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In defense of degrowth: Opinions and minifestos
The idea of degrowth is contentious, often misunderstood, and (perhaps paradoxically) growing in popularity. In this book, Giorgos Kallis, one of the movement's leading thinkers, presents an accessible, inspiring, and enjoyable defense. The book's chapters—a compilation of his opinion essays, newspaper articles, blog posts, and 'minifestos'—range from topics such as eco-modernism, the history of economics, science fiction, the Greek crisis, and Hollywood films. The book also features debates and exchanges between Kallis and degrowth detractors. In defense of degrowth intended as an introduction for the curious, a defense against the skeptics, and an intellectually stimulating conversation for those already convinced but willing to learn more.
Kallis is a citizen of Greece, professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, publisher of over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, and an active member of the group Research & Degrowth.
Kallis is a citizen of Greece, professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, publisher of over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, and an active member of the group Research & Degrowth.
232 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2017
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738 people want to read
About the author
Giorgos Kallis
15 books67 followersGiorgos Kallis is an ICREA professor at ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 20, 2017
I started reading this with only rudimentary pre-knowledge of what degrowth actually means, so first of all I just wanted to get a solid understanding of what degrowth is, whether it's a unitary theory and/or movement, and why they don't seem to self-identify (at least not explicitly) with the left. Apart from the last question, I think I got pretty clear answers from reading the collection of articles that constitute this book.
So, degrowth is an analytical framework which seeks an end to our current system of perpetual material growth, both in terms of throughput and GDP (the latter as a consequence of the former). The main point being that we inhabit a planet which has certain biophysical limits, yet an economic system that necessitates exponential growth for our societies not to collapse. Degrowth argues for a controlled contraction of our “economies” (the way the word is currently understood) as opposed to uncontrolled contraction (i.e. an economic recession), so that we can obtain a way of living that improves human welfare; meaning it is equitable, in accordance with our ecosystems and centred around care and human interaction.
Under capitalism the process of capital accumulation ensures that the surplus is constantly being circulated into the “productive” economy, leading to more production and consumption, both in a monetary sense as well as in terms of throughput (as there is no such thing as absolute de-coupling). Well, a Marxist response might be that if the workers were to seize the means of production, we will automatically eliminate the exploitation of the surplus value of labour, thereby ending capital accumulation. Any real leftist will agree that this is a step in the right direction, but it's not sufficient. Ridding oneself of the employers' theft of the surplus value of labour doesn't ensure a worker-owned enterprise won't itself invest an agreed amount of its capital in an expansionary manner. This is why Kallis makes a radical shift in what he sees as the fundamental question of political economy for our time: not how to allocate scarce recources, but how to do away with our surplus. Kallis' proposition is that we should “waste” it immidiately, not re-invest it as it will only spur more growth (though I imagine some of it will have to be taxed for us to have a functioning state, and parts will be re-invested in the enterprise to make up for depreciation).
Besides, seizing the means of production only removes one form of surplus, namely that which can reasonably be argued to stem from the labour of workers. It does not eradicate the surplus that derives from resource rents, i.e. stealth from nature. This is not accounted for in conventional economic theory. And as long as the growth paradigm prevails, there is no way we get rid of this form of exploitation.
This book presents no blueprint for how to transform our societies and economies into some form that doesn't deplete and destroy the only planet known to inhabit living organisms, but it helps to identify the underlying problems, reframe some of them, and to a certain extent helps us envision a possible, better society. However, much work needs to be done to systematize this framework into something constituting a foundation of the political revolution that is certainly needed. As of now, degrowth is neither a unitary theory nor a movement, but a framework under development. As for the name itself, I'm not totally convinced of its suitability. Kallis deals with this as well in a very fair manner, giving space for his critics who I think raise some noteworthy objections.
I wouldn't call myself a convert just yet, perhaps because there's still so many gaps to be filled, but I think anyone who cares about the future of our planet and a healthy living should familiarize themselves with this body of thought (at least the price shouldn't be an obstacle!). Right now, I have so many thoughts spinning around in my tiny head from reading this that I'm not sure my review made as much sense as I wanted it to. I probably should have read the book more slowly to be able to fully digest the content. Will definetely revisit this one.
So, degrowth is an analytical framework which seeks an end to our current system of perpetual material growth, both in terms of throughput and GDP (the latter as a consequence of the former). The main point being that we inhabit a planet which has certain biophysical limits, yet an economic system that necessitates exponential growth for our societies not to collapse. Degrowth argues for a controlled contraction of our “economies” (the way the word is currently understood) as opposed to uncontrolled contraction (i.e. an economic recession), so that we can obtain a way of living that improves human welfare; meaning it is equitable, in accordance with our ecosystems and centred around care and human interaction.
Under capitalism the process of capital accumulation ensures that the surplus is constantly being circulated into the “productive” economy, leading to more production and consumption, both in a monetary sense as well as in terms of throughput (as there is no such thing as absolute de-coupling). Well, a Marxist response might be that if the workers were to seize the means of production, we will automatically eliminate the exploitation of the surplus value of labour, thereby ending capital accumulation. Any real leftist will agree that this is a step in the right direction, but it's not sufficient. Ridding oneself of the employers' theft of the surplus value of labour doesn't ensure a worker-owned enterprise won't itself invest an agreed amount of its capital in an expansionary manner. This is why Kallis makes a radical shift in what he sees as the fundamental question of political economy for our time: not how to allocate scarce recources, but how to do away with our surplus. Kallis' proposition is that we should “waste” it immidiately, not re-invest it as it will only spur more growth (though I imagine some of it will have to be taxed for us to have a functioning state, and parts will be re-invested in the enterprise to make up for depreciation).
Besides, seizing the means of production only removes one form of surplus, namely that which can reasonably be argued to stem from the labour of workers. It does not eradicate the surplus that derives from resource rents, i.e. stealth from nature. This is not accounted for in conventional economic theory. And as long as the growth paradigm prevails, there is no way we get rid of this form of exploitation.
This book presents no blueprint for how to transform our societies and economies into some form that doesn't deplete and destroy the only planet known to inhabit living organisms, but it helps to identify the underlying problems, reframe some of them, and to a certain extent helps us envision a possible, better society. However, much work needs to be done to systematize this framework into something constituting a foundation of the political revolution that is certainly needed. As of now, degrowth is neither a unitary theory nor a movement, but a framework under development. As for the name itself, I'm not totally convinced of its suitability. Kallis deals with this as well in a very fair manner, giving space for his critics who I think raise some noteworthy objections.
I wouldn't call myself a convert just yet, perhaps because there's still so many gaps to be filled, but I think anyone who cares about the future of our planet and a healthy living should familiarize themselves with this body of thought (at least the price shouldn't be an obstacle!). Right now, I have so many thoughts spinning around in my tiny head from reading this that I'm not sure my review made as much sense as I wanted it to. I probably should have read the book more slowly to be able to fully digest the content. Will definetely revisit this one.
December 5, 2022
Among the growth of non-growth books the main thing that seems to be really doing most of the non-growing are saner arguments for non-growth.
“All we had for a society to thrive was known after the stone age” - good luck with that.
“All we had for a society to thrive was known after the stone age” - good luck with that.
September 3, 2025
A legitimately life-changing read. My worldview has been fundamentally altered and I’m thankful for it
August 8, 2022
more of a 3.5 star book. super interesting ideas but it took me 6 months to get through bc the writing is a bit too academic at times. overall really great content though
September 8, 2017
A very interesting selection of texts - scientific, blog posts and replies to other authors - by Kallis, arguably one of the main thinkers of degrowth. Given the way the book is organised (a very good work by the editor) and written, it is very easy to read and can be seen as a good starting point for those interested in the concept of degrowth. It is a good complement to the book "Degrowth - a vocabulary for a new era", which had Kallis as one of the editors. Apart from the academic and theoretical and normative analysis, the book has several examples of concrete practices and nowtopians, proving that degrowth might not be as abstract as one might think at first. It builds bridges to other authors, such as the precursors of degrowth in the 70s and 80s as well as more recent authors, namely from the "French school" of "décroissance", allowing the curious reader to continue her research.
I've started reading it because I was curious about a particular article and ended up reading most of the book, so interesting it was. I can thus only give it 5 stars and hope it gets to as many people as possible.
I've started reading it because I was curious about a particular article and ended up reading most of the book, so interesting it was. I can thus only give it 5 stars and hope it gets to as many people as possible.
January 15, 2022
A really approachable and easy-to-read introduction to some of the key ideas of degrowth, as told by Kallis in various articles, opinion pieces, interviews, and blog posts. Short chapters and frequents shifts in focus do not make this book a coherent formulation of what degrowth is or can be, but this also works in the book’s favour, since key concepts are often repeated in different contexts, making them more memorable (such is the case with the slogan: (“Capitalism can sell everything; but it can’t sell less”). The editor also did a good job of structuring the works in such a way that the reader is gently introduced to the main challenges of degrowth, with the latter half being more dedicated to expert critiques of the concept (accompanied of course by Kallis’ rebuttals – you’ve got to have the last word in your own book).
I won’t summarise degrowth in its entirety here. But to give a flavour of Kallis’ diagnosis of neoliberal economics (and by extension politics) in “the West”, he sees degrowth as the answer to ‘capitalist economies [that] are designed to grow, merely in order not to collapse’ (13). To degrow is to take the profits of growth (that are usually reinvested in order to grow more) and redistribute (read: spend) them to the benefit of society (or, how he puts it, finding ‘meaningful and fun ways’ of ‘squandering the unavoidable excess that human activity produces’ (104)). Growth for the sake of growth is the enemy – thriving based on what we already have is the goal. Although scaling down does play a part in this, the core philosophy of DEgrowth is one of “less more” rather than just “less”. Degrowth is particularly presented as a potential solution to the climate crisis, based on the observation that strategies of technological innovation and social moralizing aren’t really working in preventing global average temperature from rising or species habitats from shrinking. Nevertheless, Kallis is sure to emphasise that right now, degrowth is primarily a “vocabulary” with which to critically analyse the economic and social systems we live in. Degrowth is not a unified, global political agenda (although smaller scale degrowth agendas are appearing, for example in Barcelona, Kallis’ intellectual home). It’s true after all, that in the prevailing, interdependent global economy, it would be impossible for a simple regime to pursue degrowth on its own.
Since degrowth is meant to be “thought with” rather than simply “accepted”, I’ve included some of the most thought-provoking chapters for me. These include Chapter 7, “Tweeting with the enemy”, which made me reflect on what I believe about nuclear energy. One of the key observations is that proponents of nuclear energy, as well as proponents of solar or wind energy, hold onto a fantasy of infinite clean energy. In the end, nuclear energy remains a technological fix, keeping a system in place that wants to keep expanding its energy use (which is often exploitative or distributed unequally). Instead of just thinking about ways to cater for future increases in energy demand (with clean(er) energy), perhaps we should be more aware of the way we currently use our energy, and look for ways to better distribute or prioritise it. Chapter 9, “For a political ecological economics”, was also useful in getting an idea of what an actionable set of degrowth policies might look like (if only in the Spanish context). This might be a good starting point for people who worry that degrowthers will talk the talk but won’t walk the walk.
Chapter 14, “Responses to the “Degrowth Alternative””, is also worth reading to get a sense of some more nuanced critiques of the movement. Likewise for Chapter 23, “Is Degrowth a compelling word”, which touches on the important aspect of palatability – many find ‘degrowth’ a distasteful or off-putting term, even if they agree with most of its tenets. This abrasiveness is kind of the point, argues Kallis, but there I think he’s still somewhat overestimating people’s willingness to engage with something they find challenging. I can imagine that Kate Raworth’s formulation does indeed lead to more engagement: “We have an economy that needs to grow, whether or not it makes us thrive. We need an economy that makes us thrive, whether or not it grows” (196).
I won’t summarise degrowth in its entirety here. But to give a flavour of Kallis’ diagnosis of neoliberal economics (and by extension politics) in “the West”, he sees degrowth as the answer to ‘capitalist economies [that] are designed to grow, merely in order not to collapse’ (13). To degrow is to take the profits of growth (that are usually reinvested in order to grow more) and redistribute (read: spend) them to the benefit of society (or, how he puts it, finding ‘meaningful and fun ways’ of ‘squandering the unavoidable excess that human activity produces’ (104)). Growth for the sake of growth is the enemy – thriving based on what we already have is the goal. Although scaling down does play a part in this, the core philosophy of DEgrowth is one of “less more” rather than just “less”. Degrowth is particularly presented as a potential solution to the climate crisis, based on the observation that strategies of technological innovation and social moralizing aren’t really working in preventing global average temperature from rising or species habitats from shrinking. Nevertheless, Kallis is sure to emphasise that right now, degrowth is primarily a “vocabulary” with which to critically analyse the economic and social systems we live in. Degrowth is not a unified, global political agenda (although smaller scale degrowth agendas are appearing, for example in Barcelona, Kallis’ intellectual home). It’s true after all, that in the prevailing, interdependent global economy, it would be impossible for a simple regime to pursue degrowth on its own.
Since degrowth is meant to be “thought with” rather than simply “accepted”, I’ve included some of the most thought-provoking chapters for me. These include Chapter 7, “Tweeting with the enemy”, which made me reflect on what I believe about nuclear energy. One of the key observations is that proponents of nuclear energy, as well as proponents of solar or wind energy, hold onto a fantasy of infinite clean energy. In the end, nuclear energy remains a technological fix, keeping a system in place that wants to keep expanding its energy use (which is often exploitative or distributed unequally). Instead of just thinking about ways to cater for future increases in energy demand (with clean(er) energy), perhaps we should be more aware of the way we currently use our energy, and look for ways to better distribute or prioritise it. Chapter 9, “For a political ecological economics”, was also useful in getting an idea of what an actionable set of degrowth policies might look like (if only in the Spanish context). This might be a good starting point for people who worry that degrowthers will talk the talk but won’t walk the walk.
Chapter 14, “Responses to the “Degrowth Alternative””, is also worth reading to get a sense of some more nuanced critiques of the movement. Likewise for Chapter 23, “Is Degrowth a compelling word”, which touches on the important aspect of palatability – many find ‘degrowth’ a distasteful or off-putting term, even if they agree with most of its tenets. This abrasiveness is kind of the point, argues Kallis, but there I think he’s still somewhat overestimating people’s willingness to engage with something they find challenging. I can imagine that Kate Raworth’s formulation does indeed lead to more engagement: “We have an economy that needs to grow, whether or not it makes us thrive. We need an economy that makes us thrive, whether or not it grows” (196).
December 6, 2022
Incredible compilation of excellent information! The arguments are compelling, honest, and inspiring. There is hope for challenging the climate crisis and social inequality and it comes from questioning our underlying economic system of greedy growth. Through collaborative and cooperative labour we can right the ship and this book helps narrow the coordinates we all must follow towards salvation.
Thank you Kallis for this beacon and all of the work you do!
Thank you Kallis for this beacon and all of the work you do!
January 7, 2025
Idea nerůstu je fascinující. Nicméně stále ještě nedopracovaná. Nicméně nemám výhrady k nerustu, ale ke knize samotné - je to soubor eseji, článků, reakcí na články.. Je to chaos, často se zde opakuje to samé, něco je podané jednoduše, něco složitě. Jako úvod do nerustu úplně nedoporučuji.
October 25, 2025
Některé eseje super, některé úplně zbytečně akademické.:)))
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March 6, 2017I love this book! Giorgos Kallis has spun threads of philosophy and commonsense, history and the future, economics and humanity, and intricately woven them together to create a roadmap of potential destinations determined by choices. Do we want a future governed by cancer like growth with consequent destruction of natural resources that feeds the voracious 1%? Or do we want a future that offers a good life to all, without destruction of nature? In defense of degrowth is far more complex than my simple point, while presented in a scholarly yet accessible style. Kallis’ writing flows like a good novel while delivering complex ideas. Anyone who cares about humanity, nature, and the future will love this book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews