Should there be more or less economic growth? This course covers normative arguments and empirical evidence which are useful for answering this question. In the 1970s, the Club of Rome prompted a large public discussion about the desirability of economic growth. Since then, the debate has subsided or turned into a one-sided debate with the economics and policy mainstream taking support for economic growth for granted and thus constituting a “silent majority”. The issue has recently gained steam with post-growth scholars on the one hand and progress studies scholars on the other hand taking more deliberate and vocal stances against and for growth, respectively. This course equips students to take a clear position themselves by examining and philosophically assessing the relationship of economic growth to goals such as development, equality, happiness, liberalism, animal welfare, environment, or extinction risks.

The course has two goals:

1. Understanding the causes and consequences of economic growth. The goal is breadth: examining a wide range of aspects from a wide range of theoretical perspectives.

2. Strengthening philosophical reasoning skills by learning about ethical theories and applying them to the practical question whether there should be more or less economic growth.