Overview
- This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access
- Argues for the importance of simple, stable institutions and regulatory bodies to contain complex catastrophes
- Presents a positive 'politics of hope'
- Explores contemporary global issues
Part of the book series: Sustainable Development Goals Series (SDGS)
Buy print copy
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
About this book
This open access book sets out simple solutions to managing complex catastrophes. It focusses on four kinds of crises – climate change, crime-war cascades, epidemics and financial crises. These catastrophes are conceived as complex and prone to cascade effects. This book is optimistic in explaining that there are identifiable simple institutions that international society can strengthen and some simple principles that can help humankind to control the expanding gamut of complex catastrophes that confront the planet including simple, stable institutions and regulatory bodies. It draws on a wide range of current and past crises and challenges, from the Cold War to COVID-19, and from Weapons of Mass Destruction to restorative diplomacy with States like China, to provide an urgent and timely path forward.
Braithwaite argues that improved peacemaking, and step by step progress toward abolition of Weapons of Mass Destruction helps prevent environmental, pandemic, and financial catastrophes. His method across four kinds of crises is first to prioritize simple principles and simple institutions that prevent coupled catastrophes from cascading one to the other. The next step is to pursue requisite variety in responses by diagnosing dialectically when additional interventions will and will not add value for crisis control. Braithwaite argues that minimal sufficiency of deterrence, responsive regulation of risks, and restorative diplomacy offer superior theoretical foundations than realism in international relations theory and in organizational crime control. It speaks to those interested in criminology, public policy and international relations, political science, sociology, public health and economics.
Similar content being viewed by others
Table of contents (12 chapters)
-
Front Matter
-
Back Matter
Reviews
“The book is written in such a way to challenge conventional beliefs about world wide conflicts and problems. … The book is valuable for policymakers and others interested in tackling complex problems with simple solutions. His arguments are well-founded, explained in depth, and backed with historical evidence. It makes the reader wonder what global problems could be fixed if we just approached them more simply.” (Emily M. Homer, Crime, Law and Social Change, Vol. 83 (1), 2025)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
John Braithwaite is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor of the Australian National University, and an interdisciplinary scholar of peacebuilding, war crime, business crime, criminological theory, and regulation and governance. He founded and was the first Director of the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) at ANU Many of his previous works can be downloaded from johnbraithwaite.com.
Accessibility Information
PDF accessibility summary
This PDF does not fully comply with PDF/UA standards, but does feature limited screen reader support, bookmarks for easy navigation and searchable, selectable text. Users of assistive technologies may experience difficulty navigating or interpreting content in this document. We recognize the importance of accessibility, and we welcome queries about accessibility for any of our products. If you have a question or an access need, please get in touch with us at accessibilitysupport@springernature.com.
EPUB accessibility summary
This ebook is designed with accessibility in mind, aiming to meet the ePub Accessibility 1.0 AA and WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards and featuring rich, screen-reader friendly navigation. We recognize the importance of accessibility, and we welcome queries about accessibility for any of our products. If you have a question or an access need, please get in touch with us at accessibilitysupport@springernature.com.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Simple Solutions to Complex Catastrophes
Book Subtitle: Dialectics of Peace, Climate, Finance, and Health
Authors: John Braithwaite
Series Title: Sustainable Development Goals Series
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48747-7
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Law and Criminology, Law and Criminology (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2024
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-48746-0Published: 27 February 2024
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-48749-1Published: 27 February 2024
eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-48747-7Published: 26 February 2024
Series ISSN: 2523-3084
Series E-ISSN: 2523-3092
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIV, 436
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations
Topics: Crime Control and Security, Crime and Society, International Relations, International Relations Theory, Public Policy, Social Philosophy