SOCIOTECHNICAL FUNCTIONING AND ANTHROPOGENIC CRISES

Theoretically the barriers of human evolution can be derived from the phenomenon and rules of socio-technical functioning, its interactions with the man-made functional environment. The analysis propounds that most conflicts and crises are of anthropogenic character. The aim of t his paper is to map the crises humanity may expect in the future due t o its mode of functioning and development. It is not its aim to evalua te different particular aspects of evolutionary perspectives of mankin d. The irreconcilable contradictions, like the one between the self-mo difying nature of human beings and the self-restoration capability of nature, might become barriers on the road of cognitive evolution. But even antagonistic contradictions can be bridged by creation of specifi c socio-economic mechanisms. The evolutionary perspectives are epitomi zed and principles of politics are derived accordingly. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.