Unit 8 Economic Growth is a Patch to Perdition by HU Dan(1) (1)

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Economic Growth is a Path to Perdition, Not Prosperity
Unit 8
Author
Background
Subject
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Background
Author
Wayne Ellwood
editorial and feature writer for New Internationalist magazine has been writing for the New Internationalist since 1979 this article, first published in Oct. 2010, is entitled Nature’s Bottom Line his other articles include: Redesigning the Global Economy, The World Trading System is Corrupt and Unjust, The No-nonsense Guide to Globalization, Life Beyond Growth, etc.
Economic Growth is a Path to Perdition, Not Prosperity
Wayne Ellwood
Economic Growth is a Path to Perdition, Not Prosperity
Unit 8
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B ackground
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rds with their correct meaning in the text.
1. hone 2. proponent 3. (tax) breaks 4. foul 5. way (above the average) a. reductions or exemptions b. pollute; make dirty c. to a great distance or extent; very far d. to revise and polish until it is perfect e. advocate, supporter, defender
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Background
Subject
History of growth as an idea
Growth is a modern idea – a product of the 17th and 18th century European Enlightenment that challenged traditional views of religion and humankind’s place in the cosmos. Thinkers like Locke in England, Hume in Scotland, Voltaire in France and Paine in the US mapped out this new intellectual terrain. This rupture with tradition changed age-old cyclical thinking to sequential thinking, unleashed democratic political movements and ushered in the rule of law. The idea of progress became paramount: the notion that history has a direction, which is the gradual improvement of the human condition. The rise of science and the empirical method merged with improved technologies (the steam engine, gunpowder, the printing press) stimulating early capitalism. Economic growth became synonymous with social progress. European colonialism spread the idea around the world. But soon the concept of improvement was eclipsed by a narrow fixation on numbers. The gross measure of economic output (GDP) became the benchmark for economic success, detached from W B broad notions of the public good. Growth without concern for its social or ecological consequences became the overarching goal of government policy. T R
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Check-on Preview
• Paraphrase the following sentences
– we’ve been drawing down the biosphere’s principal rather than living off its annual interest. – Even on its own terms, growth isn’t working. We avoid talking about the skewed distribution of the planet’s wealth and income, dreaming instead that we can grow our way out of the problem.
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Questions / Activities
How do you understand the cartoon below?
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Questions / Activities
Please answer the following questions 1. What is the author’s main argument? 2. If economic growth is a path to perdition, as claimed by the author, then in what way(s)? 3. Do you agree with the author? Why or why not?
• 2. The myth that economy being able to grow forever.(5-6)
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B. Normal pattern of economic growth before 1940s(7) • C. The latest global econoimic slump challenging the myth.(8)
T ext Analysis R einforcement
Economic Growth is a Path to Perdition, Not Prosperity
Unit 8
Questions / Activities Check-on Preview Objectives
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Economic Growth is a Path to Perdition, Not Prosperity
Unit 8
Theme
Text Analysis
Structure
Detailed Analysis
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Text Analysis
Theme
• Economic growth v. enviromental protection • Economic growth v. social equality and wellbeing • The GDP-driven test (GDP is everything) in China (news: Stop Cramming: City Cancels GDP-driven Test)
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Objectives
• Understand the arguments and reasoning in the text • Explore connections and possible conflicts between economic growth and environmental protection • Explore connections and possible conflicts between economic growth and social equality (well-being) W • (if possible) evaluate on the arguments T presented in the text
• III. Root cause of the myth(9-11) • A. Growth being the core of capitalism.(9-10)
• • • • • • B. Statistics of the rapid growth (11)
• IV. Refutation of the myth (12-25)
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Structure (29 paragraphs)
• I. Introduction.(1-3): Darwin’s long battle against the
Biblical myth of creation.
• II. The modern myth of economic growth (4-8) • A.Definition.(4-6) • 1. The myth being more dangerous. (4)
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Background
Author
The following is an excerpt from another article of Wayne Ellwood, Life Beyond Growth
“The global economy is again grinding to a halt while ordinary people take the hit. The ghost of the Great Depression of the 1930s hovers in the wings. So what’s the solution? Growth. A growing economy equals more jobs, rising incomes, peace and prosperity. Without growth the system would collapse. Get growth back on track and everything will be OK. That’s the theory. But no-one is talking about the biggest dilemma of all: economic growth may not be the cure but the source of the problem. After all we live on a finite planet with limited resources. How can we expect to grow forever?”