Reinterpreting Sustainable Development through Cultural Philosophy

Abstract

Recently, lots of plans have been on-going in various parts of the world on the issue of development and its related concept-sustainable development. This has resulted in mapping out Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved within a reckoned time. However, notwithstanding these concerted efforts by scholars, the possibility of attaining sustainable development seems not to be feasible. One of the reasons for this is that the place of cultural philosophy in promoting sustainable development was not well recognized. This work sets out to investigate how sustainable development could be better appreciated through the tool of cultural philosophy. It also shows how sustainable developmental goals can be achieved rapidly through cultural philosophy. Cultural philosophy examines the essence and the meaning of culture with the aim of providing justifications for its values, beliefs and worldview which serve as catalysts for progress. Therefore, the paper aims at reinterpreting sustainable development in line with culture. The paper argues that there is a need for a kind of sustainable development that will be culture-oriented such that progress will get to the grassroots and as such benefit even the unlearned in the society.