Critique of Capitalism from Consumer Society to Destruction of Nature: Introduction to Degrowth Debates

Abstract

One of the main claims of capitalism is that society will be liberated through consumption. The belief that individuals will become happier as they consume forms the basis of today’s consumer society. On the other hand, the sustainability of the consumer society is directly proportional to the continuous growth of the economy. The demand for continuous growth of the economy eliminates the limits of growth. Unlimited growth, on the other hand, seems to increase individuals’ consumption demands and their happiness based on consumption.  However, loss of control over the growth brings about the destruction of nature. It has initiated a debate on the destruction of nature caused by economic growth. One of these debates is the views advocating degrowth as an alternative to growth economies. This view, which argues that economies must degrowth to prevent the destruction of nature, claims that people’s happiness does not depend on more consumption, but on a contented abundance distributed equally to everyone.