Jainism and Contemporary Degrowth Movements

Abstract

In his 2022 book Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World, Jason Hickel critiques current economic models that prioritize growth above all else. He attributes this growth mindset in part to the dualistic ontologies he associates with the rise of European modernism. In place of this dualistic framework, he calls for an animistic and holistic outlook that overcomes the divide between humans and nature. While supporting Hickel’s overall project, this essay questions whether dualism is the culprit behind the unrestrained growth of the economy. After all, many animist traditions are compatible with, or even premised on, a dualism between spirit and matter. A philosophy such as Jainism, for example, asserts a strict dualism between sentient souls and inert matter, while simultaneously recognizing that souls can inhabit any number of material vessels, including human bodies, animal bodies, plant bodies, and even mineral bodies. Moreover, Jainism is overtly critical of unrestrained economic growth, thanks to its teachings on nonviolence and non-possessiveness. Hence, dualism is not fundamentally opposed to economic degrowth models.