Reading Questions and Discussions for Chapter 1
A set of reading questions (there are more coming) for people wanting to read together and discuss the key ideas
1. Why is GDP the cuckoo in the economic nest?
3. How did John Stuart Mill redefine the earlier broader social definitions of political economy from Adam Smith and James Steuart?
4. How is the common idea of economics as the science of behaviour contradicted by mainstream economics?
5. In what way is 'utility' and its definition a poor basis for human behaviour and growth?
6. Has economics teaching (micro and macro economics) changed relative to understanding development?
7. What did Okun's Law and GNP lack as a panacea for development?
8. How does the upward curve of GDP growth fit the 'Metaphors We Live By' (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980)?
9. Why would Kuznets not have chosen and upward curve or GNP as measure of national welfare?
10. How did Donella Meadows (the influential systems thinker) describe GNP growth?
11. Post the 2008 GFC how have politicians tried to prop up growth and make it palatable?
12. How has the disappearace of traditional political economy created a moral vacancy? (Michael Sandel)
13. How is the work of Amartya Sen a culmination of Jean Sismondi, John Ruskin, E.F Schumacher, and others?
14. What enables human beings to thrive?
15. Can you explain the doughnut boundaries and concepts?
16. What is the Great Acceleration? What have been its ecological and economic effects? (Will Steffen)
17. How does the Anthropocene differ from the Holocene?
18. What five factors will influence progress? Any others?
19. What kind of governance do you think will matter for progress in specific areas?
20. How does this relate to me?
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Amelie Michalke
Augsburg, Bayern, Deutschland
Hey :) I'm a researcher from Germany, interested especially in sustainable food production and consumption. I research external costs of foodstuff; my colleagues and I include environmental follow-up costs along the agricultural value chain in the foods' market prices. I firmly believe that we can transform economic structures with interdisciplinarity: Economy must finally be discussed from ecological and social perspectives. #thrive
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Francesca Paola Papa
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Jaap van den Langenberg
Nijmegen, Gelderland, Nederland
I'm a master student at the Radboud University in Nijmegen. Following the study Spatial Planning with the specialization Cities, Water and Climate Change. In March 2021, I start with my Master theses and therefore I want to inquire how the Doughnut Economy can be useful, to measure the measurements for the Climate action plan for the province of Gelderland. The Doughnut economy should help to gain insight into the effects of the measurements and where to improve and guide steering.
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Tove Margrethe Dyblie
Holmestrand, Vestfold, Norway
I am a passionate Sustainability professional and a part time regenerative farmer with a MBA in global eManagement, and a MSc in Sustainable Development.. More to come ..... 😊
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Donald Zank
Cedarburg, Wisconsin, United States of America
Retired. Worked at Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley in AC/DC drives support. Graduate of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Masters in Operations; Undergrad in Economics
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Gavin Melles
Dresden, Sachsen, Germany
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Amandine Sabourin
Brussels, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale - Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Belgium
Researcher on public policies of cooperation and development, I now advocate for local governments active in decentralised cooperation. Interested to applying the doughnut to the local level!
