Pope Francis and Degrowth: A Possible Dialogue for a Post-Capitalist Alternative

Abstract

The recent social encyclical Laudato Si’ (2015) by Pope Francis, contains insightful considerations regarding the present ecological and economic crisis and it calls for an urgent and radical change in people’s lifestyles. Degrowth is an emergent social, political, and economic movement that praises the end of a growth-based society. Somehow, it seems that the ideas of degrowth have been not enough seriously considered by political and economic circles, and by religiously inspired social doctrines. This paper argues that the two, Francis’ text and degrowth’s principles, share some relevant points and they can be allied in prospecting and making effective a paradigmatic change in today’s socio-economic setting. After presenting degrowth’s main ideas, Francis’ text will be analyzed, for then summarizing the results of the analyses in the concluding part.