The Daily Planet #23: Polytunity

Polycrisis has been the term-du-jour for a few years now, ever since Adam Tooze reintroduced it into the global lexicon. I have critiqued it on many an occasion, claiming our condition is more of Polyconflict (just think how the US, China, Russia and India are mutual frenemies these days!) than of Polycrisis.

In today's Daily Planet, Yuen Yuen Ang has a different take, focusing on the possibilities inherent within crisis, and saying we are in the condition of Polytunity.

Syntax and Semantics of Petri Nets

I like the Ideas Letter BTW. A good source of planetary readings.

Via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4vv5Y_SUSA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Ang's essay on Polytunity introduces a transformative perspective on the convergence of global crises, challenging the prevailing notion of "polycrisis." While polycrisis has become a popular term to describe the overwhelming and interconnected challenges facing the world, it tends to abstract and naturalize these problems, often reflecting a Eurocentric and establishment-friendly viewpoint that leads to paralysis rather than action. In contrast, "polytunity," a term coined to reframe disruption as a unique opportunity for deep transformation, calls for a shift in how we understand and respond to global challenges.

If we are in a time of monsters, an interregnum, then we also have the opportunity to rethink the foundations of our existence

The letter critiques the traditional development paradigm rooted in colonial and industrial logics, which treats societies mechanistically and imposes Western templates as universal solutions. Instead, it advocates for the AIM framework—Adaptive, Inclusive, Moral Political Economy—which embraces complexity, values diverse, context-specific approaches, and acknowledges power asymmetries in knowledge production. Development is seen as a coevolutionary, nonlinear process where societies build on existing, sometimes imperfect institutions through indigenous innovation and creative adaptation.

"Polytunity" urges a collective effort to build new research agendas and policy frameworks that prioritize the experiences and innovations of the global majority, moving beyond fear and paralysis toward constructive, inclusive transformation. It is a call to rethink development and global cooperation in a multipolar, disrupted world.

Polytunity - The Ideas Letter

“Polycrisis” has become a ubiquitous descriptor for the multisector, intersecting problems afflicting the world—but the term masks the systemic nature of these crises and overwhelmingly reflects Eurocentric voices, priorities, and…