E.F. Schumacher podcast

This is from Economics in Ten podcast, season five, episode two. Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful (subtitled ‘Economics as if People Mattered’) was a landmark critique of the assumption that growth and scale are always desirable. His concept of intermediate technology: practical, locally appropriate tools rather than the most advanced Western technology: was influential in development economics. The episode positions him as a forerunner of ecological economics and the wellbeing economics movement, asking questions about the purpose of economic activity that are now central to policy debates. A good companion to the Herman Daly episode (Season 6, Episode 4). Goes beyond the standard spec but connects well to market failure and environmental topics, and is good enrichment for students who are engaging with questions about growth and sustainability.  Listen here