At a time when the foundations of the world seem shaken by an uninterrupted succession of environmental, humanitarian, political, and economic crises, a hopeful concept emerges, questioning the limits of our operating models: post-growth. At the heart of this reflection, ICHEC now hosts a new Chair dedicated to studying this new paradigm, in partnership with the University of Liège.
Martin François, PHD
Martin François, one of the founders of this Chair, delves into the contours and mission of this initiative, which envisions a society where value is no longer measured solely by economic indicators, but by the common good.
What is your background?
My interdisciplinary journey began with simultaneous studies in sociology, anthropology, and information/communication at the bachelor's level, followed by a Master's in environmental science and management. I then worked in the social economy sector for 10 years. Reducing inequalities has always been the guiding thread of my activities. This led me to expand my scope beyond the business realm through a doctoral thesis. There, I explore reducing economic inequalities in a post-growth context. Specifically, my inquiry focuses on the threshold of acceptability for limits imposed on wealth, such as the idea of a maximum salary.
How was the new Chair for Prosperity and Post-growth established?
The creation of the Chair aims to bring together Belgian researchers specialized in post-growth, with Géraldine Thiry and Philippe Roman from ICHEC, Kevin Maréchal and Sybille Mertens from the University of Liège as key figures. This structure strengthens the legitimacy of our research, facilitates funding, and attracts the involvement of other researchers, including Fanny Dethier, who collaborates with Philippe Roman on a project related to the Donut concept.
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What is your definition of post-growth?
I like the definition provided by Timothée Parrique. According to him, post-growth is the state of society we aim to achieve, the ultimate goal. Degrowth is the path to get there. We now know that economic growth as an end in itself brings nothing to social and environmental well-being, quite the opposite. Growth contributes to increasing major environmental and social damages whose effects will be catastrophic in the long term.
Growth as the sole indicator of a society's health no longer makes sense. The starting point of post-growth is the deconstruction of this toxic link we have with growth. From a semantic point of view, the notion of degrowth implies in our imagination a stagnant state, devaluing.
We have added the term "prosperity" to the Chair because the goal of a post-growth society is a state of balance and harmony where the emphasis is on the well-being and quality of life of the populations.
What indicator could replace GDP in this new paradigm?
One proposed solution is the Donut economics, a model serving as a compass to evaluate a society that maximizes well-being while respecting planetary boundaries. This approach, studied at the Chair, represents an ideal post-growth society.
Find out more about the Doughnut
How to garner population support for post-growth?
Despite the complexity of the term, populations already adhere to many post-growth ideas, such as the proposal to put well-being at the center of economic policy or the idea that economic growth is not infinite in a finite world. Politically, post-growth does not favor any particular party. On the contrary, in a post-growth society, well-being and education indicators are democratically defined. We envision a new paradigm, a new way of conceiving society, outside the left/right dualism from which it is sometimes difficult to escape in the collective imagination.
Post-growth is a societal project, desired and chosen, unlike the forced degrowth we have experienced recently with the Covid-19 epidemic and will experience again in the future. Proactively considering post-growth allows us to regain control over our evolution.
It is also an opportunity for Europe to be forward-thinking and to break free from mechanisms that are not beneficial. We have often been innovative and disruptive throughout history, so why not today?
Interview conducted by Raphaël Jomaux.
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