Globalization- The Juggernaut of the 21st Century

Will globalization continued unabated? Lane (political theory and politics, U. of the South Pacific in Fiji) goes far beyond the mere notion that under globalization all the countries of the world become interdependent socially as well as commercially. Lane points out that globalization forces nations to share and compare philosophies about the energy crisis, climate change, sharper cleavages between rich and poor countries and people, and the emergence of multicultural social structure. Taking distinctive approach to the philosophical underpinnings of the debate, Lane argues that Wildavsky was both right and wrong and that Hubbert's pessimism was grounded in the development/environment conundrum, that world capitalism and unsustainable lifestyles were anticipated by Veblen, that Gerschenkron foresaw the Asian miracle, and that Hobbs knew globalization would rip poor states apart. He continues with commentary on what Wicksell, Balassa, Popper, Derrida, Weber, Habermas and even Spinoza have to say about globalization. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Jan-Erik Lane, University of Freiburg, Germany