Dariusz Pieńkowski – författare

Drawing on a broad transdisciplinary background, this book compares distributive justice systems and related socioeconomic institutions within the liberal and sustainable development traditions. Confronting the capitalist worldview of prominent Nobel Prize–winning economist Milton Friedman, the book offers a theoretical framework for sustainable development: a new paradigm of economics grounded in environmental and social issues. The analysis takes as its starting point that the development and evolution of human beings is codetermined by socioeconomic institutions. These institutions facilitate models of society, morality and human behaviour: they are all social constructs. This matters because the liberal system of justice uses the claim that ‘life is unfair’ as the justification of socioeconomic inequalities, and it is these institutions which determine the concepts of fairness and justice. Therefore, the liberal system’s favouring of entrepreneurs should require advance measures to safeguard the interests of the losers—instead, it seeks to justify their misfortunes. It is argued that this liberal notion of fairness can only be fairly executed in conditions of perfect market competition, which have never existed. In contrast, the principles of sustainable development pay attention to the problems generated by the unjust and unfair distribution of resources and postulate wider use of the fairness formula ‘to each according to their needs’. It is thus more focused on fair ends than on fair procedures. This book is addressed to scholars and advanced students in ecological economics, environmental economics, economics of sustainable development and political science.

Drawing on a broad transdisciplinary background, this book compares distributive justice systems and related socioeconomic institutions within the liberal and sustainable development traditions. Confronting the capitalist worldview of prominent Nobel Prize–winning economist Milton Friedman, the book offers a theoretical framework for sustainable development: a new paradigm of economics grounded in environmental and social issues. The analysis takes as its starting point that the development and evolution of human beings is codetermined by socioeconomic institutions. These institutions facilitate models of society, morality and human behaviour: they are all social constructs. This matters because the liberal system of justice uses the claim that ‘life is unfair’ as the justification of socioeconomic inequalities, and it is these institutions which determine the concepts of fairness and justice. Therefore, the liberal system’s favouring of entrepreneurs should require advance measures to safeguard the interests of the losers—instead, it seeks to justify their misfortunes. It is argued that this liberal notion of fairness can only be fairly executed in conditions of perfect market competition, which have never existed. In contrast, the principles of sustainable development pay attention to the problems generated by the unjust and unfair distribution of resources and postulate wider use of the fairness formula ‘to each according to their needs’. It is thus more focused on fair ends than on fair procedures. This book is addressed to scholars and advanced students in ecological economics, environmental economics, economics of sustainable development and political science.

This book discusses how tourism between neighboring countries like Poland and Germany is hindered despite the Schengen Treaty. Taking protected areas in north-eastern Germany and north-western Poland as exemplary cases, it analyses the phenomenon of socio-economic and cultural barriers for cross-border tourism. It also presents the results of a representative online survey in both countries, and discusses socio-economic and geographical research on border areas, nature tourism in protected areas, national stereotypes and prejudices. As one of the very few source market studies on protected area tourism, it is relevant for scholars and practitioners (protected area managers, tourism professionals) alike providing them with insights into the implications for future research and tourism practice.