Abstract
This article begins with a brief outline of recent advances in the application of computer modeling to sustainability research, identifying important gaps in coverage and associated limits in methodological capability, particularly in regard to taking account of the tangled human factors that are often impediments to a sustainable future. It then describes some of the ways in which a new transdisciplinary approach within “human simulation” can contribute to the further development of sustainability modeling, more effectively addressing such human factors through its emphasis on stakeholder, policy professional, and subject matter expert participation, and its focus on constructing more realistic cognitive architectures and artificial societies. Finally, the article offers philosophical reflections on some of the ontological, epistemological, and ethical issues raised at the intersection of sustainability research and social simulation, considered in light of the importance of human factors, including values and worldviews, in the modeling process. Based on this philosophical analysis, we encourage more explicit conversations about the value of naturalism and secularism in finding and facilitating effective and ethical strategies for sustainable development.
Highlights
This Special Issue highlights the potential of computational modeling and simulation (M&S) to contribute to research on human–environment interactions
We show how approaching sustainability research through human simulation highlights the positive potential of naturalistic explanations and secularistic strategies in our shared struggle to adapt in the Anthropocene—that is, the current geological age, during which human activity has become a dominant influence on the environment
We began this article by sketching some recent developments within the application of computer modeling to sustainability research, noting the pressing need to take better account of human factors
Summary
This Special Issue highlights the potential of computational modeling and simulation (M&S) to contribute to research on human–environment interactions. We explore ways in which M&S can help provide answers to questions about the reciprocal causal relationships between human behaviors and the natural systems within which they are entangled at all these levels These methodological tools have been growing rapidly in popularity in the social sciences more broadly [2,3,4], but their potential relevance for disciplines such as development studies, which are increasingly organized around issues of sustainability [5], has not yet been fully appreciated. The fourth section identifies and discusses some of the key ontological, epistemological, and ethical topics that are raised at the intersection of human simulation and sustainability research, focusing on the values and worldviews that tend to advance or impede sustainability In this connection, we show how approaching sustainability research through human simulation highlights the positive potential of naturalistic explanations and secularistic strategies in our shared struggle to adapt in the Anthropocene—that is, the current geological age, during which human activity has become a dominant influence on the environment
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