Degrowth is a noble ideal to strive for, and it would certainly mitigate a lot of our current problems if implemented. However, I fear that it is an ideal that can be adopted by the few but not the many. Growth, progress and personal ambition are inherent human traits - it may not be the case for all people, but it is certainly evident in today’s society and many societies that have come before. In my opinion, we need solutions and frameworks that most (if not all) personalities can exist within. I worry degrowth is wishful thinking, and would love to hear your thoughts.

All of that said - I believe it is a very worthwhile thought exercise and even if all degrowth principles cannot be implemented, some can and that is what matters.

  • zante@slrpnk.netEnglish
    10·
    8 days ago

    Any argument battened to “inherent humans traits” is a precarious one. Arguing “Growth, progress and Personal ambition” is more precarious than most.

    Read The Dawn of Everything by Graeber and Wengrow. The evidence is persuasive.

    • pot_belly_mole@slrpnk.net
      2·
      6 days ago

      I was gonna suggest The Dawn of Everything. I think one of the major arguments they make in the book is that humans have lived in very differing cultures and societies throughout (pre-)history. So attaching any one mode of societal organization to “human nature” is hardly possible.

      • zante@slrpnk.netEnglish
        4·
        8 days ago

        Also, look up Survival of the Friendliest

        I think you will enjoy it.

        The point is, growth and personal ambition more evident in humans living in hierarchical societies. Before that, we were quite different- and it’s arguable that the ambition and individualism that you have identified as potentially problematic, is in fact a learned behaviour from living in complex hierarchies as opposed something inherent in humans.