A Manifesto for Social Progress
Ideas for a Better Society

Outlines how to rethink society's economic, political, and social institutions and actions to take to build better societies.

Marc Fleurbaey (Author), Olivier Bouin (With), Marie-Laure Salles-Djelic (With), Ravi Kanbur (With), Helga Nowotny (With), Elisa Reis (With), Amartya Sen (Foreword by)

9781108440929, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 30 August 2018

248 pages, 53 b/w illus. 4 tables
22.9 x 15.3 x 1.3 cm, 0.36 kg

'Reading the book feels like finding a large flashlight after endless days of stumbling around in a dark cave.' Pam Martens and Russ Martens, Wall Street on Parade (www.wallstreetonparade.com)

At this time when many have lost hope amidst conflicts, terrorism, environmental destruction, economic inequality and the breakdown of democracy, this beautifully written book outlines how to rethink and reform our key institutions - markets, corporations, welfare policies, democratic processes and transnational governance - to create better societies based on core principles of human dignity, sustainability, and justice. This new vision is based on the findings of over 300 social scientists involved in the collaborative, interdisciplinary International Panel on Social Progress. Relying on state-of-the-art scholarship, these social scientists reviewed the desirability and possibility of all relevant forms of long-term social change, explored current challenges, and synthesized their knowledge on the principles, possibilities, and methods for improving the main institutions of modern societies. Their common finding is that a better society is indeed possible, its contours can be broadly described, and all we need is to gather forces toward realizing this vision.

Introduction: the future is in our hands
Part I. Much to Worry, Reasons for Hope: 1. Looming catastrophes
2. Globalization and technology: choices and contingencies
3. The expanding circle of respect and dignity
4. The big challenge
Part II. Acting for Social Progress: 5. In search of a new 'third way'
6. Reforming capitalism
7. From the welfare state to the emancipating state
8. From polaritics to politics
Conclusion: mobilizing change-makers.

Subject Areas: Political economy [KCP], Development economics & emerging economies [KCM], Economic growth [KCG], Economics [KC]