Description
Dialogues on the Oikos
Book Summary
In this work, renowned ecological economist José Manuel Naredo invites us to rethink the relationship between economics, ecology, and philosophy. Through a dialogue-based format, the author dismantles the myths of unlimited growth and proposes a new way of understanding our common home, the *oikos*. The reader will find a critical and accessible analysis that connects the environmental crisis with the foundations of mainstream economic thought, offering keys to building a more sustainable society that is conscious of the planet's limits.
What is it about?
The book is structured as a series of dialogues that explore the ecological crisis from its conceptual roots. Naredo starts from the etymology of the word "economy" (from the Greek *oikos*, house, and *nomos*, management) to question why modern economic discipline has ignored its link to nature. Throughout the work, topics such as the unsustainability of the current growth model, the fallacy of externalizing environmental costs, and the need to integrate biophysical limits into economic thinking are analyzed. The author defends a holistic vision that reconciles economics with ecology, proposing a paradigm shift towards responsible resource management and an ethics of caring for the environment.
Main Topics
- Critique of the unlimited economic growth model and its ecological consequences.
- Revision of the philosophical and conceptual foundations of modern economics.
- Relationship between ecological economics, environmental policy, and sustainability.
- The need for a new ethics based on the responsible management of natural resources.
- Analysis of environmentalist thought as an ideological alternative to developmentalism.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in the ecological crisis, critical economics, and environmental thought. It is especially relevant for students and professionals in economics, environmental sciences, philosophy, and social sciences who are looking for an integrative perspective. It will also be of great value to activists, science communicators, and anyone concerned about sustainability who wishes to understand the deep roots of current ecological problems.
What this book offers
- A critical and well-founded vision of the limitations of conventional economic thought in the face of the environmental crisis.
- Conceptual tools to understand the relationship between economics, ecology, and politics from an interdisciplinary perspective.
- An accessible, dialogue-based analysis that facilitates the understanding of complex concepts.
- Keys to rethinking the development model and moving toward a society that is more respectful of the planet's limits.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Naredo Pérez, José Manuel
- Publisher: Clave Intelectual
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Literary essays, Politics and government, Economics, Environmentalist thought and ideology
- Collection: Social Essay
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: March 2017
- Number of pages: 144
- Weight: 245 g
Editorial Review
This work represents a relevant contribution to the debate on sustainability from a critical and well-founded perspective. José Manuel Naredo, one of the most authoritative voices in ecological economics in Spain, succeeds in synthesizing in a brief, dialogue-based format the keys to a school of thought that integrates economics, ecology, and philosophy. Its accessible approach, without losing rigor, makes it a valuable read both for specialists and for a general audience interested in understanding the roots of the environmental crisis and exploring alternatives to the dominant growth model.