Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Degrowth Strategy to Sustain the Capitalist System

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Capitalism at a Crossroads

Part of the book series: Springer Studies in Alternative Economics ((SSAE))

Abstract

This study deals with the degrowth approach which was put forward to avoid the negative effects of economic growth. Especially since the industrial revolution, there has been a remarkable economic growth process in the world economy. Nations are trying to raise their growth rates to develop their domestic economies and to be ahead in competition with other nations. The planet on which we live and whose resources are limited is used recklessly for the sake of achieving economic growth. The process of capital accumulation, which is the main driver of economic growth, widens the income inequality between capital owners and workers. Can the degrowth movement, which was presented as an alternative to eliminate these negativities arising from economic growth, reveal a more sustainable economic model? Will the degrowth movement be enough to ensure the continuation of capitalism and to eliminate a possible collapse? In order to answer these questions, the study discusses comparatively current approaches and approaches to the degrowth movement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aghion, P., & Howitt, P. (1992). A model of growth through creative destruction. Econometrica, 60(2), 323–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexander, S. (2012). Planned economic contraction: The emerging case for degrowth. Environmental Politics, 21(3), 349–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arrow, K. J. (1962). The economic implications of learning by doing. The Review of Economic Studies, 29(3), 155–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barro, R. J. (2001). Human capital and growth. American Economic Review, 91(2), 12–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Başçil, H. (2021, Şubat 27). Roma Kulübü Raporu: Küreselleşmenin Ekonomik ve Toplumsal İflası. Gelenek ve Gelecek.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, G. S. (1962). Investment in human capital: A theoretical analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 70(5, Part 2), 9–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bilancini, E., & D’Alessandro, S. (2012). Long-run welfare under externalities in consumption, leisure, and production: A case for happy degrowth vs. unhappy growth. Ecological Economics, 84, 194–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boulding, K. E. (1966). The economics of the coming spaceship earth. In H. Jarrett (Ed.), Environmental quality in a growing economy (pp. 3–15). Johns Hopkins Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cass, D. (1965). Optimum growth in an aggregative model of capital accumulation. The Review of Economic Studies, 32(3), 233–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colander, D., Holt, R., & Rosser, B., Jr. (2004). The changing face of mainstream economics. Review of Political Economy, 16(4), 485–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cosme, I., Santos, R., & O’Neill, D. W. (2017). Assessing the degrowth discourse: A review and analysis of academic degrowth policy proposals. Journal of Cleaner Production, 149, 321–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daly, E. H. (1974). Steady-state economics versus growthmania: A critique of the orthodox conceptions of growth, wants, scarcity and efficiency. Policy Sciences, 5, 149–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Degrowth Declaration of Paris Conference. (2008). Accessed February 22, 2022, from https://degrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Declaration-Degrowth-Paris-2008.pdf

  • Demaria, F., Schneider, F., Sekulova, F., & Martinez-Alier, J. (2013). What is degrowth? From an activist slogan to a social movement. Environmental Values, 22(2), 191–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dinda, S. (2004). Environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis: A survey. Ecological Economics, 49(4), 431–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Domar, E. (1946). Capital expansion, rate of growth, and employment. Econometrica, 14(2), 137–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Easterlin, R. A. (1974). Does economic growth improve the human lot? Some empirical evidence. In P. A. David & M. W. Reder (Eds.), Nations and households in economic growth (pp. 89–125). Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster, J. B. (2002). Savunmasız Gezegen: Çevrenin Kısa Ekonomik Tarihi. Epos Yayınları.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster, J. B. (2011). Capitalism and degrowth: An impossibility theorem. Monthly Review, 62(8), 26–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Georgescu-Roegen, N. (1971). The entropy law and the economic process. Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gorz, A. (M. Bosquet). (1972). ‘Proceedings from a public debate’. Nouvel Observateur, Paris, 397. (19th June 1972, p. IV. Proceedings from a public debate organized in Paris by the Club du Nouvel Observateur).

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, G. M., & Helpman, E. (1991). Quality ladders and product cycles. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 106(2), 557–586.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gündogan, A. C. (2012). Ekonomik Küçülmenin Ahval ve Şeraiti: Başka Bir Küçülme Mümkün Mü? Ekososyalist Dergi, 14, 31–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gündüz, M. (2006). Sosyal Yaşam ve Entropi Yasası: Dünyanın Sonuna mı Yaklaştık? Atatürk Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 20(1), 345–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, C. A., & Day, J. W. (2009). Revisiting the limits to growth after peak oil. American Scientist, 97(3), 230–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrod, R. F. (1939). An essay in dynamic theory. The Economic Journal, 49, 14–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hickel, J. (2017). The divide: A brief guide to global inequality and its solutions. Random House.

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC. (2018). Summary for policymakers. In V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, H.-O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P. R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J. B. R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M. I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, & T. Waterfield (Eds.), Global warming of 1.5°C. World Meteorological Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kallis, G., Demaria, F., & D’Alisa, G. (2014). Degrowth: A vocabulary for a new era. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerschner, C. (2010). Economic de-growth vs. steady-state economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 18(6), 544–551.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koopmans, T. C. (1965). On the concept of optimal economic growth. In J. Johansen (Ed.), The econometric approach to development planning (pp. 225–287). North Holland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koyuncu, M., & Özer, Ş. (2017). Büyümemek mümkün mü? ‘Ekonomik küçülme fikri’ üzerine tartışmalar. In H. Cömert, E. Özçelik, & E. Voyvoda (Eds.), Kalkınma İktisadının Penceresinden Türkiye’ye Bakmak: Fikret Şenses’e Armağan (pp. 175–196). İletişim Yayınları.

    Google Scholar 

  • Latouche, S. (2006). How do we learn to want less? The globe downshifted. Le Monde Diplomatique.

    Google Scholar 

  • Latouche, S. (2009). Farewell to growth. Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, F. S. (2008). Heterodox economics. The Long Term View, 7(1), 23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, J., Qu, J., & Zhao, K. (2019). Is China’s development conforms to the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis and the pollution haven hypothesis? Journal of Cleaner Production, 234, 787–796.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. E., Jr. (1988). On the mechanics of economic development. Journal of Monetary Economics, 22(1), 3–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maddison, A. Historical Statistics of the World Economy: 1–2008 a.d. 2010. www.ggdc.net/MADDISON/oriindex.htm

  • Mankiw, N. G., Romer, D., & Weil, D. N. (1992). A contribution to the empirics of economic growth. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 107(2), 407–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marx, K. (1894). Capital, vol. 3. In K. Marx & F. Engels (Eds.), Collected works, 1975–2005 (Vol. 37). Progress.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meadows, D. H., Meadows, D. L., Randers, J., & Behrens, W. W. (1972). The limits to growth, a report for the Club of Rome’s project on the predicament of mankind. Universe Books.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Meadows, D. H., Randers, J., & Meadows, D. L. (2005). The limits to growth: The 30-year update. Earthscan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mincer, J. (1958). Investment in human capital and personal income distribution. Journal of Political Economy, 66(4), 281–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phelps, E. (1961). The golden rule of accumulation: A fable for growthmen. American Economic Review, 51(4), 638–643.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piketty, T. (2013). Capital in the 21st century. President and Fellows, Harvard College.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramsey, F. P. (1928). A mathematical theory of saving. The Economic Journal, 38(152), 543–559.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut economics: Seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist. Chelsea Green Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rebelo, S. (1991). Long-run policy analysis and long-run growth. Journal of Political Economy, 99(3), 500–521.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romano, O. (2012). How to rebuild democracy, re-thinking degrowth. Futures, 44(6), 582–589.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romer, P. M. (1986). Increasing returns and long-run growth. Journal of Political Economy, 94(5), 1002–1037.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romer, P. M. (1990). Endogenous technological change. Journal of Political Economy, 98(5, Part 2), 71–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, F., Kallis, G., & Martinez-Alier, J. (2010). Crisis or opportunity? Economic degrowth for social equity and ecological sustainability. Introduction to this special issue. Journal of Cleaner Production, 18(6), 511–518.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schumacher, E. F. (1973). Small is beautiful. Abacus Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solow, R. M. (1956). A contribution to the theory of economic growth. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 70(1), 65–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solow, R. M. (1957). Technical change and the aggregate production function. Review of Economics and Statistics, 39, 312–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steffen, W., Richardson, K., Rockström, J., Cornell, S. E., Fetzer, I., Bennett, E. M., & Sörlin, S. (2015). Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science, 347(6223), 1259855.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stern, D. I. (1998). Progress on the environmental Kuznets curve? Environment and Development Economics, 3(2), 173–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swan, T. W. (1956). Economic growth and capital accumulation. Economic Record, 32(2), 334–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Şorman, A. H. (2012). Planlı Ekonomik Küçülme Uygulanabilir ve Arzu Edilen Bir Çözüm Mü? Ekososyalist Dergi, 14, 27–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turgut, G. (2014). Ekolojik Sürdürülebilirlik ve Küçülme. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi İktisadi İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 29(2), 137–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulucak, R. (2018). İktisatta çevreci dönüşüm: Ekolojik makro iktisat. Erciyes Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 51, 127–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uzawa, H. (1965). Optimum technical change in an aggregative model of economic growth. International Economic Review, 6(1), 18–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehead, M. (2013). Degrowth or regrowth? Environmental Values, 22(2), 141–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2009). The spirit level: Why greater equality makes societies stronger. Bloomsbury Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, Salihli FEAS, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey

    Süleyman Emre Özcan & Caner Demir

Authors
  1. Süleyman Emre Özcan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Caner Demir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Caner Demir .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ali Ari

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Özcan, S.E., Demir, C. (2023). Degrowth Strategy to Sustain the Capitalist System. In: Ari, A. (eds) Capitalism at a Crossroads. Springer Studies in Alternative Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23257-2_15

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation