👤 About the Author
Olaf Kühne
Irina Silina
Forschungszentrum Jülich
Irina Silina is an academic researcher whose work intersects philosophy, social theory, and sustainable development. She is notably recognized for her collaborative research on the application of neo-pragmatist perspectives—drawing heavily from the philosophy of Richard Rorty—to contemporary societal challenges. Her academic contributions often focus on the conceptualization of sustainable development not as a fixed, teleological goal, but as a contingent, dialogical process. By integrating frameworks such as Karl Popper's 'Three Worlds Theory' and the concept of 'life chances,' Silina explores how individuals and societies navigate normative negotiation processes. Her research emphasizes the importance of creating resonant and meaningful transformations in social and environmental contexts, positioning her work at the nexus of social philosophy and practical sustainability studies.
Karsten Berr
Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
Dr. Karsten Berr is a researcher in the field of urban and regional development, currently affiliated with the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. His academic work is highly interdisciplinary, bridging philosophy, sociology, and geography. He holds a doctorate in philosophy (2008) and has focused his research on the theory and ethics of landscape, landscape conflicts, and cultural theory. Berr is particularly noted for his contributions to neo-pragmatist approaches in social and spatial sciences, often integrating Karl Popper’s 'Three Worlds' theory with Ralf Dahrendorf’s 'life chances' approach. His scholarship explores how landscape is socially constructed and how these constructions influence social and political conflicts. He has authored and co-authored numerous works examining the intersection of human consciousness, societal structures, and the physical environment, emphasizing the importance of reflexive, interdisciplinary frameworks in understanding contemporary social-ecological transformations.
Introduction
The contemporary energy transition is not merely a technological swap, but a profound social redescription. This article analyzes how to avoid technocratic arrogance and build a future in an "inhabited home," where modernization does not destroy human dignity. The reader will learn how to combine hard data with an anthropological respect for social bonds, creating institutions capable of self-correction and authentic dialogue.
Energy transition: between technology and human dignity
To avoid social failure, the transition must cease to be a technocratic imposition of change. Instead of treating people as passive material, we must apply procedural justice, involving citizens in the co-creation process. The key is protecting ligatures—the deep cultural and identity-based bonds that give meaning to human actions. A transition in an "inhabited home" requires offering new life options before tearing down old foundations, which prevents resistance stemming from the fear of status loss.
How to discuss change without building walls between people
Education and communication must abandon moralizing in favor of triangulation education, which teaches how to view problems from multiple perspectives: material, emotional, and institutional. Instead of stigmatizing traditional sectors, we should seek new roles for their workers. True consensus is built by acknowledging practical knowledge and avoiding epistemic humiliation. The transition becomes effective when it becomes a process of translation between different vocabularies—science, economics, and anthropology—allowing us to build bridges instead of trenches.
From corporate window-dressing to an authentic learning organization
Organizations will avoid superficiality if they stop treating ESG as bureaucratic stagecraft. Learning institutions must treat cognitive conflict as valuable information about system errors rather than as an obstacle. Practical principles for implementing change include: a ban on requiring change without offering real options, transparency regarding costs, and creating channels for frontline employees to have a voice. In this model, AI serves as a tool for triangulating perspectives, not as a mechanism for officialization that smooths over difficult narratives. Such an attitude allows for reconciling rapid decision-making with the need for social trust.
Summary
Sustainable development is not a utopia, but an endless process of open redescription. A neopragmatic approach allows us to defend this idea against libertarianism (through an emphasis on real options), Marxism (through a critique of extraction), and technocracy (through fallibilism). Reconciling freedom with responsibility requires institutional humility—the courage to admit mistakes and continuously correct course. Can we carry out this reconstruction without losing sight of the human being hidden within the statistical tables?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is energy transformation in a 'lived-in home'?
This is a metaphor suggesting that new systemic and technological solutions must be offered to residents before the old structures are dismantled, so as not to leave them feeling uncertain.
Why is technical language alone not enough to implement change?
Technical language ignores the dimension of human dignity and identity, which makes transformation socially fragile and susceptible to rejection by those affected by the changes.
What role does procedural justice play in the transformation process?
It guarantees participants a sense of co-authorship and real influence on the planned changes, which is a necessary condition for avoiding social resistance.
What is triangulation education in the context of crisis?
It involves teaching how to analyze problems from multiple perspectives simultaneously: hard physical data, individual emotions, and applicable legal norms and procedures.
What does the author understand by the term 'ligature' in the context of work?
These are deep cultural and intergenerational bonds that give meaning to human actions and cannot be replaced by a simple financial equivalent or severance pay.
