Values, Institutions and Innovations for Societal Progress : The Moral Pursuit of Autonomy and Rationality

In this thought-provoking book, Udo Pesch examines how values articulated by society are incorporated into institutions and technologies in order to overcome what many consider to be a lack of democratic control over their progress. Providing insights from different disciplinary angles including moral values, deliberative practices, societal institutions and technological innovation, this book pursues the democratisation of innovation and the increase of institutional responsiveness.

Pesch demonstrates strategies to cope with the challenges created by digitalisation, privatisation and ecological degradation, and explores how to bridge the gap between normative and descriptive research.

Addressing issues such as how digital technologies threaten human autonomy and how the pursuit of economic prosperity can lead to ecological degradation, this timely book seeks to regain control of institutional and technological developments within our society. Scholars of philosophy of technology, engineering ethics, political theory and innovation theory will find that this book offers comprehensive insights into these disciplines.

Policymakers who require a broad understanding of societal trends and challenges will also find this book illuminating and insightful.