Making the Transition from an Economic Age to a Cultural Age - Essay Example

Revolution or Renaissance: Making the Transition from an Economic Age to a Cultural Age The of Revolution or Renaissance: Making the Transition from an Economic Age to a Cultural Age is Paul Schafer. Schafer is a trained professional in economics and international development. He also received training in the field of culture in his later years. With regard to his vast knowledge in economics, Schafer has previously taught in the University of Toronto, as well as the York University. On the other hand, being an expert in culture, Schafer has worked with the UNESCO, and currently serves in the position of the director of World Culture Project. Beside this book, Schafer has published other books on economics and culture. In this book, Schafer has primarily based on two major aspects, which he believed have a great influence on the world today. These are culture and economics. He therefore, has analyzed these two important factors and evaluated their influence on the world through the historical lenses. His main argument is that the world has been existing in the economic age, since Adam Smith’s work on the Wealth of Nations in 1776. Schafer argues that this economic age has had negative influence in society, and is the source of most of the economic and cultural problems experienced in the world today. Schafer however, makes it clear that the economic age has had considerable positive effects in society, but the negative influence supercedes its positive effects. Although the economic age has led to increased production, economic power, and wealth, to a greater extent, this has resulted in considerable social and economic problems, as some of its effects. In addition, economics has failed to address these negative effects of the economic age. In this book, Schafer has explained the development of the economic age, tracing it from the 1776 work of Adam Smith on The Wealth of Nations to the present century. This therefore, gives a systematic description of how each stage of the economic age developed, as well as the economic circumstances that surrounded the society during various stages of the economic age. Schafer also pays close attention to the concept of culture, which is as important and influential as economics in society. Nonetheless, this work of Schafer leads to the conclusion that the economic age has failed to realize the desired economic, social, and cultural development and sustainability. Therefore, Schafer recommends that society needs to shift from the economic age, and embrace culture as its main force and source of development and sustainability. Schafer, who is knowledgeable in economics, and author of this book, has his own personal views about this book, which he shared with different people in interviews, and other channels through which he was asked to comment on them. In August 2009, the Upper Case, of the University of Ottawa, held an interview with Schafer, about this book, and about what influenced him to write the book. Upper Case is affiliated with UOP, which publishes Canadian and other books by international scholars in both English and French languages, and these books are peer-reviewed. This has been publishing since 1936. However, Upper Case mainly performs interviews on authors, writing biographies of authors, writing book reviews, and posting notifications about book launches and related events (Upper Case WEB). During the interview with Upper Case, Schafer was expected to discuss his career, and how it influenced the ideas expressed in this book. He explained that he originally trained in economics and international development, before undertaking another different training in the field of culture. Therefore, his knowledge in these two areas of economics and culture, laid the foundation for the ideas in this book. He was particularly influenced by Adam Smith’s work of The Wealth of Nations, which made him study culture too. In economics, he had the conviction that it was wrong for society to base on economics and economies as the sole base of development and solutions for both economic and non-economic problems in society. This therefore, convinced Schafer to believe that the world has existed in the economic age for a long time, yet no positive results were experienced for various economic and non-economic problems. This therefore, led him to explore the concept of culture, which he thought would serve the society well in addressing economic and non-economic problems, compared to economics and economies. According to Schafer, there is a lot of potential in culture as a tool for social and economic redress, yet policymakers have ignored this, because it is the knowledge by anthropologists, sociologists, and ecologists, among other disciplines in arts and humanities (Upper Case WEB). It is clear that Schafer’s career influenced him to develop the ideas in the book. This is agreeable since economics and economies have neither delivered needed results, nor addressed problems in society today. Therefore, adopting culture as a main centrepiece for addressing social and economic problems would help move the world from the economic age to an age of culture, which could prove more effective. The an age of culture, according to Shafer, holds the potential for the "creation of a global federation of world cultures" (p. 257). Schafer’s book today might not be popular to as many people as it deserves. However, most of the people who manage to have access to this book have had differing views about the ideas developed therein. A fellow professional in the cultural and economic field, George Simmons, took the efforts of reviewing Schafer’s book and making his general comments and views about the ideas of Schafer in the book. Simmons commends Schefer’s work for its high level of relevance in today’s world. His considers his experience of reading the book as prophecy that was being fulfilled right before his eyes. In his review, Simmons associates most of Schafer’s ideas with his own experience and knowledge in the disciplines. Simmons appreciates and relates with Schafer’s ideas. He notes that Schafer identified the development of a ‘global federation of world cultures;’ as a strategy of transiting from the economic age to the age of culture. However, this is the area in Schafer’s work, where Simmons’ concerns rest. Simmons identifies a weakness in Schafer’s work, as failing to explain the model that society will adopt to arrive at the age of culture, and the conditions or circumstances are necessary for society to reach the age of culture (Simmons WEB). Overall, Simmons shares same ideas with Schafer, probably because both share same knowledge and experiences in their career and educational background. This book is an effective resource for those people interested in debunking the reasons why the economic factor has persisted over the years, and adopted by most governments, corporations, and individual business people as core for development. Schafer argues that although there are other forces influencing society, economics is the main driving force. “However, while information, technology, science, communications, capitalism and materialism have played powerful roles in shaping the age we are living in, it is economics, more than any other factor or set of factors, that plays the dominant role in the world, as it has for more than two hundred years" (Shafer 3). This book is more relevant in the world today, considering the economic and social circumstances influencing society. In the current economic age in the world, market globalization is highly valued, and encouraged as a reason to contribute to development in the world economy. However, this needs a replacement soon, as it has failed to act effectively. All the ideas developed in this book are based on real life experiences in society, therefore, the new strategy that Schafer proposes would be effective if adopted. The main weakness in this book is that Shafer addressed the transition from the economic age to the age of culture, only in a theoretical manner. He does not embark on showing how the age of culture would be developed and adopted. Therefore, the great ideas in this book remain for theoretical knowledge, as the implications and directions for a transition are barely addressed. Nonetheless, despite the weakness of the author to fail to identify the model that society would adopt to reach the age of culture, this book remains resourceful and knowledgeable in the way economics has failed the world today, even though most countries have embraced this as core to their process of development. Further research and knowledge on the adoption of culture as a replacement of economics in society would be a milestone in contributing to the solution of most problems that economics presents to society today. Works Cited Schafer, Paul. Revolution or Renaissance: Making the Transition from an Economic Age to a Cultural Age. New York: University of Ottawa Press, 2008. Print. Simmons, George. Schafer, D. Paul, Revolution or Renaissance: Making the Transition from an Economic Age to a Cultural Age: A Review. 2008. Web. Viewed 9 April 2013 Upper Case. Revolution or Renaissance: Making the Transition from an Economic Age to a Cultural Age. An Interview. 17 April 2009. Web. Viewed 9 April 2013 Read More