"Can one individual truly change the world? In our age of discontent, when so many people feel frustrated, powerless and disconnected from those around them, this is a cardinal question. US philosophers Michael Brownstein, Alex Madva and Daniel Kelly believe individuals can make a difference. In 14 short, lucid chapters, their new book offers a framework and examples designed to activate the agency most people don't realise they have."
"The authors aim to show readers how certain personal choices can alter the "structures" and "systems" that govern the myriad decisions we make, usually quite passively. As such, their book aims to empower and inspire. Written for a general audience, the gist of their argument is captured by the words of US environmental activist Bill McKibben. "The most important thing an individual can do," he once said, "is become somewhat less of an individual.""
"This book is timely. In the Anglosphere, and further afield, many people are unhappy. Public rallies have become commonplace, from student protests in Indonesia to Australia's recent marches for stricter immigration controls. This feels like a historical turning point, but who's doing the turning and to what purpose? Many see a world awash with serious problems: climate change, wars, poverty, species extinctions, unaffordable housing, racism, gun crime, sexism, drug addiction ... the list goes on."
A framework of 14 short chapters presents practical methods for individuals to activate agency and influence social systems. The framework explains how specific personal choices can change the structures that govern routine decisions and behaviors. The guidance translates private actions into public effects and aims to empower general readers to take meaningful civic steps. The context includes widespread discontent, public rallies, declining faith in established parties, and the growth of right-wing ethno‑national politics. The material enumerates urgent problems—climate change, wars, poverty, species extinctions, unaffordable housing, racism, gun crime, sexism, and addiction—and asks what grassroots options for change remain.
Read at The Conversation
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