and water.

Resources—water, food, energy, land, plant, animal, and materials.

Approaches—science and technology; see culture, population, and geopolitics below.

Enfranchisement

Democracy, education, quality of life.

Economic class.

Women, men, children.

Minorities.

Culture—meaning, knowledge, and action

Knowledge—systematic and general, secularism-religion and (versus) realism (see the document ‘system of human knowledge’ in which the main divisions are universe, artifact, and symbol).

Morals and trust.

Art and human expression.

Geopolitics

The future of nations and national boundaries.

Modern community—‘developing’ and ‘developed’.

Pre-agricultural communities.

Animal rights.

The fundamental problem of political action

Root issues. Political and economic principles of transformation and action. Regarding these issues, this includes their ongoing enumeration and evaluation of the individual and system of issues for allocation of resources; particular attention should be given to root issues, material and other, that spawn many others and for which intervention is possible and moral.

Problem of action. When one looks at our world, they may become frustrated. Why? It is in part that there is so much opportunity yet so much waste. However, I know of no law of the universe that says that this is avoidable. This does not remove my dissatisfaction with waste, but it does suggest what I might do about it. In a material sense all I can do is begin with myself here and now in the present. But I can do more. I can reflect, I can communicate, and I can act. The point then is the spirit of action. I can act but not control. Therefore, the spiritual advice to not be attached to the fruits of action is not only spiritually empowering but practical as well—in (a) that I avoid useless frustration and (b) in empowering my action.

The future

I will think and write more about opportunities and continue to reflect on the system of problems and principles of address. More is needed on practical intervention, institutions that address issues, and mesh of the institutions with general economic and political action.

Scenarios

Imagining scenarios—problems, challenges, opportunities—can be useful in anticipation and in setting up policies and institutions. Here is a preliminary list.

1. World threat from military industrial complex via manipulation of politics and or naked power.

2. Terrorism.

3. Weapons of mass destruction threat.

4. Ecological disaster.

5. Famine.

6. Political campaign.

7. Breakdown of nations.

8. A time when post-agricultural economics is no longer viable.

Political economy of the world and its regions

Implications of maximal realism

Science, politics, economics of the future should be more than ‘republican’ i.e., entrusted to designated (elected and other) persons but also one of participation and immersion.

General comments

To think critically about the political economy is not only to make choices from known options but also to construct new ones.

It is a tall order, and one might want to begin small, but this is not a textbook. The subject and its facets are a main reason to consider the political economy.

Politics is important to economics as the arena of decisions. But it is important for other reasons as well—social, international, military and more.