TY - JOUR
T1 - Simplicity and sustainability
T2 - Pointers from ethics and science
AU - Massoudi, Mehrdad
AU - Vaidya, Ashwin
PY - 2018/4/23
Y1 - 2018/4/23
N2 - In this paper, we explore the notion of simplicity. We use definitions of simplicity proposed by philosophers, scientists, and economists. In an age when the rapidly growing human population faces an equally rapidly declining energy/material resources, there is an urgent need to consider various notions of simplicity, collective and individual, which we believe to be a sensible path to restore our planet to a reasonable state of health. Following the logic of mathematicians and physicists, we suggest that simplicity can be related to sustainability. Our efforts must therefore not be spent so much in pursuit of growth but in achieving a sustainable life.
AB - In this paper, we explore the notion of simplicity. We use definitions of simplicity proposed by philosophers, scientists, and economists. In an age when the rapidly growing human population faces an equally rapidly declining energy/material resources, there is an urgent need to consider various notions of simplicity, collective and individual, which we believe to be a sensible path to restore our planet to a reasonable state of health. Following the logic of mathematicians and physicists, we suggest that simplicity can be related to sustainability. Our efforts must therefore not be spent so much in pursuit of growth but in achieving a sustainable life.
KW - Entropy
KW - Ethics
KW - Mathematical modeling
KW - Simplicity
KW - Sustainability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046086601&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/su10041303
DO - 10.3390/su10041303
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85046086601
SN - 2071-1050
VL - 10
JO - Sustainability (Switzerland)
JF - Sustainability (Switzerland)
IS - 4
M1 - 1303
ER -
