Restoring Shalom in the economy

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:This thesis investigates why human poverty and environmental degradation still existto the extent that they do in a world where there appears to be sufficient scientific andsocial knowledge to reduce them considerably. It asserts that the reason they continueto exist on such a large scale is because their root cause - a mistaken understanding ofhumanity's role in creation - has not been sufficiently examined.Humanity's mistaken understanding of ourselves as the Cartesian lords of creation isaddressed by introducing the Biblically-based concept of Shalom, as interpreted bytheologians Ulrich Duchrow and Gerhard Liedke in their book, Shalom. BiblicalPerspectives on Creation, Justice and Peace (1987). The concept stresses how ourexploitative relationship towards creation results in destructive relationships with ourfellow human beings and ultimately with God.The thesis argues that global capitalism's central value of accumulating wealth for itsown sake has severely disrupted Shalom in society and the rest of creation. Using asecond work of theologian Ulrich Duchrow, Alternatives to Global Capitalism.Drawn from Biblical History Designed for Political Action (1995), the social andenvironmental poverty inducing structures within the world economy are highlighted.It is asserted that in order to reduce poverty and environmental degradation within theeconomy, this central value of wealth accumulation for its own sake has to be replacedwith one that seeks to satisfy the basic needs of all people.The thesis also discusses the inability of the South African government's macroeconomic strategy - the Growth, Employment and Redistribution plan (GEAR)- tocreate Shalom. In order for the macro-economic strategy of South Africa to addressthe exploitative relationships that exist within the economy, it is argued that a morecritical attitude towards the values and structures of the market economy is needed.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University