| Title | From elite folk science to the policy legend of the circular economy |
|---|---|
| ID_Doc | 1862 |
| Authors | Giampietro, M; Funtowicz, SO |
| Title | From elite folk science to the policy legend of the circular economy |
| Year | 2020 |
| Published | |
| Abstract | This paper explores the implications of the widespread success of the term circular economy in the institutional and public debate. The concept of circular economy in itself implies a logical contradiction: on the one hand, the concept acknowledges the dependence of the economy on biophysical flows; on the other hand, the proposed solution-a business model guaranteeing a full decoupling of the economy from natural resources-seemingly ignores that biophysical processes are subject to thermodynamic constraints. A biophysical view of the sustainability predicament-the flows exchanged between the technosphere and the biosphere - is depicted to show that the idea of a full decoupling is simply due to ignorance of the knowledge generated in (inter)disciplinary scientific fields other than the dominant economic one. The success of economics as an 'elite folk science' is explained by the need of the establishment to ignore uncomfortable knowledge that would destabilize existing institutions. The success of the term circular economy can be seen as an example of socially constructed ignorance in which folk tales are used to depoliticize the sustainability debate and to colonize the future through the endorsement of implausible socio-technical imaginaries. A strategy that can lead to an irresponsible management of expectation: implausible master narratives are impossible to govern. Rather than continuing to impose technocratic plans, as if we knew the optimal thing to do, Post-Normal Science suggests that it is much more effective and responsible to adopt a flexible management approach, exploring the ability of self-organization of social-ecological systems. |
| https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.04.012 |
Similar Articles
| ID | Score | Article |
|---|---|---|
244
|
Temesgen, A; Storsletten, V; Jakobsen, O Circular Economy - Reducing Symptoms or Radical Change?(2021)Philosophy Of Management, 20, 1 | |
| 2248
|
James, P Re-embedding the circular economy in Circles of Social Life: beyond the self-repairing (and still-rapacious) economy(2022)Local Environment, 27, 10-11 | |
| 1568
|
Stephan, G Circular Economy: Illusion or First Step towards a Sustainable Economy: A Physico-Economic Perspective(2022)Sustainability, 14, 8 | |
| 28155
|
Hernández, OU Historic-Epistemological Evolution Of The Circular Economy: Towards A New Development Paradigm?(2021)Revista Economia Y Sociedad, 26.0, 59 | |
| 28678
|
Eickhoff, H The appeal of the circular economy revisited: on track for transformative change or enabler of moral licensing?(2024)Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, 11.0, 1 | |
| 1005
|
Mayumi, K; Giampietro, M Reconsidering "Circular Economy" In Terms Of Irreversible Evolution Of Economic Activity And Interplay Between Technosphere And Biosphere(2019)Romanian Journal Of Economic Forecasting, 22, 2 | |
| 405
|
Crocker, R From 'Spaceship Earth' to the Circular Economy: The Problem of Consumption(2018) | |
| 7643
|
Giampietro, M Reflections on the popularity of the circular bioeconomy concept: the ontological crisis of sustainability science(2023)Sustainability Science, 18, 2 | |
| 941
|
Blot, D Sustainable Development, Circular Economy And Popular Practices: Does The Relationship Between Society And Environment Need The Economy?(2022) | |
| 1119
|
Buchmann-Duck, J; Beazley, KF An urgent call for circular economy advocates to acknowledge its limitations in conserving biodiversity(2020) |