Thinkers & Ideas

Slow Down with Kohei Saito

Feb 27, 2024

Associate professor Kohei Saito discusses the need for economic system change to combat climate change. He explores radical ideas like de-growth, challenges posed by capitalism, and alternative metrics of progress. The conversation touches on prioritizing well-being over GDP growth, exploring utopian ideas for happiness, and creating sustainable business models. Saito also shares insights on engaging marginalized voices for societal transformation.

29:03

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Episode guests

Kohei Saito

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Quick takeaways

Addressing climate change requires a shift away from capitalist systems emphasizing growth to prioritize sustainability.

Saito advocates for 'degrowth communism', focusing on societal well-being over profit-driven growth and reevaluating economic priorities.

Deep dives

Challenging Capitalism to Address Climate Change

The podcast discusses the radical hypothesis presented by Kohai Saito in his book 'Slow Down, the Degrowth Manifesto'. Saito argues that addressing climate change requires fundamental changes in the political economic system, specifically challenging capitalism and the pursuit of endless growth. He emphasizes the need to reduce unnecessary production and consumption, highlighting the inefficiency of capitalist systems in prioritizing profit over sustainability. Saito's proposition advocates for a significant shift in economic priorities to combat the existential threat posed by climate change.

Introduction

2min

Challenging Capitalism for Climate Action

20min

Exploring Utopian Ideas, Happiness, and Capitalism

2min

Exploring Degrowth, Communism, and Sustainable Business Models

2min

A Hopeful Outlook on Overcoming Climate Change Through Marginalized Voices

3min

In Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto, Kohei Saito explores the relationship between capitalism and the climate crisis. He argues, controversially, that to have any chance of achieving true sustainability, we must move to a system which deemphasizes growth, adopts different metrics of progress, expands the commons, and places value on goods and services which are not currently considered as part of the economy, like caregiving and nature.

Saito is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Tokyo and a recipient of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science prize, which is awarded to the top scholar in Japan under the age of 45. His book, published previously in Japan, became an unexpected bestseller, shipping more than half a million copies to date.

Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of BCG Henderson Institute, Saito discusses the arguments for fundamental economic system change, explores the feasibility of less radical alternatives, and assesses implications for business leaders. The book’s propositions will likely seem very radical to many of our business listeners—but as Saito notes, sometimes utopian ideas can be a stimulus for generating new thinking for complex intractable topics like climate change.

Key topics discussed:

01:50 | Defining the problem and the need for system-level change

06:21 | The relation between capitalism and technological progress

08:41 | Exploring alternative, less radical solutions

13:32 | The need for a new measurement of economic and social progress

17:08 | The feasibility of a transition to a new system

21:41 | Implications for business leaders

25:35 | Reasons to remain hopeful

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Thinkers & Ideas

Slow Down with Kohei Saito

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Challenging Capitalism to Address Climate Change

Evaluating Capitalism and System Change

The Transition to Degrowth and Communism

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts