The ideas that Paul Steinberg illustrates in his book Who Rules the Earth? (2015) are controversial to say the least. To many, it seems farfetched to take a social sciences stance within the discussion of climate change, but Steinberg manages to not only defend his ideas, but to even make the reader question their personal stance on the issue. He achieves this through an in depth evaluation of the social rules that guide all of us. He claims that the “transition to sustainability requires transforming the rules we live by” (Steinberg 2015, 15) The core argument of this text revolves around this dependence of humanity to social rules, and how changing them can potentially lead to unprecedented social change.
To begin evaluating this idea, we must first understand how Steinberg defines rules. He states that “to change the rules, we must first become aware of them…When rules are routinely followed (as they must be if they are to have an effect) we internalize them as habits, routines, and standard operating procedures” (Steinberg 2015, 12). This represents the fact that one person cannot simply decide to change the rules, but rather that the process requires thousands of people seamlessly transitioning from one social “rut” to another, usually without conscious acknowledgement of said transition. Steinberg, however, stresses the point that while “social rules are an inescapable part of our existence” they “can be changed” (Steinberg 2015, 24 & 26). Unlike many of the news channels today, Steinberg manages to bring a fraction of hope to the ever-growing pit that is climate change. He writes that “if you want to bring about lasting change in your community, it is not enough to merely inspire people to adopt a new outlook” (Steinberg 2015, 229). It is most important to point out, too, that he is not spouting solutions left and right, but rather addressing the fact that the only way change can happen is if the people of this world unite and make a conscious effort to change day to day life into something the Earth can sustain.
Throughout the process of reading this book, I could not help but to connect with Steinberg. His writing style is such that I feel less like he is forcing knowledge onto me and more like he is telling me stories. Because of this familiarity, I feel as though I was able to make a connection with him that allowed me to take much of what he said to heart. This was due to the fact that I held a greater respect for him and his writing than that of say Vaclav Smil, who seemed much more impersonal and data-centric. As much as I would like to, I cannot say that Steinberg has influenced me enough to incite a change in my life, however, he has greatly affected the way I see the world. From now on, I will be aware of social rules – something that most people never think about. I am burdened with this new knowledge of how the world remains stable and how such an abstract thing as a rule can potentially bring about the most change. I may not be able to apply any of this in my life, but I will have it in the back of my mind for the rest of my life. These ideas will not change how I live, but they did change my thoughts, and is that not the goal of writing a book?
Works Cited
Steinberg, Paul. 2015. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.