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Degrowth
The term “degrowth” has emerged within ecological and other heterodox schools of economics as a critique of the idea (and ideology) of economic growth. Degrowth argues that economic growth is no longer desirable – its costs exceed its benefits – and advocates a transformation of economies so that they produce and consume less, differently and better.
Giorgos Kallis provides a clear and succinct guide to the central ideas of degrowth theory and explores what it would take for an economy to transition to a position that enables it to prosper without growth. The book examines how mainstream conceptualizations of the economy are challenged by degrowth theory and how degrowth draws on a multifaceted network of ideas across disciplines to shed new light on the economic process. The central claims of the degrowth literature are discussed alongside some key criticisms of them. Whether one agrees or disagrees with degrowth’s critique of economic growth, Kallis shows how it raises fundamental questions about the workings of capitalism that we can no longer afford to ignore.
Giorgos Kallis provides a clear and succinct guide to the central ideas of degrowth theory and explores what it would take for an economy to transition to a position that enables it to prosper without growth. The book examines how mainstream conceptualizations of the economy are challenged by degrowth theory and how degrowth draws on a multifaceted network of ideas across disciplines to shed new light on the economic process. The central claims of the degrowth literature are discussed alongside some key criticisms of them. Whether one agrees or disagrees with degrowth’s critique of economic growth, Kallis shows how it raises fundamental questions about the workings of capitalism that we can no longer afford to ignore.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2018
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About the author
Giorgos Kallis
15 books66 followersGiorgos Kallis is an ICREA professor at ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 16, 2024
Thoughts after two chapters:
In the first chapter, Kallis writes about the background and historical development of degrowth. The bottom line is that degrowth is not just about an economic approach, it is about multidisciplinarity (similarities with Ian Angus, for example). At the same time, "southern" perspectives critiquing colonialism (Latouche, Illich and Shiva) combined with the anthropological work of Mauss and Sahlins also fall under degrowth.
Another important element is conviviality, inspired by Illich (similarities with some anarcho-communists and ecological economists). Complex technological systems cannot be democratic or egalitarian. Degrowth is supposed to move towards decentralization and the use of simple ("convivial") technologies. Degrowth thus has utopian elements.
In the second chapter, Kallis gradually builds a foundation for his position - a combination of economics and politics:
From an economics perspective, a multidisciplinary approach can be seen. Kallis builds on the concept of Georgescu-Roegen, who applied the two laws of thermodynamics - which are used in physics - to economics. This leads to ideas of a future solar economy (unsustainability of non-renewable resources) that will have to adapt to the flow of the speed of sunlight - so production will have to decrease. It is also important to include all materials and energy in the social metabolism.
Politically, Kallis acknowledges Marx's conflict theory. He extends the term exploitation, following the lead of some Marxists, to any class society and beyond class appropriation (race, gender, ethnicity, but also ecosystems). Of course, ideology helps justify exploitation. It also looks critically at the role of the state in capitalism (something ignored by, for example, doughnut economics). Accumulation is inevitable in capitalism. It leads to surpluses (Bataille's "cursed part") that must be spent - through crisis, war or huge spending programs.
...to be continued
---------
V prvej kapitole Kallis píše o zázemí a historickom vývoji degrowthu. Podstatné je, že degrowth nie je len o ekonomickom prístupe, ide o multidisciplinaritu (podobnosť napr. s Ianom Angusom). Zároveň pod degrowth patria aj "južné" perspektívy, kritizujúce kolonializmus (Latouche, Illich a Shiva) v kombinácii s antropologickými prácami Maussa a Sahlinsa.
Ďalším dôležitým prvkom je konvivialita, inšpirovaná Illichom (podobnosť s niektorými anarcho-komunistami a ekologickou ekonómiou). Komplexné technologické systémy nemôžu byť demokratické ani rovnostárske. Degrowth má smerovať k decentralizácii a používaniu jednoduchých ("convivial") technológií. Degrowth tak má utopické prvky.
V druhej kapitole si Kallis postupne buduje základy pre svoju pozíciu - kombináciu ekonómie a politiky:
Z ekonomického hľadiska je vidieť multidisciplinárny prístup. Kallis vychádza z konceptu Georgescu-Roegena, ktorý na ekonómiu aplikoval dva termodynamické zákony - ktoré sa zvyknú využívať vo fyzike. To vedie k predstavám o budúcej solárnej ekonomike (neudržateľnosti neobnoviteľných zdrojov), ktorá sa bude musieť prispôsobiť toku rýchlosti slnečného svetla - takže výroba bude musieť klesať. Dôležité je tiež započítanie všetkých materiálov a energie do sociálneho metabolizmu.
Z politického hľadiska Kallis uznáva Marxovu konfliktnú teóriu. Termín vykorisťovanie, po vzore niektorých marxistov, rozširuje na akékoľvek triedne spoločnosti a nad rámec triedneho privlastňovania (rasa, pohlavie, etnická príslušnosť, ale aj ekosystémy). Samozrejme, ideológia pomáha vykorisťovanie ospravedlňovať. Kriticky sa pozerá aj na rolu štátu v kapitalizme (niečo, čo ignoruje napríklad ekonómia koblihy). Akumulácia je v kapitalizme nevyhnutná. Vedie k prebytkom (Batailleova "prekliata časť"), ktoré treba minúť - prostredníctvom krízy, vojny alebo obrovských výdavkových programov.
...
In the first chapter, Kallis writes about the background and historical development of degrowth. The bottom line is that degrowth is not just about an economic approach, it is about multidisciplinarity (similarities with Ian Angus, for example). At the same time, "southern" perspectives critiquing colonialism (Latouche, Illich and Shiva) combined with the anthropological work of Mauss and Sahlins also fall under degrowth.
Another important element is conviviality, inspired by Illich (similarities with some anarcho-communists and ecological economists). Complex technological systems cannot be democratic or egalitarian. Degrowth is supposed to move towards decentralization and the use of simple ("convivial") technologies. Degrowth thus has utopian elements.
In the second chapter, Kallis gradually builds a foundation for his position - a combination of economics and politics:
From an economics perspective, a multidisciplinary approach can be seen. Kallis builds on the concept of Georgescu-Roegen, who applied the two laws of thermodynamics - which are used in physics - to economics. This leads to ideas of a future solar economy (unsustainability of non-renewable resources) that will have to adapt to the flow of the speed of sunlight - so production will have to decrease. It is also important to include all materials and energy in the social metabolism.
Politically, Kallis acknowledges Marx's conflict theory. He extends the term exploitation, following the lead of some Marxists, to any class society and beyond class appropriation (race, gender, ethnicity, but also ecosystems). Of course, ideology helps justify exploitation. It also looks critically at the role of the state in capitalism (something ignored by, for example, doughnut economics). Accumulation is inevitable in capitalism. It leads to surpluses (Bataille's "cursed part") that must be spent - through crisis, war or huge spending programs.
...to be continued
---------
V prvej kapitole Kallis píše o zázemí a historickom vývoji degrowthu. Podstatné je, že degrowth nie je len o ekonomickom prístupe, ide o multidisciplinaritu (podobnosť napr. s Ianom Angusom). Zároveň pod degrowth patria aj "južné" perspektívy, kritizujúce kolonializmus (Latouche, Illich a Shiva) v kombinácii s antropologickými prácami Maussa a Sahlinsa.
Ďalším dôležitým prvkom je konvivialita, inšpirovaná Illichom (podobnosť s niektorými anarcho-komunistami a ekologickou ekonómiou). Komplexné technologické systémy nemôžu byť demokratické ani rovnostárske. Degrowth má smerovať k decentralizácii a používaniu jednoduchých ("convivial") technológií. Degrowth tak má utopické prvky.
V druhej kapitole si Kallis postupne buduje základy pre svoju pozíciu - kombináciu ekonómie a politiky:
Z ekonomického hľadiska je vidieť multidisciplinárny prístup. Kallis vychádza z konceptu Georgescu-Roegena, ktorý na ekonómiu aplikoval dva termodynamické zákony - ktoré sa zvyknú využívať vo fyzike. To vedie k predstavám o budúcej solárnej ekonomike (neudržateľnosti neobnoviteľných zdrojov), ktorá sa bude musieť prispôsobiť toku rýchlosti slnečného svetla - takže výroba bude musieť klesať. Dôležité je tiež započítanie všetkých materiálov a energie do sociálneho metabolizmu.
Z politického hľadiska Kallis uznáva Marxovu konfliktnú teóriu. Termín vykorisťovanie, po vzore niektorých marxistov, rozširuje na akékoľvek triedne spoločnosti a nad rámec triedneho privlastňovania (rasa, pohlavie, etnická príslušnosť, ale aj ekosystémy). Samozrejme, ideológia pomáha vykorisťovanie ospravedlňovať. Kriticky sa pozerá aj na rolu štátu v kapitalizme (niečo, čo ignoruje napríklad ekonómia koblihy). Akumulácia je v kapitalizme nevyhnutná. Vedie k prebytkom (Batailleova "prekliata časť"), ktoré treba minúť - prostredníctvom krízy, vojny alebo obrovských výdavkových programov.
...
February 5, 2024
comprehensive with digestible examples. it was pretty academic and i felt the last chapter — which was meant to act as a sort of FAQ — was disorganized. it’s a fascinating subject that’s going to become more topical by the year.
September 29, 2019
I really wanted to like this book, since I find the degrowth paradigm extremely interesting. However, and despite the fact that Kallis has some great ideas, the book is frustratingly disjointed and contradictory. It claims that the degrowth movement is not economistic, but the book comes across as highly economistic, indeed. It insists on discussing growth and why it is not feasible, desirable or necessary. But isn't this supposed to be the point of departure of the book? Important topics, such as depense and the politics of degrowth, are hardly analysed, in order to free up space for a repetitive discussion of the social and environmental limits to growth. Kallis' work is also theoretically incoherent (his Gramscian analysis is painfully inadequate), while his understanding of the role of the State in contemporary political economy is naive. The book claims not to be Eurocentric, but it hardly pays any attention to the rest of the world (a very short section about degrowth and Eurocentrism towards the very end does not really advance the discussion). Finally, the language fluctuates dizzyingly from prosaic-sciency to imaginative. All in all, one feels that this is not a polished, coherent book, but bits and pieces put together in a speedy and haphazard manner. I personally loved the author's daringness and willingness to tackle a difficult topic, but I was not impressed with the execution of such an important project.
July 29, 2025
Read for the Summer 2025 ICS course on degrowth.
Of the various books we've read on this topic, I like Kallis. He approaches economics from the outside and as more of a generalist thinker rather than an economist inside the discipline. It allows his book to be more free-thinking but also to be more understandable, as he also had to approach the topic from outside.
Chapter 5, on the utopia of degrowth, is perhaps the most interesting; it goes beyond the usual "what is degrowth and why?" of these sorts of books and tries to envision the world well into the future. It leans hard into the ecosocialist current, to borrow from Schmelzer et al.; while this current and vision may or may not be the one you approach it from, it at least does provide one coherent vision to work towards.
All in all, a good introductory text on the topic.
Of the various books we've read on this topic, I like Kallis. He approaches economics from the outside and as more of a generalist thinker rather than an economist inside the discipline. It allows his book to be more free-thinking but also to be more understandable, as he also had to approach the topic from outside.
Chapter 5, on the utopia of degrowth, is perhaps the most interesting; it goes beyond the usual "what is degrowth and why?" of these sorts of books and tries to envision the world well into the future. It leans hard into the ecosocialist current, to borrow from Schmelzer et al.; while this current and vision may or may not be the one you approach it from, it at least does provide one coherent vision to work towards.
All in all, a good introductory text on the topic.
May 31, 2022
This book was one of the best commentaries on the problems with capitalism and the possible solution of degrowth that I have encountered. Of course, Kallis is the expert, so that makes it better, but still it is comprehensive and helpful in a variety of ways, especially given my combined lack of background in economics and burgeoning interest in degrowth. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the problems with the environmental crisis or the general degradation of humanity as a result of capitalism.
January 23, 2025
I think this should be 3, but I'll round up for ambition and goal. It tackles a lot of important areas of research, and reads more like a map of the state of the field rather than an introduction or argument of any kind.
Though you are clearly left with a feeling of the importance of degrowth, I had a sad feeling that it is increasingly a fools errand, that all powers are currently doing everything they can to depreciate the value of life..
Though you are clearly left with a feeling of the importance of degrowth, I had a sad feeling that it is increasingly a fools errand, that all powers are currently doing everything they can to depreciate the value of life..
July 28, 2019
Very informative and interesting
November 8, 2021
I really hate that I was forced to read this whole thing for class. Never again.
October 22, 2025
Read for Political Ecology class
Good.
Good.
April 6, 2019
A surprisingly accessible read, given the complexity of the topic. Kallis is one of my favourite communicators on the subject.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews