Economic Crises: The (Best) Light at the End of the Tunnel

A few days after the unfortunate events of September 11, 2001, and when uncertainty and fear reigned among U.S. Americans; the president of the country advised his fellow citizens “to go shopping” so that the country could keep a sounded financial situation. As a matter of fact the exact words from the president were: “Americans must get back to work, to go shopping, going to the theatre, to help get the country back on a sounder financial footing.” In December 2006, while facing a critical war situation in Iraq and when the first signs of an economic downturn were showing up, the same president came back with the same recommendation: “to go shopping more”. In this occasion his exact words were: …

Redefining the Progress of Societies

On the idea of progress

     For centuries, the idea of progress has accompanied human activity and thinking.  Great social thinkers have deliberated on what determines progress, as well as on imagining how an advanced society might look like. Scientists have occupied themselves with the task of advancing knowledge, and technicians with the task of implementing it, in order to generate progress.  The political discourse is full of intentions to advance the progress of societies.

     Progress is a concept which motivates and justifies human actions.  Progress is also, in principle, intrinsically good and, therefore, convenient for human beings.

      Progress plays a crucial role in the choice of development strategies and of public policies. It also allows for comparing societies along time and across space; as well …

Beware of Materialistic Values

Many contemporary societies foster the idea that fame, power and money constitute the essential ingredients of a happy life. I recently saw a movie, untitled “The Pursuit of Happiness”, which emphasized the association between money –a lot of money- and happiness. Wearing fashionable clothes and expensive jewelry, driving powerful and opulent cars, owning a luxurious house, being popular among friends, classmates and colleagues, having authority over other people, command over resources, and so on, are systematically associated with a life of success; which is understood as the life people ought to pursue in order to be happy.

The role model played by heroes in ancient civilizations is nowadays played by celebrities. TV stations broadcast programs that endorse the life of the rich and famous as …

Pura Vida: The Costa Rican Way of Life

Because this is my first contribution to the group and because -to the best of my knowledge- there is no other Costa Rican in the group, I think it makes sense to start my collaboration by writing about my native Costa Rica. However, I must point out that the reason I am writing about Costa Rica is not because I was born there, which is, after all, an accident I had no control of. I am writing about Costa Rica because it shows up in many surveys as the country with the highest life satisfaction in the world. As a matter of fact, Costa Rica is also number one in the Happy Planet Index, which combines life satisfaction, life expectancy, and ecological footprint. This means …