Table 1. Some characteristics of the basic worldviews.


Technological optimist              Technological skeptic technical progress can deal with    technical progress is limited and 
  any future challenge     ecological carrying capacity                 must be preserved

competition cooperation

linear systems with no discontinuities complex, nonlinear systems with
 or irreversibilities  discontinuities and irreversibilities

humans dominant over nature               humans in partnership with nature

everybody for themselves partnership with others

market as guiding principle market as servant of larger goals