Thinking About Development: The Lived Reality of Globalization

The case is presented for a more human vision of development which would mean a different attitude to globalization. The philosophy of John Macmurray goes beyond traditional dualism of body and mind) and the dialectic of Hegel (both of which influence much current theorizing) to give priority to action over thinking. He challenges contemporary orthodoxy by emphasizing the personal and thus raises questions about the value of scientific knowledge for solving the problems of globalization. The strategy of writing development “under erasure” as introduced by Jacques Derrida emphasizes its problematic status. Thus we do have tools to reflect on what is meant by progress and economics and efficiency, and thus reconsider what we might be doing (or destroying) if we are trying to impose change on the “underdeveloped” of the world. tells us: “All meaningful knowledge is for the sake of action, and all meaningful action for the sake of friendship” (p. 15). The thinking of Howard Richards and associates, and his account of a specific development project in Chile (P.P.H.) are offered to illustrate this new way of approaching these issues, as it becomes possible to move away from the impersonal conception of efficiency towards the ultimate value of the personal. Thus we can perhaps come to see our future in terms of what we can do to try to build community (community) from the local to the global.