Sustainable Degrowth: Theory and Practices

The main objective of this course is to introduce management students in the MBA program to "sustainable degrowth," which is a stream of political thought, a social movement, and a burgeoning field of research. Those who object to growth are opposed to "sustainable development" projects, which they consider insufficient at best, and harmful at worst. This course is the chance to discover their main arguments for sustainable degrowth and to debate them, and to present and discuss the major points of degrowth policy. This radical political proposal has garnered increasing interest in public discourse over the past 20 years; managers at least need to understand sustainable degrowth, as they will likely encounter it more frequently. Taking an interest in degrowth helps us better understand the foundations of our societies and to explore ways of thinking and acting that are very different from what we are accustomed to.