Access: Week 1 – April 28

Questions to stimulate your thinking, and which will be discussed in Class 1:

1. Daly and Cobb (1994) in their book ‘For the Common Good’ argue that growth economics is leading society to disaster, and state:

We find it hard to suppress a cry of anguish, a scream of horror. We humans are being led to a dead end, we are living by an ideology of death and accordingly we are destroying our own humanity and killing the planet. … Before this generation is the way of life and the way of death.

Discuss. What do you think the ideology is that they refer to? Do you think this ecological economist and philosopher overstate the risk of what society is doing? Why?

2. Ecological economist Peter Victor (2008: 170) concludes:

At some point, fundamental questions of growth for what, for whom and with what consequences will be asked by more and more people until there is a shift in societal values away from a growth-first policy. Some glimmers of that shift are discernible today.

Discuss. Do you think the questions he asks are valid? Why? What do you think the ‘glimmers of that shift’ might be?

3. Mary Graham talks about the ‘survivalist’ ethic and the ‘relationist’ ethic. How would you describe each of these, and what type of economic system arises from each different type of foundational ethic?

4. How might you draw on the community economies ‘ethical considerations’ in your work and life?This discussion about early ideas will help you begin thinking about what you might write in your reflection piece.
   • surviving together well and equitably
   • distributing surplus to enrich social and environmental health
   • encountering others in ways that support their well-being as well as ours
   • consuming sustainably
   • caring for- maintaining, replenishing, and growing – our natural and cultural commons
   • investing our wealth in future generations so that they can live well.