Publications - Monographs and Scientific Edited Books

The pandemic of the new coronavirus has raised a number of questions for human society. They seem to push back other key issues of the future – changes in environmental conditions, the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), the introduction of artificial intelligence, the sustainability of the social model, the deepening polarization of income and opportunities.

The unifying approach to problem solving has become a one cause – one problem – one solution philosophy: CO2 production – greenhouse effect – temperature rise – reduction of CO2 emissions; income problems (covid-19) – reduction of consumption – optimization of production capacity – government help money to the entrepreneurs and the population.

As if the fact that these processes are multidimensional, formed by a system of internal links, different dynamics and inertia of individual processes, but mainly by their internal interconnection (feedback) and hierarchical arrangement in terms of significance, was not respected. As if we were afraid to admit that the key is to know the architecture of the context, the chaining of processes around us. There are always many causes of particular phenomena (without hierarchically arranged system it is not possible to design and select proper tools and solutions). The result is a rapid transfer of attention (and solutions) from one problem to another (chaotic response).

The pandemic showed the strengths and weaknesses of today´s world (super-complex even without a pandemic). The problem, however, is the climate when only one opinion is right (however scientifically looking like). Discussion ceases to be a tool for finding right solutions and is increasingly being replaced by a charge on the opinion of elites and the search for truth and knowledge is being replaced by direct promotion of a single „right“ opinion and solution.

It is forgotten that the information society, big data, artificial intelligence and the complexity of science make it possible to return to a holistic view of the world and its problems. (Supercomputers can be great hardware of knowledge). It is therefore necessary to draw a holistic view of the world economy (not as a collection of partial, however interesting and important processes) as a multidimensional view of the diversity and interconnectedness of current processes. The individual chapters meet the criteria of multidimensionality and integrity.

From this point of view it is possible to define a complex of causes (covid-19 is only one of them) and to determine the hierarchization of current and future processes (causes – consequences – solutions). At present, therefore, the key question is whether it is possible to return to the status before the pandemic. The answer is no (capital markets are a particular problem), as key determinants already existed before the pandemic. Is the constant growth of consumption sustainable? Can the consequences of the Fourth industrial revolution and introduction of artificial intelligence radically change the architecture of society as we know it? Can today´s society remain unchanged (in terms of goals, tools, etc.) in relation to changes in the natural environment (predatory relationship with nature)?

These questions are multidimensional and interdisciplinary. Therefore, it is necessary to deal with a wide range of problems, processes, solutions. The real world is multidimensional, information technologies provide information to man, and digitalization makes it possible to create models of the virtual world and its development. The more a person penetrates this complex system, the more interesting it is, but also the more difficult to understand. So let´s try to look at the world around us not through a simple (one-dimensional) view, but through a broad-based image of reality around us.