Table 1. Some characteristics of
the basic worldviews.
Technological optimist
Technological skeptic technical progress can deal with 
technical
progress is limited and
technical
progress is limited and any future
challenge ecological carrying capacity
must be preserved
ecological carrying capacity
must be preservedcompetitioncooperation
cooperationlinear
systems with no discontinuitiescomplex,
nonlinear systems with
complex,
nonlinear systems with or irreversibilities discontinuities
and irreversibilities
discontinuities
and irreversibilitieshumans
dominant over nature
humans in partnership with nature
humans in partnership with natureeverybody
for themselvespartnership
with others
partnership
with othersmarket as
guiding principlemarket
as servant of larger goals
market
as servant of larger goals