"DeGrowth"

Fredric Jameson is attributed to saying, “It is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism.”  Yet, a system based on year-on-year growth is unsustainable – you can’t sustain infinite growth on a finite planet.  Is there an economic system that could substitute for capitalism that would allow societies to live within the carrying capacity of our one-and-only planet?   One such alternative is called degrowth.  Degrowth is an economic system prioritizing human and planetary well-being over GDP growth.  Some might scoff and consider this a utopian vision. Still, this alternative is being discussed in decidedly non-tree-hugging circles such as the Harvard Business Review, which recently published an article entitled In Defense of Degrowth https://hbr.org/2024/06/in-defense-of-degrowth  As elites come to grips with the fact that our current trajectory leads to societal collapse, even the most entrenched are beginning to entertain alternatives that may help humanity move to a more sustainable path.