Beyond the Growth Trap

Wim Naudé

Chapter Chapter 7 in The Economic Decline of the West, 2025, pp 199-213 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter begins by summarizing how the Guns-Oil-Oligarchy nexus contributes to the economic decline of the West. Given that the Growth Trap is at the centre of this, the chapter then considers the outlines of a post-growth society. It is argued that a post-growth society would require jettisoning of neoliberal capitalism. The challenge in such a jettisoning of neoliberal capitalism is the inherent conflict between a post-growth society’s necessary emphasis on limits, on the one hand, and entrepreneurs’ inherent need for growth. It is argued that a post-growth society, particularly one achieved through Degrowth, appears inconceivable given current societal structures and values. The pessimistic conclusion is that continued economic growth in a business-as-usual future and a shift to an idealized post-growth society present significant challenges and dangers. These could precipitate a societal collapse. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the ultimate dilemma implied by the rise of the Guns-Oil-Oligarchy nexus as one of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-031-82299-5_7

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-82299-5_7

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