Shaping Network Society

We have students from more than 40 countries at the Erfurt School of Public Policy. Sometimes, when asked what is it that differentiates us from other public policy schools, I  refer to our planetary perspective.  But what does that mean?

Planetary thinking is a term introduced by Martin Heidegger, to reflect the role of philosophy (a Greek/Western concept) in comparison to other systems of thought. Planetary public policy balances different approaches to public policy problems, reminds us that problems come in all sizes (local to global), that we can learn from each other, but that solutions need to be “tropicalized” (adapted to the local context). If public policy is about thinking about having a structural impact, then planetary public policy is about “rocking the planet.” Is that what we need in 2009? How does planetary thinking fit into the project of “shaping network society?” Do you buy into it?