3. Global collapse. There is no alternative(TINA) and the development of a “post- truth safe space?”
Topics and scientific fields that need to be covered in order to discuss the issue of a potential global collapse are outlined in Figure 1. This figure only shows some elements of an intricate problem, that requires an inter- and multi-disciplinary approach.
Figure 1. The global system
Kampen, J.K. (2017), The world in the post-truth era or how too much love of TINA will kill you, Central European Review of Economics and Management 1(2), pp. 7-26, available at: .http://www.cerem-review.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/cerem_1_2_art_01.pdf
Different challenges in the discussion are: There are many specialists, having an incredible knowledge on a specific issue; The interaction between different elements in the figure are complex, and difficult to map; When finding a solution in one field described in the figure, this interacts with the other elements; As the other elements are not the specialty of an individual scientist, this scientist has difficulties in overseeing the consequences of the solution in his/her field of specialty. The question then arises – can the complexity of the global system be understood? When, to use a favourite slogan of Margaret Thatcher, There Is No Alternative (TINA) for the existing paradigms governing processes in markets and political systems, will this mean we are doomed when these elements fail?
Papers are invited on the following issues:
· The rich get richer, the poor poorer. What kind of alternative will people look for when established political parties basically argue There Is No Alternative for the current process of globalization and the market economy?
· Immigration flows – is this an issue of the media, the loss of grip on economic and political processes, or because rich countries are rich? Is there a relation between the level of economic development and the willingness to help refugees? Do countries have the institutional capacity to deal with possible increasing refugee flows in the future?
· Armed conflict – will we see an increase in war, conflicts and terrorism?
· Increasing public, company and private debts – they have somehow to be paid back, some time, some day, somewhere, by someone. Is management of the existing debts possible without global collapse?
· In our monetary system, money is debt, the debt is owed to the banks, and the banks are owned by its shareholders (mainly from the private sector). The periodic shake-ups of the financial system are those moments when society at large has to cough up the unserviceable debt. Financial crises facilitate the quick accumulation of money. Are financial crises creating extreme inequalities, triggering off social action, armed conflict and migration?
· Is there a limit to the size of the market in order to function efficiently? Can such a market, in combination with different kinds of freedoms (Sen, 1999) such as freedom of speech, political freedom, freedom of press and freedom or organization, only create a high level of welfare for part of the world population?
· Social scientists, politicians and laymen have unsubstantial understanding of natural sciences. Because the underwriting of the causal link of Anthropogenic Climate Change (ACC) is derived from support of the natural sciences, and because this support in turn is vested on trust of natural scientists rather than the understanding of natural scientific theory, validity of ACC is granted only in so far as individual natural scientists are trusted. Without trust, simplification of causes and consequences of ACC is required in order to clarify the idea. What is the implication for acceptance of ACC, climate policy and the public discourse on ACC?
· Does the development of a “post-truth society” require the development of “safe space” for truth?
· And other important issues regarding the topic of the session.
ISINI has its roots in economic science but explicitly aims to stimulate interdisciplinary research and the development of new ideas. Therefore, we welcome papers from economics and from the other social sciences, including sociology, political science, psychology, philosophy, history, as well as law. Papers can be theoretical but also empirical.
Paper submission and acceptance for the conference will take place in the following five steps:
1. Submission of paper abstract (1 April 2018). For participants without full papers willing to present their work at the conference the deadline is 1 June 2018.
2. Acceptance of abstract and invitation to submit a paper (1 May 2018).
3. Submission of paper for review (1 June 2018). This is an option for participants who would like to have their paper published in one of the journals mentioned below. Also without full papers, participants can present their work at the conference.
4. Feed-back on paper and notification of paper acceptance (1 July 2018).
5. Submission of completed paper (14 August 2018).
Selected papers, after positive double blind peer review, may be considered for publication in regular or special issues of the:
· Central European Review of Economics and Management (www.cerem-review.eu), or
· Central and Eastern European Journal of Management and Economics (www.ceejme.eu).
To submit an abstract, please email a Word or PDF file to Jarl Kampen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Joost Platje at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “ISINI SUBMISSION”, by 1 April 2018 at the latest.