2021/02: Fix, ‘Living the good life in a non-growth world: Investigating the role of hierarchy’
February 10, 2021
Abstract
Humanity’s most pressing need is to learn how to live within our planet’s boundaries — something that likely means doing without economic growth. How, then, can we create a non-growth society that is both just and equitable? I attempt to address this question by looking at an aspect of sustainability (and equity) that is not often discussed: the growth of hierarchy. As societies consume more energy, they tend to become more hierarchical. At the same time, the growth of hierarchy also seems to be a key driver of income/resource inequality. In this essay, I review the evidence for the joint relation between energy, hierarchy and inequality. I then speculate about what it implies for achieving a sustainable and equitable future.
Note: This essay was written for and supported by the Seoul Platform for Initiating Discourses on an Equitable and Resilient Society
Citation
Living the good life in a non-growth world: Investigating the role of hierarchy
Fix, Blair. (2021). Working Papers on Capital as Power. No. 2021/02.