Philosophy of Sustainable Development: A Critique

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Sustainable development has become a “new” gospel in the contemporary environment and development literature. The global social order is generally fascinated by the concept and is taking steps to translate it into actual practice. Although everybody seems to be in favor of sustainable development, no one seems certain as to what it actually means. The description of the term by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) of the United Nations as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” is generally acceptable but susceptible to different interpretations. The problem is compounded by the habit of appealing to the social and natural sciences for help in explaining the meaning of the term and its implication to environmental protection, trade and governance.

Sustainable development is generally understood as the fulfillment of the basic needs of present and future generations through equity and environmental protection. The author, however, argues that sustainable development only becomes conceptually viable if it seeks to satisfy fundamental human needs, if its norm is social justice, if its vehicle is a steady-state economy that promotes sustainable production and consumption of natural capital, and if its engine is the State and its civil spirited citizens. 

The author also traces the origin of sustainable development in the light of historical human knowledge. He points out that although the term “sustainable development” is relatively new, its meaning and its implications are of ancient origin. The concept is a product of human-nature interaction. Thus, its interpretation only becomes meaningful if it is placed in the context of its own historical development.

Worldviews, Life Expressions and Social Determinants: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

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With the Philippines and the state of its ecosystems as the setting, I explore in this book the relationship between worldviews -- people’s perceptions of the world, in general, and nature or environment, in particular -- and lived experiences or life expressions. Later on, I added another dimension -- the social determinants. Basically, I wanted to know if people's life experiences are consistent with their worldviews, if people want an alignment of their worldviews and life expressions, and what would it take to make such an alignment possible.

This book used hermeneutic phenomenology as methodology involving seven co-researchers, who have diverse backgrounds, professions, and occupations. The methods generally include gathering and documenting lived experiences, and reflective reading of the narratives. The eidetic insight states that worldviews, life expressions, and social determinants are interrelated. The formation of worldviews is partly a product of social determinants and influenced by the lived experiences. The lived experiences or life expressions are also influenced by the worldviews and the social determinants. In addition, the social determinants can be modified, the process of which is influenced by the worldviews and life expressions. The study points out that people have varied worldviews, but there are common grounds. These worldviews are generally composite. These can be replaced as human beings gain more knowledge and experiences. Human beings seek ways to live out their respective worldviews. In the process of living out their respective worldviews, conflicts could occur. That is why there is a need for society to create the conditions that will foster the formation of integrative worldviews, which have beneficial impacts to us human beings and to our home, Planet Earth.

On Development Theory

Summary

Theology has been using scientific discourses to form categories for analysis and reflection. Similarly, liberation theology employed dependency theory to scientifically articulate its pastoral-theological messages. This choice was borne out of experience rather than epistemological or dogmatic considerations. Such experience led to discernment and political commitment fueled by dependency theory, which falls under the umbrella of underdevelopment theory.

Development theory was uniquely a Latin American creation. It served as a reaction to the failures of the then prevalent modernization theory and the national development project driven by import substitution industrialization. But it was also a departure from the orthodox Marxist analysis of development in low income countries.

The template for development after the Second World War was the structural functionalist prescription of the West, such as England and North America. This template implied formulating policies and creating institutions that embrace free market capitalism, i.e., export-oriented, modern, capitalistic and industrial world. Dependency theory was critical of this approach because it established, among others, a dependency relationship between the underdeveloped and the developed countries.

The new breed of Marxists opposed the orthodox Marxist view that capitalism is a logical step towards socialism, and that it is necessary and feasible for the third world countries. They view capitalism as inimical to the growth of underdeveloped countries because the “ruling class” will keep the “ruled class” dependent in order to maintain their economic status.

Personal Insights

The dependency theory saw the lopsided balance of trade in favor of the rich countries, as experienced by the Latin American economies. To address this, import substitution industrialization was imposed to attain self-sufficiency, reduce the trade deficit, and generate internal resources for industrialization. The theory, however, failed to consider the huge investment required, as well as the necessary structural reforms that are crucial, to make the import substitution industrialization model to work. Liberation theology initially harnessed the concepts of dependency theory. But Gustavo Gutiérrez later went beyond the theory and admitted that socio-economic aspects were not all-inclusive. 

The concept of sustainable development, for instance, recognizes the social and economic pillars, but added the ecological pillar as indispensable in creating a sustainable society. This implies that the social and economic imperatives must stay within the limits of the planetary boundaries. This also requires that the principles of equity and viability must be embed into the fabric of society.

References

Bombongan, D. (2009). Liberation Theology and Dependency Theory: Tracing a Relationship. D Bombongan. Hapág: A Journal of Interdisciplinary Theological Research 1 (1), 61-91. 

Bornschier, V. and Chase - Dunn C. (1985), 'Transnational Corporations and Underdevelopment' N.Y., N.Y.: Praeger.

Cardoso, F. H. and Faletto, E. (1979), 'Dependency and development in Latin América'. University of California Press.

Sunkel O. (1966), 'The Structural Background of Development Problems in Latin America' Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv, 97, 1: pp. 22 ff.

Dr. Alan Cajes: Portrait of a Filipino as a Data Scientist

This article  is published on 1 January 2021 at <https://pcieerd.dost.gov.ph/news/latest-news/412-dr-alan-cajes-portrait-of-a-filipino-as-a-data-scientist>

With love and devotion for his country and its citizenry, this Filipino expert finds what Leonardo da Vinci called “the joy of understanding” in a bulk of data.

Born in the banana capital of the Philippines, Davao del Norte is the hometown of this prolific and versatile Vice President and Senior Executive Fellow of Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and Project Leader of the Smarter Philippines through Data Analytics R&D, Training and Adoption or SPARTA, Dr. Alan Cajes.

For Cajes, being a data scientist was more of necessity as his job requires him to deep dive into the huge volumes of data including Framework Formulation and Study of Spatial Development, Forecast-Based Emergency Preparedness, and Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment, which according to him use some degree of data science.

“This happens when we collect data the best way we can and allow such, using an acceptable method, to reveal to us new information that leads to new insights, and then new knowledge that can be used to improve the way we do things in the public, business, and civil society sector,” he shared.

In an email correspondence, Cajes revealed that his typical workday as a data scientist often involves reviewing literature and previous projects; discussing and framing questions with colleagues and project team members; designing, pre-testing, and enhancing the data collection instruments; printing the final version of these instruments and training the enumerators on how to administer such; as well as data cleaning that includes detecting, removing or correcting errors. Next is tabulating, interpreting, analyzing, and presenting the data, putting together the findings, reflecting on the recommendations, writing, and presenting the report. Then, celebrate success in project task achievement that contributed something new to the body of knowledge, and hopefully helps, no matter how little, to improve the Philippine society.

He virtuously described Filipino data scientists as keen observers, able to swim in an ocean of data, and find timely as well as reliable patterns among them. He continued, “they are artists who are creative in presenting their discoveries so that the intended users will appreciate and make informed decisions, be it in the form of policies, products or services that create public and customer value.”

“Filipinos can benefit from data science through employment opportunities for our data scientists and harnessing their expertise in solving socio-economic problems at the national and local levels, as well as creating public and customer value through new products, improved services, and evidence-based policies,” he said.

Recognizing the high demand for data scientists, he urged all Filipinos to seize this exceptional opportunity to become SPARTA scholars and live out the core values of Dangal (honor and integrity), Galing (smart and innovative), and Tatag (stable and future ready).

“But more than turning raw data into valuable insights,” Cajes says “data scientists are expected to have the skill set (e.g., data mining, data visualization, among others), mind set (e.g., curiosity and synoptic thinking) to provide meaningful and useful insights to decision makers and executives, and a patriotic calling of using data science to solve some of the challenges that we are facing such as infectious diseases, limited access to potable water, poverty, climate-related disasters, corruption, inefficiencies in the delivery of services, and many more.”

Recalling these traits that a data scientist must possess, he was reminded of an experience he had long ago with some of his trailblazing projects that the DAP conceived, designed, and implemented in the 70s including the Social Indicators Project (1974-75) that gave birth to the idea of the Social Weather Stations (SWS), and the Population, Resources, Environment, and the Philippine Future (PREPF), a forward-looking project in 1975-77 that explored historical trends in Philippine society and their implications for the future – 2000 A.D.

“Our pioneer data scientists showed us that there is an alternative way of probing the future – evidence-based analysis,” he explained. “That is why in 2016, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) tapped the DAP to design and implement a project like the PREFP. This is a Framework Formulation and Study of Spatial Development under the new normal with the idea to explore data and analyze their implications on safer settlements in the future.”

The life of a data scientist is quite like a roller coaster ride and even the Analytics Association of the Philippines (AAP) and Coursebank recognized that one must face the challenges in exponential growth of data and the limited number of data literate workforce.

"The estimate this year is that every person generates about 1.7 megabytes of data per second. This trend will increase with the emergence of smart city initiatives nationwide. If we don’t have the appropriate infrastructure support, big data warehousing and data mining won’t be easy," Cajes remarked. "APEC estimates 340,880 data science and data analytics workers will be needed in the Philippines by 2022. So, we have a huge demand compared to the supply, which is likely less than 20% of the demand."

He supported the claim of the Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) about scarcity of DSA competencies in the current workforce and a misalignment between the demand and supply of DSA professionals in the country. Specifically, it revealed that the 10 DSA-related programs in the Philippines produced 176,597 graduates but only 38% or 62,583 workers were considered fit for the DSA field. Also, the International Labor Organization concluded that there is a risk posed by automation on about 49% of the workforce in the BPO industry.

This Filipino data scientist holds the notion that the country can become one of the “high potential” and then “leading” nation with the right policies and investments in appropriate infrastructure despite the World Economic Forum declaration that the Philippines fall under the “legacy” archetype in relation to Industry 4.0. Bold, albeit cautiously optimistic, he uttered that it is possible to become one of the global leaders in data science.

"Although we are about two years behind Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand in preparing for data science, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) remains steadfast in providing the required support. We have a good number of schools that offer degree programs in statistics compared to other Southeast Asian countries. We have a younger generation that we can train on data science and be mentored by experienced data science academics and practitioners," Cajes expressed.

Supported by the DOST, through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), and led by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), the Project SPARTA seeks to produce 30,000 data scientists through a massive online training program in data science, analytics and its related fields. It creates necessary online education, R&D mechanisms and infrastructure enabling data science and analytics to strengthen smart governance practices.

“We encourage them,” he says referring to the SPARTA scholars “to learn as much as they can on their own (through e-learning modules), and with their fellow scholars (through hackathons). They are the new breed of knowledge workers who can handle big data and provide useful ideas for new products, services, or policies to continually improve Philippine society.”

With experiential knowledge coupled with great fervor and incessant desire to solve complex problems, Dr. Alan Cajes becomes particularly adept at finding trends and obtaining insights from meaningful data.

“We look forward to the day when our SPARTA scholars become valued assets in their respective organizations, as well as coaches and mentors to a new generation of knowledge workers,” he says.

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Dr. Cajes is vice president and senior executive fellow of the Development Academy of the Philippines. He is project lead of the DOST-funded SPARTA Project. This article  is published on 1 January 2021 at <https://pcieerd.dost.gov.ph/news/latest-news/412-dr-alan-cajes-portrait-of-a-filipino-as-a-data-scientist>

Our Grandfather, Eutiquio Bigcas Salces (1918-2017)

by Alan S. Cajes

Our late grandfather was named Eutiquio, which means “Fortunate” in the Old Greek language. We remember his fourth death anniversary on March 1, 2021.

Bigcas, which is the surname of our grandfather’s mother, Gregoria, is Visayan term for “string or rope to snap apart”. It is not found in the list of surnames given by the Spanish Government in the Philippines in the Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos published in 1849. Salces is also not included in that catalogue. This could mean that Bigcas and Salces were already used as surnames by our forefathers in the Philippines before 1849. It could also mean that the people who carried those surnames came to the Philippines after 1849.

It is not easy to trace the lineage of our Bigcas ancestors. The only information we have is that they came from Loboc, Bohol. How they end up in Batuan, Bohol is anybody’s guess. The same can be said about our Salces ancestors.

We fondly call our grandfather as Lolo or Tatay Tikyo. He was a veteran of the Second World War. He helped carry the food for the guerilla forces of Bohol, he once told me. The Bohol Area Command had its headquarters then in Barangay Behind the Clouds, a few kilometers away from Cantigdas, his home barangay.

I was five years old when I stayed with him and our Lola Alejandra (who deserves a separate article). He was the barangay captain at that time. I had the privilege of accompanying him as he performed some of his functions, such as conducting barangay hall meetings or just being present during activities like operation tuli, bayle, repair of classrooms, canvassing of votes during election days, as well as attending weddings and funerals.

Our old grandparents' house was near two streams that meet several meters away from the back of the house. During rainy season, the streams have constantly flowing clear water. Even during the dry season, the streams would not run out of flowing water. We used to swim every now and then in those streams. In the evening, the sound of the flowing water would serve as an apt background to lull us into sleep.

The stream at the right side of the house is where we had a large species of bamboo. He once harvested bamboo as fence (sasa) for my school garden. This stream is my favorite place for playing because the water is not too deep. It is where we could catch freshwater fish (hawan) and mudfish, as well as snails and crabs that our lola could cook to near perfection using a mixture of coconut meat and herbs that grow near the house. The stream at the left side of the house was the favorite swimming place of our uncles and aunties. The water was deep and its current was strong for my age then. This side of the house had a log that served as a bridge and link to a small farm or limbajan. This is also the side where we had a purple colored star apple (kaimito) tree, tambis, and a small coconut tree. I used to climb these trees until I was in college.

At the back portion of the house, about thirty meters away from our kitchen, the two streams meet in a circular pool. This part of the yard has a cave, a canal that is carved from stone to provide water to nearby rice fields, a small waterfall, and a mini forest. After lunch or when it is off season for school, I used to rest in a branch of a large guava tree directly under the cool shade of a large kaimito tree. Both trees have abundant fruits almost throughout the year. I used to invite my friends during the kaimito season. Some of the ripe fruits would just fall on the ground. Most of the time, I need not climb. I just choose the fruits that recently fell from the branches.

A natural phenomenon that made me fall in love with the beauty of the planet is the interplay of the two streams near our grandparents’ house and the subsequent creation of a whirlpool, in which water is somehow sucked underground. Several meters away from the whirlpool, the underground water gushes out, similar to a freshwater spring. When I was young, the whirlpool (huphupan) was so strong during the rainy season. I could see different debris being swallowed and taken underground, perhaps a crude version of a black hole. The bugwak or the other end of the whirlpool is a different story. Since the water gushes out from down under, it was a safe swimming pool.

In our grandparents’ house where I spent part of my childhood, everything was manually done – from planting crops like rice to cooking food like the delicious hinalang (chicken meat cooked with coconut milk). Planting and harvesting were a family enterprise. Most of the time, we had meals and snacks together. Because there was no television yet, we spent the evening singing, playing or sharing jokes and stories under the moonlight or while manually separating corn from cob.

Those were the days when I could tell the time by the radio dramas or programs; when our Lolo Tikyo helped in bringing water and electricity to homes; when fireflies were abundant and some native trees glow (amag) at night; when we share food with the household of Iyo Loloy and Inse Nanie, our close neighbors and relatives; when Nong Porin would share with us freshly collected tuba from the coconut tree near the house; when the mention of Santilmo and tiaw could trigger fear in our hearts; when Manok ni San Pedro was a favorite source of entertainment after dinner; when rice pounding was one of the household chores; when we go to Church every Sunday walking for about two kilometers wearing tsinelas and then wash our soiled feet in a stream near the Poblacion so we could put on our shoes; when our uncles and aunties had to leave to complete their studies, or work in other places.

How our grandparents managed to support their children is a good topic for discussion. But one thing that Lolo Tikyo cared about, other than Lola and the kids, was his faith. He respected the faith of his relatives and friends. Yet he was a devout Catholic. We were once classmates in a course that trained Catholic Faith Defenders. When discussions about the Bible happened in the house, he would explain his positions on the selected topics and I would reinforce him with the verses.

When we met during the ordination of Father Dante in Tagaytay City, after more than ten years of not seeing each other in person, he could no longer hear me. His sense of hearing already failed him. Yet we managed to have a conversation — he would read the text that I would compose on a cell phone and then he would say in a loud voice his response. As the eldest of the grandchildren, it would have been painful if he would no longer recognize me in his old age, as some of you may have experienced. I am glad that his memory did not fail him yet. The last time I saw him, I glimpsed the familiar twinkle in his eyes and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon just sitting around with him while enjoying tuba and the company of our uncles and relatives.

Yes, I learned a trick or two on how to put a smile on the face of our grand old man. Vaya con dios Tay Tikyo. Thank you for the memories of ricefields and simple rural living.

Virtue Ethics in Daily Life

By A. Salces Cajes, PhD

The focus of this article is the sub-field of Ethics called normative ethics (the other fields are metaethics and applied ethics). The objective is to answer the question: How can we use Ethics to ensure that we are doing the right thing? 

Broadly speaking, we can describe Ethics as the art and science of correct doing. It is an art because we can practice or apply it in our daily lives. It is a science since it has a specific body of knowledge and principles that can guide human decisions.

Normative ethics helps us in making a decision about what is right and what is wrong. There are three strategies to do this: one, through duty theories; two, through consequentialist theories, and three, through virtue theories or virtue ethics. This article is about the third strategy.

Some Notes on Duty and Consequentialist Theories

Duty theories, among others, require us to practice The Golden Rule: do to others what you require others to do to you. The negative formulation of this rule states that you should not do to others what you do not want others to do to you. These norms are embodied in two ethical principles: beneficence (do good or be merciful and charitable) and nonmaleficence (avoid evil or do no harm). The references for these principles are human rights, laws, customs, as well as categorical imperatives or obligations, such as justice and fidelity.

Consequentialist theories involve a cost-benefit analysis of the effects of our decisions. Thus a good decision implies that the consequence of a decision is more beneficial compared to the cost or the negative effect. The consequentialist theories cover ethical egoism, ethical altruism, and utilitarianism.

On Virtue Ethics

Virtue refers to attitude and behavior that is consistent with high moral standards. Thus a virtuous person thinks, feels and acts in accordance to the standards of excellence and morality. The natural or four cardinal virtues are prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice. The Christian theological virtues are faith, hope, and love. In Buddhism, virtue refers to the right view. In Islam, it means righteousness.

One way to become a virtuous person is to practice what Aristotle calls as habits to control human emotions. This can be done by cultivating phronesis —moral or practical wisdom, which aims for the good of society by uncompromisingly pursuing excellence. Thus a phronetic leader is like the Gita’s Perspective of Hinduism, and the sage king of Confucianism who combines wisdom, virtue and authority. Or the King Solomon of the Old Testament who was wise and ethical.

Practical wisdom is a fundamental virtue. It is also known as common sense. Barry Schwartz describes it as doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time.

How can we cultivate practical wisdom? The good news is that our DNA and RNA enable the transfer of information from one generation to the next. So one way to develop common sense is by introspection or reflection. The other ways include interacting with other people, by working together, by sharing contexts and stories through conversation, by reading books about history and the humanities, etc.

The art of practicing virtue ethics is not an easy task. To use the words of Dag Hammarskjold, it involves the longest journey, which is the journey inwards. As Socrates reminded us: “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” 

The Filipino concept of "loob" can help us in this journey. By listening to, and getting in sync with, our "loob" or will (other translations include inner self, spirit, consciousness), we can be grounded with our core values that can illuminate our process of decision making.

References

Hursthouse, Rosalind and Glen Pettigrove, "Virtue Ethics", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2018 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2018/entries/ethics-virtue/>.

“Ethics,” by James Fieser, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ISSN 2161-0002, https://www.iep.utm.edu/, today’s date.