Globalisation as Progress and a Crisis

Abstract

Many concepts of globalisation regard it as progress or as a crisis. These concepts come with their axiological entanglements. The text poses the question about the influence of these axiological entanglements on the understanding of globalisation. It considers whether references to certain values are crucial, or whether the way these are recalled is decisive. I analyse selected concepts of globalisation: those of Thomas Friedman, Im-manuel Wallerstein, Saskia Sassen, David Landes, Ulf Hannerz and others. I conclude that whether globalisation is considered progress or a crisis, good or evil, depends not the values which are called upon but rather the way in which this is done. What is crucial is action strategies, the contexts of reasoning and argumentation, and the role ascribed to values.