Title: The fourth pillar of sustainability

Authors: Mohsen Jahan

Addresses: Department of Agrotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM), P.O. Box 9177948978 Mashhad, Iran

Abstract: The emergence of unsustainability and exceeding the caring capacity of the planet has endangered the survival of mankind and the sustainability of its ancient habitat for the first time in history. Overcoming this critical situation requires a change in the sociocultural-ecological paradigm, and a revision of the most common law of sustainability, which is called the three pillars (3Ps) (also called triple bottom line, TBL). This paper attempts to explore evidence on whether, by relying on the common nature of man, ethics and morality, one of the long-standing human problems, i.e., peaceful coexistence, could be overcome. And how fair sharing and exploitation of common resources in today's turbulent world is possible by considering spirituality as a solid and universal foundation while reviewing and critiquing the theories put forth by some pioneering figures of empirical and human sciences. Finally, spirituality is proposed as the fourth pillar and complement to the 3Ps.

Keywords: eco-cultural crisis; natural resource management; the triple bottom line; morals and ethics; social solidarity; biopsychosociospiritual; spirituality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSOC.2023.135011

International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2023 Vol.15 No.4, pp.407 - 443

Received: 06 Dec 2021
Received in revised form: 11 Apr 2022
Accepted: 27 Oct 2022
Published online: 27 Nov 2023 *

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