In the Western mind, science and modernity are inextricably linked in a positive feedback loop. Science begat modernity and the optimistic logical positivism of modernity provided the platform for further scientific endeavor and the development of increasingly complex technology. The interaction between inherent optimism, scientific thought, and technology shapes modern decision-making. This chapter uses the lens of emerging diseases such as COVID-19 and environmental stressors (i.e., climate change) to consider how modern societies address global challenges.

Modernity, Technology, Progress, and Decision-Making

Decision-making is influenced by societal values. Societies that value modern approaches favor technological solutions. Modern theories of decisionmaking like game theory predict that an individual or group would make rational choices, which require complete information (Askari et al. 2019). To make a complicated decision, there are numerous domains that require accurate data, including economic, psychological, social, emotional, and environmental (Ueda et al. 2009). Without full knowledge, individual and organizational choices are limited to known, but not necessarily salient, information (Hernandez and Ortega 2019) influenced by factors external to the process (Ueda et al. 2009) and constrained by inherent risk-aversion (Lane and Cherek 2000). In a world of limited understanding, decisionmaking will be influenced by fiscal, technological, or political biases.