Degrowth: Technoscience and the Existential Stakes of a Political Heresy

Authors

  • Michel Weber

Keywords:

Degrowth, Cuba

Abstract

Three main questions are in order to probe the issue of degrowth. First, we have to make clear that, in the current political context, degrowth is nothing less than a complete heresy. Meadows and Whitehead are precious to specify its weak and strong concepts. On the one hand, degrowth is shown to be inevitable on a finite planet; on the other, technoscience lured by capitalism is necessarily alienating, as it prevents individuation, solidarity, and culture. Second, two forgotten political exemplifications are helpful to picture the critical practicalities: Cuba's "special period," and the Mansholt Commission. Third, the status of technoscience being, arguably, at the very core of the (obvious) vices and (alleged) virtues of the growth religion, a brief Huxleyan speculation on its axiological neutrality helps us to conclude.

Author Biography

Michel Weber

Michel Weber obtained his Ph. D. in Philosophy from the Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium) where he is has been a research fellow. He is currently the director of the Centre de philosophie pratique, Brussels. His research program mainly consists of developing the activities of three networks: the "Chromatiques whiteheadiennes”, the "European William James Project” and the "Whitehead Psychology Nexus”. He is the author of eight monographs and (co-)editor of numerous scientific studies. He also edits the "Chromatiques whiteheadiennes” Series (Ontos Verlag), the Chromatikon Yearbook (Presses universitaires de Louvain) and co-edits the "Process Thought” Series (Ontos Verlag).

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Published

11-12-2018

How to Cite

Weber, M. (2018). Degrowth: Technoscience and the Existential Stakes of a Political Heresy. Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy, 14(3), 51–71. Retrieved from http://cosmosandhistory.org/index.php/journal/article/view/743