A POSTCAPITALIST PARADIGM: THE COMMON GOOD OF ...

About the alternatives
“Reviewing the four elements of the fundamental paradigm 155 on which
the collective life of humanity on the planet is based”, should really be
heading the agenda of all political and social forces that are now struggling
to reshape the life in our countries. However, the emerging political
powers, which were newly-born during and after the revolutions in a
number of Arab countries, are mainly concerned, for the moment, with
protecting the embryonic changing in their societies on one hand, and
finding a foot step for themselves on the political arena, on the other
hand. As a result, there are many important issues, related to the future
of these nations, are still not obvious enough or even not obvious at all
on the agendas of these new forces. Nevertheless, there are encouraging
signs that small groups of young people are formed, and they are
working seriously to engage with the fundamental issues of the development
of their societies. These groups should be encouraged to be
more open to what is going on in the world and to establish connections
with their counter parts on the anti-capitalistic front.
Few days ago, hundreds of Egyptian young men and women were de -
monstrating in the Cairo downtown against imperialism and capitalism
in solidarity with the international movement against capitalism. This
interna tionalist spirit, which was absent for decades on the Egyptian political
scene is a good sign of the new era which is in the making in Egypt
in spite of all the obstacles and threats the Egyptian revolution is faced
with.
Houtart’s discussion of “modernity” is “important”, although not new.
It has special importance in the Arab society of today, particularly with
the rise of political Islamic forces with their interpretation of the relationship
between the individual and society, political region, different kinds
155 Houtart defines these four elements in his paper as: 1) the relationship with nature;
2) the production of the material basis of life-physical, cultural and spiritual; 3) social
and political collective organization; and 4) the interpretation of reality and the self-involvement
of the actors in constructing it, which is culture. And he adds that “each
society has to achieve this”.
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