Towards a relational ontology of development: A critical reconceptualization of sustainability as an endogenous and complex process
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46380/rias.v9.e631Keywords:
biophysical limits, community participation, environmental rationality, territorial governance, Sumak KawsayAbstract
This essay presents an analytical and interpretive synthesis of the theoretical and epistemological foundations underpinning sustainability as a new development paradigm. Adopting a critical and relational epistemological stance, the methodological strategy employed was a documentary review and critical analysis of specialized literature. Through a critical examination of the concept's historical evolution—ranging from the instrumental rationality of modernity to the recognition of the planet's biophysical limits—the study deconstructed the reductionist views that have subordinated nature to linear economic growth. The primary contribution lies in a proposal to reconceptualize sustainable development as an endogenous, multidimensional process that integrates ecological, economic, and social dimensions into an operational framework aimed at ensuring ecosystem balance and intergenerational equity.
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