Statement of Aims
“The central values of civilization are in danger. Over large stretches of the Earth’s surface the essential conditions of human dignity and freedom have already disappeared. In others they are under constant menace from the development of current tendencies of policy. The position of the individual and the voluntary group are progressively undermined by extensions of arbitrary power.”
This passage describes the world today–but it was written in 1947 to inaugurate the Mont Pelerin Society, a coalition of thinkers and doers that helped to establish neoclassical economics as the dominant paradigm of the 20th Century.
The fact that the world remains imperiled is proof that the neoclassical paradigm hasn’t worked as intended. We need a new paradigm for the 21st Century–and a new coalition of thinkers and doers to help bring it into existence.
The New Paradigm Coalition begins with a new theoretical foundation based on complex systems and evolutionary science. These branches of knowledge were rudimentary during the mid-20th century but now have matured to the point of providing an integrative framework for evolving complex multilevel cultural systems in highly uncertain environments.
The new paradigm does not fall into any current political camp.
It is not left, right, or libertarian, and can draw upon the legitimate elements of all three. Highlights of the paradigm include:
• Economic systems are inherently embedded in political, social, and environmental systems and cannot be considered in isolation.
• The central metaphor of the invisible hand–that the pursuit of lower-level interests robustly benefits the higher-level common good–is profoundly untrue. System-level functionality requires selection at the level of the whole system.
• Centralized planning by governments and “command and control” management by businesses are likely to fail because the world is too complex to be understood and managed by any group of experts.
• Instead of laissez faire or centralized planning, positive change is inherently experimental. Put another way, it requires a process of conscious cultural evolution.
• ”Macro” cannot be derived from “Micro”. Embedded economic systems are inherently multi-level and the “Meso” levels must be considered along with “Micro” and “Macro” levels.
• Good governance is inherently participatory and equitable at all levels. Personal and social wellbeing need not be achieved at the expense of economic wellbeing. They can be the source of economic wellbeing.
• Markets are inherently social institutions, and their rights and privileges are coded through a corresponding legal apparatus. Far from neutral entities, markets are and should be structured by democratically determined rules.
Members of the New Paradigm Coalition meet regularly to develop the new paradigm and support each other in multiple ways.
Opportunities for collaboration include:
• A communication division, which reaches the general public and diverse professional audiences.
• A coaching and consulting division, which works with corporations and other organizations to adopt the new paradigm.
• A research division, which combines scientific research and assessment with positive change efforts in real-world settings.
• A policy division, which catalyzes the implementation of science-validated solutions around the world.
• A financial support division, which funds the above-mentioned activities in a holistic manner.
How to join the New Paradigm Coalition:
The coalition includes individuals and organizations in a position to support and benefit from the new paradigm.
Prospective new members are nominated by current members and are invited to join the meetings, leading to an assessment of what they would like to give and receive by becoming a permanent member. Most members regard their participation as a win-win situation, advancing their own prosocial objectives while contributing to the success of others.
Introduce Yourself
Share a little about yourself below and we will connect with you on the latest developments and opportunities to get involved.
ProSocial Finland: A National Hub of the New Paradigm Coalition
A new paradigm for economics and public policy is emerging, based on a combination of complex systems science and evolutionary science. A global coalition has formed to promote the new paradigm and Finland is pleased to become one of its first national hubs.
Jan Pfister, Associate Professor of Accounting and Finance at the University of Turku’s School of Economics, has generously agreed to lead the formation of the Finnish hub. Pfister is lead author of a major review article titled Performance management in the Prosocial Market Economy: A New Paradigm for Economic Performance and Sustainability. This video conversation between Pfister and ProSocial World’s president David Sloan Wilson provides more context.
The Finnish hub will be organized in the same way as the global coalition, with members who meet regularly to learn about and implement the new paradigm. Since the new paradigm envisions economic systems as embedded within political, social, and environmental systems, implementations can take place across all public policy domains, not just economics narrowly construed.
Among its many insights, the new paradigm can help to clarify why nations vary in their collective efficacy and why Finland, along with the other Nordic countries, consistently leads the world in national rankings of personal, economic, and societal wellbeing. The new paradigm can also help Finland, along with all other nations, adapt to new challenges in an ever-changing world.