Four Principles for a Human Rights based Approach to Development Without Growth

Abstract

Economists have frequently reflected on how to generate human wellbeing. Adam Smith presented economic growth as a tool to alleviate deprivation without extensive wealth redistribution. Since then, growth became the nuclear concept of mainstream economics. However, not only the promises of wellbeing associated with growth have not been fulfilled, as its ecological limits are evident today. How can economics strive for human wellbeing and abandon growth? The first step in that direction is to decolonize the social imaginary of economics, this being the main cross cutting theme of the paper. To achieve this purpose, I propose four principles rooted in Human Rights. The principles are: 1) non-utilitarian approach; 2) decommodification; 3) Decoupling income from work and 4) cultural freedom. Heterodox economists have long addressed issues referring to human rights. Nevertheless, these approaches are not structurally built upon human rights and, therefore, the necessary synthesis is yet to be done.