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Scientific paper

Text

Degrowth, Commons and Convivial Technology

Author:
Victor Petit

Entry type:
Scientific paper

Year of publication:
2014

Publishers:
Degrowth Conference Leipzig 2014

Language:
English

Abstract: For many people, the way of degrowth supposes to leave the urban lifestyle. Instead, we would like to show that it is possible (and more realistic) to understand the degrowth in an industrial context. For this, we will follow two objectives. The first one is to answer to the critics of the concept of degrowth, through the current reflections on the so-called commons ; the second is to illustrate by many examples the virtuous relationship between degrowth and technology. These two goals are one, because reclaiming the commons means reclaiming convivial technology. One concept, in French philosophy of technology and ecology, expresses it well : the concept of “technical milieu” (which is not equivalent to “technical environment”). The aim is not only to have fewer machines, but also to change our relationship to machines, and through them, to change our relationship to each other. Thus we will show how degrowth, through a new relationship with our technical milieu, can make grow the democracy.

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