| Title | Spaceship Earth. A total institution |
|---|---|
| ID_Doc | 25168 |
| Authors | Roth, S |
| Title | Spaceship Earth. A total institution |
| Year | 2024 |
| Published | |
| Abstract | The concept of Earth as a planetary spaceship serves as a root metaphor of ecological economics, sustainability science, and the broader environmental movement. This article first explores the origins of this metaphor and elucidates the core components and functions of a hypothetical Spaceship Earth. It then draws on Erving Goffman's characteristics of total institutions to show that such a spaceship would epitomise the most total institution ever known in human history. Acknowledging the continued influence of spaceship thinking, the article concludes by offering first hints to emergency exits from a planetary total institution with no mission other than orbiting another celestial body. |
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