Næss and economics paper scheduled for presentation July 25th at ISQOLS 2025 (Luxembourg)

The paper "What deep ecologist Arne Næss can teach us about the interdisciplinary nature of economics", submitted on behalf of Jan Karlstrøm, Thomas Hylland Eriksen and myself, has been scheduled for presentation (by me) at the 2025 conference of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies  (ISQOLS 2025), which is held in Luxembourg July 22-25th. The paper will be presented on Friday July 25th at 14.14-14.36 as part of the session 21A, "Special Session on Legitimate Public Policies: Promoting Well-being and Ecological Sustainability".

Expanded Reason Awards - application

I have just submitted my chapter "A Biosemiotic Perspective on the Human Condition and the Environmental Crisis" to the Expanded Reason Awards, with a CV, an extended abstract, and a 3.000 word  "explanatory document" written for the occasion.

Abstract for ISQOLS 2025: "What deep ecologist Arne Næss can teach us about the interdisciplinary nature of economics"

I have just composed and submitted the abstract below to the organizers of The 23rd Annual Conference of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS 2025), which is to be held 22-25 July, 2025, in Luxembourg.

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What deep ecologist Arne Næss can teach us about the interdisciplinary nature of economics

By Morten Tønnessen (presenter), Jan Karlstrøm and Thomas Hylland Eriksen (deceased 2024)

The Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss (1912-2009) criticized modern economics for its lack of philosophical awareness and interdisciplinarity, suggesting that economists should draw inspiration from the field’s origins in philosophy. Næss’ views on how the economy should be organized and studied are significant for a proper understanding of his overall philosophy, particularly in light of his differentiation between a deep and shallow understanding of environmental issues. In this paper we review Næss’ critique of economics as an academic discipline and discuss his proposals for transforming our approach to economics, considering both its historical development and the ongoing environmental crisis. Specifically, we emphasize the importance of philosophy, ecology, and social anthropology as foundational elements for economics. Our primary reference is the Norwegian-language chapter “New tasks for political economy” from Næss’ major work in environmental philosophy, "Ecology, Community and Lifestyle". We deal with Næss’ view on the use of models and the relationship between theory and reality, the fundamental connection between ecology and the economy, what role normative systems thinking can play for economics, and how economics can be informed by economic anthropology. Our treatment of Næss´ philosophy of economics includes an investigation of his views on relations between people´s quality of life and GDP growth, and his conception of progress and welfare. In conclusion we reflect on the implications of our analysis of Arne Næss’ economic viewpoints for the future of economics. We see a need for a reorientation within economics with an increased focus on environmental issues as understood by ecologists, a reframed focus on values and goods as understood by philosophers, and a renewed emphasis on promotion of welfare as the primary goal of economics. In practice, the latter reorientation will imply adopting John Stuart Mill's categorization of economics as a branch of social philosophy.

Topic: Disciplinary Approaches to Well-Being, Happiness and Quality-of-life

Keywords: Arne Næss, Deep ecology, Ecological economics, Environmental philosophy, GDP growth, Interdisciplinarity, John Stuart Mill, Normative systems thinking, Philosophy of economics, Political economy, Quality of life, Social anthropology, Welfare

Næss article proof-read

Today I have responded to language washing / proofs of the article "Hva Arne Næss kan lære oss om økonomifagets tverrfaglighet" (What Arne Næss can teach us about the interdisciplinary nature of economics), which I have co-written with Jan Karlstrøm and Thomas Hylland Eriksen and which will appear in issue 1/2, 2024, of Norsk Filosofisk Tidsskrift.

Article on Arne Næss´ philosophy of economics accepted for publication in Norsk Filosofisk Tidsskrift

We have just been notified that our article "Hva Arne Næss kan lære oss om økonomifagets tverrfaglighet" (What Arne Næss can teach us about the interdisciplinary nature of economics) has been accepted for publication in Norsk Filosofisk Tidsskrift. I have co-written the article along with Jan Karlstrøm and Thomas Hylland Eriksen.

Moscow presentation at Sharov 70 conference held digitally

Today I have I presented the paper ""Semiotic agency" as a unifying concept for the life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities”" at the one-day conference  “The active forces of development and semiotic agency (Developmental and semiotic agency)", which was held in Moscow and online, hosted by the Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (INION RAN) . Some 20 people attended altogether physically and online. 

See also:

Moscow presentation on semiotic agency scheduled (April 10th); Zoom link

#11

Today I have had an article writing day, #11 this Spring. I have assessed and done minor editing in the article "Hva Arne Næss kan lære oss om økonomifagets tverrfaglighet" (direct translation: What Arne Næss can teach us about the interdisciplinary of economics), and submitted it to Agora on behalf of Jan Karlstrøm, Thomas Hylland Eriksen and myself. I further revised my letter to the editor of Biosemiotics titled "Understanding subjecthood and experience" by adding a paragraph on request, and resubmitted it. Finally, I did some editing of and commenting on text for Mars and the Earthlings. Altogether I wrote some 250 words.

#34,5

Today I have had half a writing day, #34,5 this Autumn, devoted to the article "Hva Arne Næss kan lære oss om økonomifagets tverrfaglighet", which I co-write with Jan Karlstrøm and Thomas Hylland Eriksen, adding some 150 words to the text in the process.

#5; new article on Arne Næss and his view on economics

Today I have had the 5th writing day this Spring, with some 600 words added to our GDP review article and a new article I am writing with Jan Karlstrøm and Thomas Hylland Eriksen, work-titled "Hva Arne Næss kan lære oss om økonomifagets tverrfaglighet".

Three meetings and cake

Today I have attended the Faculty of social sciences´ leadership group meeting, which included a meeting with Innovation Norway. I also attended a meeting between our faculty and Faculty of science and technology (held to explore possibilities for interdisciplinary collaboration), and (most of) the staff meeting at Department of social studies - which morphed into a celebration of Thonette Myking, who is about to retire.

References to my work in co-authored manifesto article

Some of my work is referred to (p. 15) in a manifesto article which I have co-authored:

Favareau, Don, Kalevi Kull, Gerald Ostdiek, Timo Maran, Louise Westling, Paul Cobley, Frederik Stjernfelt, Myrdene Anderson, Morten Tønnessen and Wendy Wheeler 2017. How can the study of the humanities inform the study ofbiosemiotics? Biosemiotics 10(1). DOI: 10.1007/s12304-017-9287-6 (published online April 8th 2017).

The references are to:

Beever, J., & Tønnessen, M. (2013). "Darwin und die Englische moral": the moral consequences of Uexküll’s umwelt theory. Biosemiotics, 6(3), 437–447.

Tønnessen, M. (2003). Umwelt ethics. Sign Systems Studies, 31(1), 281–299.

Tønnessen, M. (2009). Signs grow – But should they? Semioethics and the dominant semiosis of Homo sapiens sapiens (= Meditationes Semioticae I). Hortus Semioticus, 4, 81–84.

Tønnessen, M., & Beever, J. (2014). Beyond sentience: Biosemiotics as foundation for animal and environmental ethics. In J. Hadley & E. Aaltola (Eds.), Animal ethics and philosophy: questioning the orthodoxy (pp. 47–62). London: Rowman & Littlefield International.

von Uexküll, J. (2013). Darwin and the English morality. Translation of "Darwin und die Englische moral", Deutsche Rundschau 173: 215–242. (trans.) M. Tønnessen, (Ed.), J. Beever. Biosemiotics, 6(3), 449–471.

"How can the study of the humanities inform the study of biosemiotics?" published online

The manifesto-like article referred to below has just appeared online.

Favareau, Don, Kalevi Kull, Gerald Ostdiek, Timo Maran, Louise Westling, Paul Cobley, Frederik Stjernfelt, Myrdene Anderson, Morten Tønnessen and Wendy Wheeler. How can the study of the humanities inform the study of biosemiotics? Biosemiotics 10(1). DOI: 10.1007/s12304-017-9287-6 (published online April 8th 2017).

CFP: Session "Biosemiotics in dialogue" at 13th World Congress of Semiotics

CFP for the session “Biosemiotics in dialogue”

IASS/AIS 13th World Congress of Semiotics “Cross-Inter-Multi-Trans” (Kaunas, Lithuania, 26-30 June 2017)

Conceptually, biosemiotics is the semiotic study of living systems. In essence, biosemiotics is already more-than-semiotic as well as more-than-biological – it is interdisciplinary in nature, and builds on synthesis between ideas and theories from various fields. In this session, we will look at the history as well as future of biosemiotics in its relating to various fields.

More specifically, we look for answers to the following questions: What are the historical, methodological and conceptual ties between biosemiotics and neighboring disciplines? How can fruitful theoretical synthesis in form of biosemiotics best be achieved? How can biosemiotics draw on ideas and perspectives from neighboring fields of endeavor? What can other fields in semiotics and beyond learn from biosemiotics? How can biosemiotics in the best way take part in solving essential scientific problems of our time?

For participating, please register to the World Congress with indication of participation in the session “Biosemiotics in dialogue” and send your abstract also to timo.maran [@] ut.ee. Please note that the registration deadline is November 30, 2016.

With kind regards,

Kalevi Kull,

Morten Tønnessen,

Timo Maran

"Mapping human impact" chapter now freely available online

My book chapter "Mapping Human Impact – Expanding Horizons: Interdisciplinary Integration" (2011) is, along with the rest of the book The Space of Culture - the Place of Nature in Estonia and Beyond (= Approaches to Cultural Theory vol. 1; ed. Tiina Peil, Tartu University Press 2011), now freely available online via OAPEN.org (Open Access Publishing in European Networks) - see here. For my chapter, see pp. 93-106.

See also the link collection "Publications available online" in the right-hand sidebar.

Application sent to take part in "Idélab" on climate-friendly technology

Today, tempted by Research Council of Norway's teaser of an announcement text ("Store utfordringer krever radikale prosjektideer" [Big challenges require radical project ideas]), I have sent an application to participate in "Idélab" [idea lab], with the theme "Mot et nullutslippssamfunn" [Towards a zero emission society]. RCN seeks scientists within nanotechnology, biotechnology and information/communication technology, plus scholars within the humanities and social sciences, who will work in teams for some 5 days to develop innovative ideas concerning climate-friendly technology. Altogether some 25-30 researchers will participate. The application and appointment process is unconventional - for instance, no CV is to be submitted, and no references are to be given. The winning project ideas will get substantial funding so as to be further developed after the Idélab (some 30 mill. NOK in funding is available altogether).

"Mapping Human Impact" achieves Web of Knowledge status

Some days ago I received an email from the University of Tartu Press notifying me that my book chapter "Mapping Human Impact – Expanding Horizons: Interdisciplinary Integration" has been indexed by Web of Knowledge, via inclusion in the Thomson Reuters Conference Proceedings Citations Index.

Tønnessen, Morten 2011. Mapping Human Impact – Expanding Horizons: Interdisciplinary Integration. Pp. 93-106 in Tiina Peil (ed.): The Space of Culture - the Place of Nature in Estonia and Beyond (= Approaches to Cultural Theory vol. 1). Tartu: Tartu University Press.

Election to the UiS board: Electoral program

Now in April I am running for reelection as the representative for temporarily employed education and research staff in the board of the University of Stavanger (which I have been since the autumn of 2012). Here is my electoral program:

a) Morten Tønnessen

b) 37 years old

c) Associate Professor in philosophy at Department of Health Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences

d) Background: Tønnessen has been the representative for temporarily employed education and research staff in the UiS board since the autumn of 2012. He defended his doctoral degree in semiotics/philosophy – with a case study on Norwegian wolf management – in 2011 at the University of Tartu (Estonia). Tønnessen has held several NGO positions (he is currently Chair of Minding Animals Norway (http://mindinganimals.no/), secretary of Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (http://nordicsemiotics.org/) and board member of International Society of Code Biology (http://www.codebiology.org/)), and he works interdisciplinarily. In capacity of being a philosopher/semiotician who has been doing research on biological/ecological phenomena for some ten years, he has connections to the humanities as well as to social science and natural science. Academic blog: http://UtopianRealism.blogspot.com.

e) Morten Tønnessen will keep working for:

• Increased internationalisation (enhanced research mobility included)
• Higher aspirations for research (publication points, citations, participation at international conferences etc.)
• Good conditions for interdisciplinary research and educational activities
• A green university

See also Norwegian text.

Mapping human impact proofread and ready to go

Today I have proof-read my article "Mapping human impact: Expanding horizons - Interdisciplinary integration", and accepted a number of stilistic changes suggested by the technical editor/language editor of the CECT II proceedings. In the process I have further given titles to the three figures involved:
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Figure 1. Ontological map of humankind’s traditional relationship to animal species
Figure 2. Ontological map of some of the author's significant relationships.
Figure 3. Sketch of global ontological map, centred on the human species.