USING HIERARCHY THEORY TO EXPLORE THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

It is commonplace to experience a discrepancy in values when assessing the same phenomenon or action from different perspectives, eg what is good to our taste (assessment on a short-term timescale) may be harmful to our health (assessment on a longer timescale). This pattern is repeated at each enlargement of perspective that brings another hierarchical level into the picture: what is profitable for the family-less taxes-may be harmful to the community. The study of these contrasts has traditionally been addressed by disciplines such as philosophy, political science and ethics. However, the development of hierarchy theory provides us with a scientific tool to explore the nature of the contrasts of values. This article discusses the major principles of hierarchy theory and goes on to consider the issue of sustainable development.