9.1 Globalization and Sustainable Development: Historical …
171
In the science and technics arenas, the Scientific Revolution and the Industrial
Revolution are commonly accepted [8, 9, 13–21]. In technics particularly, alternative changes of the regular and revolutionary period have been assumed among lots
of people including economists, historians, and engineers. One way of historical
thinking has led to a multiple revolutionary theory now up to even the seventh Industrial Revolution at present. This is practically an infamous continuous revolution
without a regular period, and it may damage the significance of revolution, contrary
to the initial aim of emphasizing revolution. Since revolution is characterized by an
extraordinary rapid change, the idea of continuous revolution is a self-contradiction.
Beginning of the Age of European Voyages of Discovery was a symbolic event
of the second globalization, but the globalization had to be substantiated for its
continuation. The Industrial Revolution is reasonably assumed to have done it,
specifically in technical aspects. The remaining economic and social aspects have
been supported by the development of capitalism [20, 21]. So, it is recognizable
now that the second globalization has been sustained by modern technology and
capitalism so far. After the Industrial Revolution, which afforded the development of capitalism in England first, the rapid development of capitalism was followed by its spread to western Europe, North America, Russia, and Japan. In the
development of capitalism, the Transportation Revolution has played an important role toward the accelerated globalization [8, 9]. Late in the twentieth century, it has been joined by the revolutionary progress of information technology
(IT), which is further accelerating the globalization trend now, and is causing the
new stage of capitalism began in the USA (under R. W. Reagan) and the UK
(under M. H. Thatcher) in the 1980s, followed by the spread to all the advanced
states, which is now tentatively named as ‘Global Capitalism’ or more adequately
‘Capitalism under Political Neoliberalism,’ the most recent stage of the capitalism
and the capitalistic economy.
In Fig. 9.1, lines A and B are going to cross at X in a future, where development of
IT will catch up that of transportation. After the crossing, the information age would
possibly be making a full-scale development. We cannot predict when and how, but
it is possible that the point X may be reached by the end of this century. We had
better be prepared for a new age when IT is the most influential in the globalization
trend.
9.1.2 Rapid Progress of Technology and Social Changes
At present, it seems that we are living in the era of technological innovations, of
transportation and of information. In the previous subsection, not ‘innovation’ but
‘revolution’ was used, under the assumption that both were equivalent to the Industrial
Revolution. Though their influences to our life in general might already be equivalent
to or even more than those by the Industrial Revolution, the historical evaluation of
their effects is still to be done in terms of the influence on social structures. In other
words, it may be better to reserve the historical judgment, if revolutionary or not, for
a while. Our final judge may be made at the crossing point (X) in Fig. 9.1, although
171
In the science and technics arenas, the Scientific Revolution and the Industrial
Revolution are commonly accepted [8, 9, 13–21]. In technics particularly, alternative changes of the regular and revolutionary period have been assumed among lots
of people including economists, historians, and engineers. One way of historical
thinking has led to a multiple revolutionary theory now up to even the seventh Industrial Revolution at present. This is practically an infamous continuous revolution
without a regular period, and it may damage the significance of revolution, contrary
to the initial aim of emphasizing revolution. Since revolution is characterized by an
extraordinary rapid change, the idea of continuous revolution is a self-contradiction.
Beginning of the Age of European Voyages of Discovery was a symbolic event
of the second globalization, but the globalization had to be substantiated for its
continuation. The Industrial Revolution is reasonably assumed to have done it,
specifically in technical aspects. The remaining economic and social aspects have
been supported by the development of capitalism [20, 21]. So, it is recognizable
now that the second globalization has been sustained by modern technology and
capitalism so far. After the Industrial Revolution, which afforded the development of capitalism in England first, the rapid development of capitalism was followed by its spread to western Europe, North America, Russia, and Japan. In the
development of capitalism, the Transportation Revolution has played an important role toward the accelerated globalization [8, 9]. Late in the twentieth century, it has been joined by the revolutionary progress of information technology
(IT), which is further accelerating the globalization trend now, and is causing the
new stage of capitalism began in the USA (under R. W. Reagan) and the UK
(under M. H. Thatcher) in the 1980s, followed by the spread to all the advanced
states, which is now tentatively named as ‘Global Capitalism’ or more adequately
‘Capitalism under Political Neoliberalism,’ the most recent stage of the capitalism
and the capitalistic economy.
In Fig. 9.1, lines A and B are going to cross at X in a future, where development of
IT will catch up that of transportation. After the crossing, the information age would
possibly be making a full-scale development. We cannot predict when and how, but
it is possible that the point X may be reached by the end of this century. We had
better be prepared for a new age when IT is the most influential in the globalization
trend.
9.1.2 Rapid Progress of Technology and Social Changes
At present, it seems that we are living in the era of technological innovations, of
transportation and of information. In the previous subsection, not ‘innovation’ but
‘revolution’ was used, under the assumption that both were equivalent to the Industrial
Revolution. Though their influences to our life in general might already be equivalent
to or even more than those by the Industrial Revolution, the historical evaluation of
their effects is still to be done in terms of the influence on social structures. In other
words, it may be better to reserve the historical judgment, if revolutionary or not, for
a while. Our final judge may be made at the crossing point (X) in Fig. 9.1, although