Yes, the idea of no-growth post-capitalism exists, though it challenges many assumptions of both capitalism and traditional socialism. It is often explored under the umbrella of degrowth, steady-state economics, and alternative political economies that reject the necessity of perpetual economic expansion. Below are some of the key approaches and debates surrounding this idea.
1. Why Post-Capitalism Without Growth?
Traditional capitalism is structurally dependent on growth for its survival:
• Profit-driven competition forces firms to expand.
• Financial markets demand constant returns.
• Debt-based economies require expansion to remain solvent.
• Social stability is often tied to economic growth.
A no-growth post-capitalism must, therefore, dismantle the mechanisms that make growth a necessity while still providing social stability, technological development, and well-being.
2. Theories and Models of No-Growth Post-Capitalism
a. Degrowth (Serge Latouche, Giorgos Kallis)
• Core Idea: A planned reduction of energy and material use, shifting from a GDP-centered economy to one focused on well-being and sustainability.
• Post-Capitalist Elements:
• Moving away from production-for-profit.
• Redistribution of wealth rather than growth.
• Emphasis on commons-based economies, self-sufficiency, and localism.
• Time as a resource: more leisure, less work.
b. Steady-State Economy (Herman Daly)
• Core Idea: An economy that maintains stable levels of material and energy use without requiring expansion.
• Post-Capitalist Elements:
• Redistribution of wealth through universal basic services rather than increasing GDP.
• Worker cooperatives and public ownership over key resources.
• Shift from consumer-driven markets to needs-based production.
c. Fully Automated Luxury Communism (Aaron Bastani)
• Core Idea: Advanced technology could reduce the need for human labor, allowing for post-scarcity economics without growth.
• Post-Capitalist Elements:
• AI and automation provide for basic human needs.
• Abolition of wage labor through universal access to goods and services.
• Digital and information economies replace material-based production.
d. Accelerationism (Nick Srnicek & Alex Williams)
• Core Idea: Rather than rejecting capitalism, we should push its technological and productive capacities to a point where it destabilizes itself, leading to a new economic order.
• Post-Capitalist Elements:
• Radical expansion of automation and AI to remove the labor/growth cycle.
• Universal Basic Income (UBI) or Universal Basic Services (UBS) to separate income from employment.
• Governance through techno-collectivist planning rather than market-based competition.
e. The Commons Economy (David Bollier, Elinor Ostrom)
• Core Idea: Moving from private property and capitalist markets to cooperatively managed resources.
• Post-Capitalist Elements:
• Decentralized, local economies based on community-managed resources.
• Replacing state and market control with peer-to-peer networks and collective decision-making.
• Open-access knowledge systems rather than intellectual property monopolies.
3. Challenges to No-Growth Post-Capitalism
• How to Manage Debt Without Growth?
• Current financial systems require growth to repay debt. A post-capitalist economy may require debt cancellation or non-debt-based finance.
• Political Resistance & Transition Strategy
• Capitalist elites resist structural changes that eliminate profit-driven growth.
• A transition strategy must either gradually phase out capitalism or replace its core incentives overnight.
• Cultural Shift Away from Productivity & Consumption
• Modern identity is tied to work and consumption.
• A shift towards meaning beyond economic activity (art, philosophy, craftsmanship, relationships) is necessary.
• Technology vs. Simplicity Debate
• Should a no-growth society rely on high-tech solutions (AI, automation, post-scarcity tech) or embrace low-tech, simpler living (localism, handmade goods, self-sufficiency)?
4. No-Growth Post-Capitalism and Your Thought on Van Life
• Your philosophy of van life already prefigures aspects of a no-growth economy:
• Minimalist living reduces dependency on consumerist expansion.
• Autonomy over one’s time and rhythm rejects wage labor-driven existence.
• Communal exchange over transactional economies (sharing resources, gift economies).
Would you say that van life, at its best, is already a form of no-growth post-capitalism in action? Or do you see it as a temporary refuge while the broader system remains growth-driven?
