There is something fundamentally wrong in treating the Earth as if it were a business in liquidation.
Herman E. DalyRead
Environmental degradation is an iatrogenic disease induced by economic physicians who treat the basic malady of unlimited wants by prescribing unlimited growth.... Yet one certainly does not cure a treatment-induced disease by increasing the treatment dosage.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the pursuit of endless economic growth, suggesting it leads to environmental harm.
Herman E. Daly's quote highlights the critical relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation by using a medical analogy. He argues that just as one cannot heal a disease caused by too much treatment by simply increasing the dosage, society cannot solve the issues of environmental decline caused by unchecked economic expansion by simply advocating for more growth. This serves as a caution against the belief that limitless economic development is a panacea for societal needs, emphasizing the need for a sustainable approach to resource management.
Themes
EnvironmentEconomic GrowthSustainabilityDegradationUnlimited Wants
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech on environmental policies, one could use this quote to emphasize the need for sustainable practices.
More from Herman E. Daly
All quotes →If nonsatiety were the natural state of human nature then aggressive want-stimulating advertising would not be necessary, nor would the barrage of novelty aimed at promoting dissatisfaction with last year's model. The system attempts to remake people to fit its own presuppositions. If people's wants are not naturally insatiable we must make them so, in order to keep the system going.
Herman E. DalyRead
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