Abstract: A sharp problem focus sharpens the problem. Sustainably ongrowing bodies of text on degrowth are not the key to post-growth scenarios because evocations of the limits of growth reinforce rather than transcend the economic principle, which is in the observation of scarcity. We therefore focus on alternative forms of growth rather than alternatives to growth. Our form-theoretical analysis of growth dismoralizes growth and disembeds it from the economic medium in which it is preferably drawn. We finally suggest that the key to a post-growth society is in a regrowth of interest in growth in so-far neglected non-economic function systems.

Keywords: Degrowth; systems theory; tetralemma; Luhmann; differentiation theory.

Article available for download here.

Citation: Roth, S. (2017) Marginal economy. Growth strategies for post-growth societies, Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 51 No. 4, pp. 1033-1046.

See also: Valentinov, V. (2017) Comment: Marrying Functional Differentiation and Institutional Economics: Reflections on Steffen Roth’s Article, Vol. 51 No. 4, pp. 1047-1053, available for download here.