Political and Ethical Challenges of 2025: Utopian and Dystopian Views

Abstract

A perfect storm of political and ethical challenges may be brewing up through 2025. First, the chapter constructs two opposed scenarios. The utopian or optimistic scenario is progressive and globalizing in orientation and expects the future to transform corporate sustainability radically to social advantage. The dystopian or pessimistic scenario is conservative and even nationalistic and populist in orientation and expects the future to be chaotic for corporate sustainability to social disadvantage. These designed extremes frame a dialogue. Second, each citizen chooses a political and ethical stance in light of expectations about the future and capacity to influence that future. The analysis details three stances at individual citizens and aggregating political party levels. The greater social division increases the importance of a neutral median voter perspective but increases the likelihood of a centrist party disappearing. A business manager assesses how corporate social responsibility (CSR) views and political criticism of capitalism and wealth affect corporate sustainability.