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Advances in Complex Societal, Environmental and Engineered Systems pp 89–123Cite as

Toward a Complex Concept of Sustainability

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Part of the book series: Nonlinear Systems and Complexity ((NSCH,volume 18))

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to present some contributions to a complex concept of sustainability. One of the most important is the idea of adding human nature to its variables, since this addition also includes the uncertainty (and hence the complexity) which inherent in all living beings. As for the evidence that human extractivist activities have been harmful to nature and thus to sustainability, Freud’s essay “Beyond the pleasure principle”, first published in 1920, adds further important elements to the study of the question. The work of the economist Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen is presented as a fundamental contribution to the study of the relations between complexity theory, economics, and the idea of sustainability. The same holds true for the ideas of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, especially those contained in their book A thousand plateaus, with emphasis on their concept of geophilosophy. Finally the complex concept of sustainability is presented. According to it, sustainability emerges from the interactions between ethics, politics and values, on the one hand, and knowledge, technology and science on the other.

Writer and essayist. Independent researcher and author in complexity theory and its aplications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Workplace Diversity Research (CWDR), School of Advanced Studies, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Humberto Mariotti M.D.

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  1. Humberto Mariotti M.D.
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Correspondence to Humberto Mariotti M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco

    Mohamed Nemiche

  2. ENSIAS College of Engineering, Mohamed V University of Rabat, Rabat, Morocco

    Mohammad Essaaidi

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Mariotti, H. (2017). Toward a Complex Concept of Sustainability. In: Nemiche, M., Essaaidi, M. (eds) Advances in Complex Societal, Environmental and Engineered Systems. Nonlinear Systems and Complexity, vol 18. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46164-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46164-9_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-46163-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-46164-9

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