The earth is full.
In fact our human society and economy is now so large we have passed the limits of our planet’s capacity to support us and it is overflowing. Our current model of economy growth is driving this system, the one we rely upon for our present and future prosperity, over the cliff. This in itself presents a major problem. It becomes a much larger challenge when we consider that billions of people are living desperate lives in appalling poverty and need their personal “economy” to rapidly grow to alleviate their suffering. But there is no room left.
This means things are going to change. Not because we will choose change out of philosophical or political preference, but because if we don’t transform our society and economy, we risk social and economic collapse and the descent into chaos. The science on this is now clear and accepted by any rational observer. While an initial look at the public debate may suggest controversy, any serious examination of the peer-reviewed conclusions of leading science bodies shows the core direction we heading in is now clear. Things do not look good.
In response to this quote, I’ve copied below a schematic comparison between “eco-institutional heterodox economics” and conventional economics as expressed by Julien-Francois Gerber and Rolf Steppacher in their edited volume, Towards an Integrated Paradigm in Heterodox Economics: Alternative Approaches to the Current Ec0-social Crisis.
Open Systems Approach OR Closed systems approach
Economy as a social construct with its history and specificities OR Economy as a deduced structure based on a set of axioms
Heterogeneous, socio-ecologically embedded and institutionally conditioned agents OR Universal self-centered utility-maximizing, rational, well-informed agents/ unlimited wants
Social and environmental ethics (incl. needs fulfilled, equitable distribution, sustainability) OR Utilitarian ethics (incl. optimal welfare, Pareto efficiency, externalities)
(Co-)evolution OR Optimization
Metabolic view of society OR Marginalist view of the economy
Methodological Pluralism OR Methodological Individualism
Experiential and Algorithmic knowledge OR Algorithmic knowledge (mathematical formalism)
Value pluralism (incl. incommensurability) OR Monetary commensurability
Circular and cumulative causation OR Competitive equilibrium model
Focus on virtual, real, and real-real [?] economic levels OR Focus on micro- and macroeconomic levels
Steady-state and selective degrowth OR Conventional growth
Property and possession OR Focus on private property
Funds/services, stocks/flows and their control OR Natural capital
Biophysical and social indicators, multi-criteria analysis OR Monetary indicators, cost/benefit analysis
Focus on the community, within the biosphere OR Focus on the individual, within the nation-state
Focus on disadvantaged social groups and classes OR Focus on capitalists and managers
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