Polycrisis

Polycrisis (from the French ''polycrise'') describes a complex situation where multiple, interconnected crises converge and amplify each other, resulting in a predicament that is difficult to manage or resolve. Unlike single crises that may have clearer causes and solutions, a polycrisis involves overlapping and interdependent issues, making it a more pervasive and enduring state of instability. This concept reflects growing concerns about the sustainability and viability of contemporary socio-economic, political, and ecological systems.

The term was originally coined by French philosopher and sociologist Edgar Morin in his 1993 book ''Terre-Patrie''. It gained increasing popularity in the early 2020s as a way to refer to the overlapping effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, war, surging debt levels, inflation, climate change, resource depletion, growing inequality, artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, and democratic backsliding.

Critics of the term have characterized it as a buzzword or a distraction from more concrete causes of the crises, suggesting that it may obscure specific, actionable problems and create a sense of overwhelming complexity that could hinder effective responses.

Background

The term ''polycrisis'' was first introduced by French philosopher and sociologist Edgar Morin in his 1993 book ''Terre-Patrie'', co-authored with Anne-Brigitte Kern (and translated into English as ''Homeland Earth: A Manifesto for the New Millennium'' in 1999). Morin's thinking drew on emerging concepts in complexity science and systems theory, emphasizing that modern challenges—economic, ecological, social, and cultural—cannot be treated in isolation. He argued that these crises interweave and amplify each other, creating a cascading effect if addressed piecemeal rather than holistically.

Morin developed his formulation during a period of significant geopolitical change following the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet bloc. The rapid expansion of economic globalization further underscored how deeply interconnected national economies and infrastructures had become, making societies more vulnerable to disruptions that could quickly escalate from local incidents to international crises. During this same era, attention to environmental risks surged—spurred in part by publications like ''The Limits to Growth'' (1972)—and concerns about the ozone layer and climate change highlighted humanity's dependence on finite planetary resources.

The interconnectedness of these crises means that solutions in one area can often lead to unintended consequences in another, creating a feedback loop that exacerbates the overall situation. As Morin noted, this web of interlinked crises reflects a deeper structural vulnerability within socio-economic, political, and ecological systems.

Although Morin's concept initially remained somewhat peripheral, it gained renewed traction in the early 21st century as scholars and institutions began observing multiple, overlapping crises in real time—spanning financial upheavals, geopolitical tensions, climate disruption, rising inequality, and public health emergencies. By the 2020s, the term ''polycrisis'' became more widely recognized, pointing to the idea that modern crises are not merely simultaneous but structurally interlinked, reinforcing one another into a durable state of global instability.

Advocates of the polycrisis framework stress the need for systemic and integrated approaches that move beyond traditional problem-solving methods. As humanity grapples with the compounding effects of these interconnected crises, the recognition of a polycrisis signals both the scale of the challenge and the potential for new forms of collaborative, sustainable solutions.

Components

Ecological overshoot and limits to growth

The concept of polycrisis aligns with the warnings issued in the Limits to Growth report, which suggested that unchecked economic growth and resource consumption would eventually surpass the Earth's carrying capacity., published online 03 Nov 2020 Human ecological overshoot—using resources faster than they can be replenished—has led to environmental degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss, which in turn threaten the stability and continuity of human societies.

Socio-political instability

During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, it has become increasingly evident that liberal democracies exhibit stark contradictions in their operating logic, namely along the fault line between aspirational egalitarian ideals and ongoing imperialistic practices, which undermines their legitimacy as leaders of the "rules-based" liberal international order.Park MacDougald, ''New York Magazine''
Has the Operating System for the Western World Crashed?
February 27, 2018 The rise of right-wing populism and the erosion of the Western social contract reflect a growing popular dissatisfaction with the political and economic systems in the West. These political shifts are often fueled by economic inequalities, perceived threats to national identity and social status, and disillusionment with traditional political elites.Robert Kuttner
Blaming Liberalism
New York Review of Books, November 21, 2019

Technological and economic disparities

The concentration of wealth and power among a small elite, as highlighted in works like Douglas Rushkoff's Survival of the Richest, contributes to the polycrisis by exacerbating social inequalities and undermining potential collective action to address the issues. The increasing gap between the wealthy and the rest of society raises questions about the sustainability of current economic models and the fairness of technological advancements that primarily benefit the elite.

Philosophical and existential dimensions

The polycrisis also involves a deeper, philosophical reckoning with humanity's place in the world. As articulated in Vanessa Machado de Oliveira's Hospicing Modernity, there is a small but growing awareness of the limits of human control and the need to accept ecological and biological realities. This fundamentally challenges the anthropocentric and individualistic narratives that have historically underpinned Western thought.

Typology of interconnected crises

Several scholars distinguish between different forms or “layers” of crisis within the broader polycrisis framework. These typologies highlight how crises vary in scope, duration, and structural impact, yet often overlap to create more complex systemic challenges.

Permacrisis

A permacrisis refers to a prolonged state of instability where crises do not fully resolve but become quasi-permanent conditions. This term has been used to describe enduring situations such as chronic socioeconomic inequalities, continuous environmental degradation, or a perceived global democratic decline. Because permacrises tend to normalize persistent disruption, they can engender fatigue among institutions and the public, reducing both the political will and the societal capacity to enact long-term solutions.

Metacrisis

A metacrisis affects the foundational paradigms and cultural narratives of societies, including their core political, economic, or philosophical frameworks. Unlike a localized or sector-specific disturbance, a metacrisis calls into question the legitimacy or viability of prevailing systems. Examples include systemic critiques of liberal democracy or neoliberal capitalism—sparked by the perceived contradictions between egalitarian ideals and real-world exploitative practices—and philosophical reckonings with anthropocentrism, which challenge humanity's self-image relative to nature. Because metacrises require rethinking overarching worldviews, they are not easily addressed by policy or technical fixes, often necessitating deeper cultural and ethical shifts.

Systemic crisis

Systemic crises disrupt entire systems—economic, ecological, infrastructural—and commonly have rapid spillover effects across multiple domains. Examples include global supply chain collapses, as witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, where disruptions in one region triggered shortages worldwide; or acute energy shocks linked to geopolitical tensions, which may ripple across global markets, fueling inflation and social unrest. Systemic crises highlight the interdependencies of contemporary networks, where failures in one node can quickly cascade through others.

Global polycrisis

An extension of the polycrisis concept, the 'global polycrisis emphasizes worldwide entanglements that transcend local or national boundaries. While Edgar Morin introduced the initial idea of multiple, interlinked crises in the 1990s (see ''Terre-Patrie'' 1993), later authors refined and formalized the notion throughout the 2000s and 2010s. For example, Boudewijn R. Haverkort (2009) used the term “global polycrisis” to describe interconnected ecological, social, and economic stressors, advocating for transdisciplinary perspectives. Silent Taurayi(2011) analyzed how climate, energy, and food crises intersect, proposing agroecological strategies to enhance resilience. Mark Swilling (2013) explored how long-wave economic cycles and environmental pressures intertwine to generate large-scale vulnerabilities. More recently, researchers at the Cascade Institute, such as Thomas Homer-Dixon, have warned of amplified feedback loops between natural and social systems, calling for an international research agenda on global polycrisis.

During the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent disruptions, the concept of global polycrisis gained traction among think tanks and international agencies. Reports from institutions such as the United Nations Development Programme connected this framework to the challenges of the Anthropocene, including climate change, pandemics, and technological risks. Economists like Adam Tooze popularized the term by showing how health emergencies, economic shutdowns, and political fractures reinforce each other, fueling novel forms of crisis on a planetary scale. As a result, the global polycrisis concept not only captures the magnitude of intertwined threats facing humanity but also underscores the need for unprecedented levels of cooperation, systemic thinking, and institutional reform.

Responses and criticism

Critics of the polycrisis narrative argue that it can lead to fatalism and inaction, suggesting instead a focus on practical, incremental changes that can build resilience and adaptability.

Various thought leaders and figureheads in the technology space have aligned themselves with effective accelerationism and have forcefully critiqued concepts related to the polycrisis, arguing that the way to solve most, if not all, of the problems facing humanity is through further economic growth and the acceleration of tech development and deployment. In 2023, venture capitalist and tech magnate Marc Andreessen published the Techno-Optimist Manifesto, arguing that technology is what creates wealth and happiness.

Various scholars have proposed different frameworks for understanding and responding to the polycrisis. Some advocate for a radical rethinking of modernity and a transition towards more sustainable and equitable ways of living. This includes adopting ecological wisdom from Indigenous cultures, reimagining economic systems, and embracing a deeper connection with the natural world.

See also

References

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Crisis