Global Journal of Human Social Science, E: Economics, Volume 21 Issue 5

Economic De-Growth: A Theoretical and Critical Review Douglas Dias Braz α & Leonne Augusto Coelho Magnani σ Abstract- The aim of this article is to present a bibliographical review on the theme of de-growth, firstly discussing the emergence, the main foundations and the proposals of this theoretical conception. Subsequently, the most relevant critical arguments to this approach are exposed, both in relation to its internal consistency and the possibility of a de-growth program being compatible with a capitalist economy. The result of this review points to the need to advance in the construction of a more robust theoretical formulation on de- growth, considering the main criticisms presented in recent years. I ntroduction he Industrial Revolution initiated in the 18th century marks the dawn of capitalism as the dominant mode of production. Since then, the world has seen an accelerated growth in productivity, innovation and production. The 20th century was marked by the dispute between two distinct economic systems, capitalism and socialism. The engine of both was the same: increased productivity (productivism) and constant economic growth. The dispute ended in 1991, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Capitalism won the dispute for hegemony and now, more than ever, consumerism promoted by advertising, credit and programmed obsolescence is the great engine of economic growth. But could economic growth be infinite? In a finite world, growth could not take place indefinitely. This was the conclusion of Georgescu-Roegen in his book The Entropy Law and the Economic Process, published in 1971 1 The theme, however, only gained visibility in 1972, after the release of a report, commissioned by the Club of Rome, entitled The Limits to Growth . In it, the Romanian economist shows that the planet is a closed system and that the economy is a subsys te m of the ecosystem. Throughout production processes, we transform low-entropy energy into high- entropy energy. This implies that part of the energy and matter resulting from production can no longer be used. Thus, the production process is irreversible and growth cannot be infinite. 2 1 Georgescu is considered the founder of ecological economics and inspiration for the de-growth movement. 2 MEADOWS, D. H. et al. The limitstogrowth. New York: Universe Books, 1972. . The report, through computational models, presented catastrophic predictions about the environment, if the pr o duction and consumption levels of that period were maintained. Among the various debates that followed, the idea of sustainable development, which defended the possibility of reconciling economic development with environmental preservation, gained prominence, especially from 1987 onwards, with the publication of the Brundtland Report by the World Commission on Environment and Development. The conflict between economic growth and environmental preservation seemed to be resolved with the proposals for sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development has become increasingly dispersed and trivialized, used by governments, international agencies and even by the most predatory companies (LENA, 2012). It is from the diffusion of this concept that his biggest criticism arises: is development (understood by economic growth) really sustainable? Its critics will say that growth and sustainability are paradoxical, that is, it is not possible to continue growing without worsening the environmental situation. It is in the midst of this discussion that the movement in favor of de-growth was born. According to Rist (2012), the idea arose in 2002 at a colloquium in Paris, whose theme was “undoing development, remaking the world”. Since then, the movement in favor of de-growth has gained more visibility and has had a great rise, although it remains a minority . 3 3 It is, then, a discussion that only deepened in the recent period (although its roots is in the 1970s). The term de-growth “did not appear in any French dictionary of social sciences until 2006, although it was possible to find some entries for its correlates: “zero growth”, “sustainable development” and, of course, “steady state”. (LATOUCHE, 2012, p. 45). De-growth theorists draw attention to the socio- environmental problems caused by the current “growth society”. The transfiguration of this society into a “de- growth society”, with values different from the current one, would be the solution to reduce social inequalities and avoid an environmental collapse. From this discussion on de-growth, this article sought to present the historical perspective of the concept (Introduction); expose what de-growth is, as well as its main arguments, explaining the internal structure of this formulation and its most relevant proposals (section 1); and highlight the fundamental criticisms about the internal consistency and compatibility of proposals for the realization of a "degrowth society" in relation to capitalism (section 2). Finally, considerations about the need to advance in the construction of a more robust concept of de-growth and its real intentions are presented. T Volume XXI Issue V Version I 49 ( E ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2021 © 2021 Global Journals Author α : Ph.d in Economics, Brazil. e-mail: douglas.d.braz@gmail.com Author σ : Master in Economics, Brazil. e-mail: leonnemagnani@hotmail.com