Globalization

Abstract

Globalization is a widely used term that is the subject of various definitions and interpretations. It can be described both as an ongoing transformation process and as an outcome, but it is not a new phenomenon; its historical origins themselves are debated – should they be situated in the modern era, or much before, for instance in the Hellenistic age? Globalization refers to the integration of economies, societies, and cultures around the globe, through the development of trade, communication, and technological advances; at the political level, it entails the weakening of the power of states and the rise of transnational actors. The business community, whose internationalization has played a major role in fueling the globalization movement, has been heaved into the turmoil of accusations and appeals to its sense of responsibility. The aim of this article is to synthesize the historical debate so as to try to elaborate a conception of the globalization process that, on a theoretical level, gives it meaning and, on a practical level, indicates ways to transcend new, planetary risks.

Following the sunlight, we left the old world.

(Christopher Columbus, 1493)