
The Great Turning
From Empire to Earth Community
KORTEN(Author)
Kumarian Press
Published on 16. November 2007
Book
Paperback/Softback
360 pages
978-1-887208-08-6 (ISBN)
Description
Sweeping survey of world history offering a new understanding of the key challenge of our time
Offers a positive message of hope for a sustainable and just future and a practical strategy for getting there
In The Great Turning, David Korten argues that ""Empire,"" the organization of society through hierarchy and violence has always resulted in misery for the many and fortune for the few, but now it threatens the very future of humanity as Empire has become unsustainable and destructive.
Korten traces the roots of Empire and charts the evolution of its instruments of control, from absolute monarchies to the multinational institutions of the global economy. He describes efforts to develop democratic alternatives to Empire, such as the founding of the United States and shows how elitists with an imperial agenda have undermined the ""American experiment.""
Empire is not inevitable, and we can turn away from it. Korten draws on evidence from evolutionary theory, developmental psychology, and religious teachings to show that a life-centered, egalitarian, sustainable, democratic ""Earth Community"" is possible.
Offers a positive message of hope for a sustainable and just future and a practical strategy for getting there
In The Great Turning, David Korten argues that ""Empire,"" the organization of society through hierarchy and violence has always resulted in misery for the many and fortune for the few, but now it threatens the very future of humanity as Empire has become unsustainable and destructive.
Korten traces the roots of Empire and charts the evolution of its instruments of control, from absolute monarchies to the multinational institutions of the global economy. He describes efforts to develop democratic alternatives to Empire, such as the founding of the United States and shows how elitists with an imperial agenda have undermined the ""American experiment.""
Empire is not inevitable, and we can turn away from it. Korten draws on evidence from evolutionary theory, developmental psychology, and religious teachings to show that a life-centered, egalitarian, sustainable, democratic ""Earth Community"" is possible.
Reviews / Votes
"The Great Turning sets forth a compelling, devastating, and ultimately profoundly hopeful story that provides a framework for the new, unifying political conversation our nation so desperately needs. A must-read for every person of conscience."-Van Jones, Executive Director, The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
"What a gift David Korten has given us with this prophetic book! In this well-written and thorough story of the crises of late Modernity, Korten gives us a beautifully reasoned, carefully researched look at why we absolutely have to turn away from imperial power and wealth and, instead, create an Earth Community. This is a must-read for activists, for lovers of contemporary American studies, and for Cultural Creatives."
-Paul H. Ray, coauthor of The Cultural Creatives
"Employing history, psychology, economics, spirituality, and common sense, Korten not only critiques the dilemma we are in as a species, he also shows us doable and workable ways out of our morass. He has cre- ated a tour de force -a call to compassion as much as a blueprint for survival. This book is a kind of Bible to the 21st century, a revelation of where we might travel if we have the moral imagination and the courage to choose and act wisely."
-Matthew Fox, educator and theologian, author of Original Blessing and A New Reformation
"If you read only one book on how to address the looming ecological and social crises facing humanity, make it this one! Korten fearlessly grapples with 'the big picture' and goes beyond merely diagnosing the problem (which he does with great precision), as he outlines a positive and realistic plan for actually creating a just and sustainable global society."
-David Cobb, 2004 Green Party United States Presidential Candidate
"Korten has done it again-created a masterpiece of big thinking to help us find our way in this death-or-life historical moment. With fascinating analogies, intriguing stories, and eloquent analysis, Korten engages and emboldens us to believe that we can trust and cultivate the best in our- selves and, despite the lateness of the hour, choose life."
-Frances Moore Lappe, author of Hope's Edge and Democracy
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
West Hartford
United States
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
614 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-887208-08-6 (9781887208086)
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2022
1st Edition
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
from
€59.99
Available for download

E-Book
10/2007
1st Edition
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
€59.99
Available for download
Person
David C. Korten is president and founder of the People-Centered Development Forum, a global alliance dedicated to the creation of just, inclusive and sustainable societies through voluntary citizen action. He holds MBA and PhD degrees from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and is a former faculty member of the Harvard Graduate School of Business. He was previously a Ford Foundation project specialist in Manila and an Asia Regional Advisor on Development Management for the U.S. Agency for International Development. David is the author of 'The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community', 'When Corporations Rule the World' and 'The Post-Corporate World: Life After Capitalism' and a frequently invited speaker at conferences around the world. He is also a Board member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) and a member of Social Venture Network and the Club of Rome.
Content
Acknowledgments
The Great Turning
Prologue: In Search of the Possible
PART I: CHOOSING OUR FUTURE
1: The Choice
2: The Possibility
3: The Imperative
4: The Opportunity
PART II: SORROWS OF EMPIRE
5: When God Was a Woman
6: Ancient Empire
7: Modern Empire
8: Athenian Experiment
PART III: AMERICA, THE UNFINISHED PROJECT
9: Inauspicious Beginning
10: People Power Rebellion
11: Empire's Victory
12: Struggle for Justice
13: Wake-Up Call
14: Prisons of the Mind
PART IV: THE GREAT TURNING
15: Beyond Strict Father versus Aging Clock
16: Creation's Epic Journey
17: Joys of Earth Community
18: Stories for a New Era
PART V: BIRTHING EARTH COMMUNITY
19: Leading from Below
20: Building a Political Majority
21: Liberating Creative Potential
22: Change the Story, Change the Future
Notes
Index
About the Author
The Great Turning
Prologue: In Search of the Possible
PART I: CHOOSING OUR FUTURE
1: The Choice
2: The Possibility
3: The Imperative
4: The Opportunity
PART II: SORROWS OF EMPIRE
5: When God Was a Woman
6: Ancient Empire
7: Modern Empire
8: Athenian Experiment
PART III: AMERICA, THE UNFINISHED PROJECT
9: Inauspicious Beginning
10: People Power Rebellion
11: Empire's Victory
12: Struggle for Justice
13: Wake-Up Call
14: Prisons of the Mind
PART IV: THE GREAT TURNING
15: Beyond Strict Father versus Aging Clock
16: Creation's Epic Journey
17: Joys of Earth Community
18: Stories for a New Era
PART V: BIRTHING EARTH COMMUNITY
19: Leading from Below
20: Building a Political Majority
21: Liberating Creative Potential
22: Change the Story, Change the Future
Notes
Index
About the Author