The concept of degrowth: origins and definitions

Résumé du document

The study of the concept of degrowth has been increasing at the end of the twentieth century and the twenty-first century, due to the awareness of an ecological crisis materialized by some multiple kinds of pollution like air, water. What is alarming is the fact that it affects everyone and especially poor people. Indeed, some observations show an increased waste of soil near the borders of developing countries. We can thus pronounce that the environmental crisis is linked to social crisis which is reflected in a continual increase of unemployment, insecurity of the workforce, changing competitive social systems due to the liberalization of public services and social protection. This is the result of the capitalist system in today's world. The term degrowth has no straight definition, because this concept is still in evolution. For some authors, however, the word degrowth results in the decrease of something.

Extraits

[...] And at the same time, for the future generations a more and more rich heritage. This concept is poor since they saw in a purely capitalist worldwide system, nobody will want to accept this concept which they interpret which comes for them from a system communism. And today, they are obliged of credit of economic fast growth. For my part, I think that they can readjust these two manners of thinking of degrowth. They can have reduction, without having therefore a negative or any economic fast growth. BIBLIOGRAPHY. [...]

[...] The de growth and its contents: refusal of progress and development. As de growth is not a concept perfectly defined some authors give their vision of it. There are academics and the media activists. Especially in France you can find many writers on this subject, with their radical critics on development and progress. They include: Serge Latouche and Gilbert Rist . For them, development is a kind of occidental economic domination, military and culture on the rest of the world. [...]

[...] - Support (support): to maintain human rights and ecosystems. - Balanced (harmonious proportions): reductions in consumption («wanting to purchase") of production and shares (including labor) - Democratic (power to all humans), the reorganization at different levels of society and require more sharing: more participatory and direct. - Friendly (taking into account the interests of others as much as degrowth), environmental (compliance ecosystems), social (respect between humans), positive, cultural . : For a qualitative and quantitative growth. - Equality (equity) for greater social equality and justice. [...]

[...] Degrowth, the economy and the economist. The origins. Three main sources coming from the History of Economic Thought have studied degrowth: The Political Economy, ecology and thermodynamics associated with the complexity. Economists of political economy have drawn attention to the risk of “Steady State” that waiting capitalism. David Ricardo who followed Adam Smith is more pessimistic. He based his studies on declines in agriculture's yields in relation to the least fertile land to meet the demands of people who were becoming increasingly important resulting by an increase in salaries of workers and at the same time, agricultural prices, therefore the profits of capitalists are reduced investment increasingly weak and no growth in this case. [...]

[...] At the ecology and decline level, the theories of degrowth also have ancestors. But the anti-institutional thought has Ivan Illich on its side. He especially criticized the rules of the institution between the school and medicine, since it deprives all the persons of their autonomy and leads to a loss of usability. In addition, he opposes the economic growth because it leads to deterioration of the environment, individual autonomy, their creativity, their ability to intervene and on their political roots in the culture. [...]