Tsitsino Dzotsenidze
Doctor of Economics, Lecturer, Central University of Europe
tsitsino.dzotsenidze@unik.edu.ge
Abstract
This paper explores the interrelation of sustainable development, culture, and institutional transformation from a multidisciplinary perspective. The novelty of this research lies in bridging the ideas of two major thinkers — Merab Mamardashvili and Michel Foucault — whose intellectual traditions differ, yet whose perspectives can be mutually enriching for contemporary debates. Mamardashvili, grounded in the philosophy of freedom and consciousness, argues that institutional and economic reforms remain ineffective without cultural awareness and inner vigilance. Foucault, by contrast, reveals how institutions and discourses serve as mechanisms of power, simultaneously constructing the subject and restricting its freedom.
The methodology is based on comparative analysis, integrating approaches from economics, philosophy, and social theory. The paper examines freedom versus power, culture as opportunity versus culture as discipline, and institutions as inner order versus external control. Particular attention is paid to the notion of progress: for Mamardashvili, it is the expansion of freedom; for Foucault, the refinement of mechanisms of control.
The analysis also considers contemporary challenges: the digital economy, climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the rise of artificial intelligence. Each case demonstrates the duality of development — creating new opportunities for freedom while also intensifying potential risks of surveillance and control.
The conclusion emphasizes that sustainable development cannot be reduced to macroeconomic indicators. It requires cultural self-awareness and constant critical vigilance to ensure that institutional reforms evolve into dynamic processes, rather than remaining formal structures. Such an integrated perspective allows development to protect not only growth, but also human freedom, dignity, and sustainability.
Keywords: Sustainable Development; Culture; Institutions; Freedom; Power
JEL: B24; Z13; I31
DOI: 10.52244/c2025.47
The article is in Georgian.
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