A POSTCAPITALIST PARADIGM: THE COMMON GOOD OF ...

The new paradigm proposes, as a fundamental option, a balanced social
dynamic between individuals, genders and social groups in harmony
with nature in order to promote life and ensure its reproduction. It is a
question of ‘vivir bien’, achieving the ‘Common Good of Humanity’,
which means, as a first step, respect for the wholeness of nature as the
source of life (Mother Earth).
Its construction and applications in the fundamental elements of the collective
life of humanity on the planet are processes: not just academic exercises,
but something to be worked out in society, where thinking has
an essential place, but so does practical experience, particularly with regard
to social struggles. Each one of these corresponds to a failure in the
achievement of the ‘Common Good of Humanity’ and a related search
for solutions. As the destructive globalization of capitalism has exercised
its supremacy in the economies, societies and cultures of the world –
without however totally eliminating their specific characteristics – the reconstruction
task belongs to us all, men and women, according to our social
characteristics and historical experiences. No one should be excluded
in this common effort to re-elaborate the necessary conditions for life.
In fact, this paradigm is not so new as it seems. In pre-capitalist societies
all round the world there are references to it, that is, to a holistic vision
of the human destiny on earth. In many cases this is expressed in religious
terms and in traditions with a philosophical base (Taoism, Confucianism,
Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam) as well as in the tra ditional
religions of indigenous peoples. It is a question of rediscovering the appropriate
visions and concrete practices in contemporary terms for the
diverse societies of today.
Redefining the relationship with nature:
from exploitation to respect for it as the source of life
Modern civilization with its strong control over nature, its high degree of
urbanization, has made human beings forget that, at the last resort, they
depend totally on nature for their lives. Climate change reminds us of this
31