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In Defense of Degrowth

Giorgos Kallis

4.15 · Rating details · 27 ratings · 3 reviews

The idea of degrowth is contentious, often misunderstood, and (perhaps paradoxically) growing in popularity. In this book, Giorgos Kallis, one of the movement's leading thinkers, presents an accessible, inspiring, and enjoyable defense. The book's chapters—a compilation of his opinion essays, newspaper articles, blog posts, and 'minifestos'—range from topics such as eco-mo ...more

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ebook, 1, 221 pages

Published February 1st 2017

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Dec 18, 2017 Yngve Skogstad rated it really liked it

I started reading this with only rudimentary pre-knowledge of what degrowth actually means, so first of all I just wanted to get a solid understanding of what degrowth is, whether it's a unitary theory and/or movement, and why they don't seem to self-identify (at least not explicitly) with the left. Apart from the last question, I think I got pretty clear answers from reading the collection of articles that constitute this book.

So, degrowth is an analytical framework which seeks an end to our c I started reading this with only rudimentary pre-knowledge of what degrowth actually means, so first of all I just wanted to get a solid understanding of what degrowth is, whether it's a unitary theory and/or movement, and why they don't seem to self-identify (at least not explicitly) with the left. Apart from the last question, I think I got pretty clear answers from reading the collection of articles that constitute this book.

So, degrowth is an analytical framework which seeks an end to our current system of perpetual material growth, both in terms of throughput and GDP (the latter as a consequence of the former). The main point being that we inhabit a planet which has certain biophysical limits, yet an economic system that necessitates exponential growth for our societies not to collapse. Degrowth argues for a controlled contraction of our “economies” (the way the word is currently understood) as opposed to uncontrolled contraction (i.e. an economic recession), so that we can obtain a way of living that improves human welfare; meaning it is equitable, in accordance with our ecosystems and centred around care and human interaction.

Under capitalism the process of capital accumulation ensures that the surplus is constantly being circulated into the “productive” economy, leading to more production and consumption, both in a monetary sense as well as in terms of throughput (as there is no such thing as absolute de-coupling). Well, a Marxist response might be that if the workers were to seize the means of production, we will automatically eliminate the exploitation of the surplus value of labour, thereby ending capital accumulation. Any real leftist will agree that this is a step in the right direction, but it's not sufficient. Ridding oneself of the employers' theft of the surplus value of labour doesn't ensure a worker-owned enterprise won't itself invest an agreed amount of its capital in an expansionary manner. This is why Kallis makes a radical shift in what he sees as the fundamental question of political economy for our time: not how to allocate scarce recources, but how to do away with our surplus. Kallis' proposition is that we should “waste” it immidiately, not re-invest it as it will only spur more growth (though I imagine some of it will have to be taxed for us to have a functioning state, and parts will be re-invested in the enterprise to make up for depreciation).
Besides, seizing the means of production only removes one form of surplus, namely that which can reasonably be argued to stem from the labour of workers. It does not eradicate the surplus that derives from resource rents, i.e. stealth from nature. This is not accounted for in conventional economic theory. And as long as the growth paradigm prevails, there is no way we get rid of this form of exploitation.

This book presents no blueprint for how to transform our societies and economies into some form that doesn't deplete and destroy the only planet known to inhabit living organisms, but it helps to identify the underlying problems, reframe some of them, and to a certain extent helps us envision a possible, better society. However, much work needs to be done to systematize this framework into something constituting a foundation of the political revolution that is certainly needed. As of now, degrowth is neither a unitary theory nor a movement, but a framework under development. As for the name itself, I'm not totally convinced of its suitability. Kallis deals with this as well in a very fair manner, giving space for his critics who I think raise some noteworthy objections.

I wouldn't call myself a convert just yet, perhaps because there's still so many gaps to be filled, but I think anyone who cares about the future of our planet and a healthy living should familiarize themselves with this body of thought (at least the price shouldn't be an obstacle!). Right now, I have so many thoughts spinning around in my tiny head from reading this that I'm not sure my review made as much sense as I wanted it to. I probably should have read the book more slowly to be able to fully digest the content. Will definetely revisit this one. ...more

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Jul 19, 2017 Jorge Pinto rated it it was amazing

A very interesting selection of texts - scientific, blog posts and replies to other authors - by Kallis, arguably one of the main thinkers of degrowth. Given the way the book is organised (a very good work by the editor) and written, it is very easy to read and can be seen as a good starting point for those interested in the concept of degrowth. It is a good complement to the book "Degrowth - a vocabulary for a new era", which had Kallis as one of the editors. Apart from the academic and theoret ...more

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Mar 06, 2017 Landra Lewis is currently reading it

I love this book! Giorgos Kallis has spun threads of philosophy and commonsense, history and the future, economics and humanity, and intricately woven them together to create a roadmap of potential destinations determined by choices. Do we want a future governed by cancer like growth with consequent destruction of natural resources that feeds the voracious 1%? Or do we want a future that offers a good life to all, without destruction of nature? In defense of degrowth is far more complex than my ...more

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