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Intelligence Squared

Why We Need to Slow Down to Save the Planet, with Kohei Saito

Apr 6, 2024
Japanese philosopher Kohei Saito discusses de-growth communism to combat the climate crisis, promoting communal wealth over GDP. They explore skincare tips and a cloud financial system, critique capitalism's impact on the environment, and advocate for post-capitalism and sustainability for future generations.
58:26

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • De-growth communism offers a radical solution to climate crisis by redefining societal values beyond profit-driven capitalism.
  • Transitioning towards de-growth communism involves decommodifying essential goods, abandoning GDP as the sole progress measure, and fostering equitable societies.

Deep dives

Origins of the Book 'Slow Down'

Kohei Saito discusses the origins of his book 'Slow Down,' tracing back to his experience during the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. This event led him to reconceptualize the inequalities present not only between classes under capitalism but also between urban and rural areas. Saito's exploration of Karl Marx's ecological theories highlighted the unsustainable nature of capitalism's profit-centric focus, leading him to formulate ideas of de-growth communism as a solution to combat climate destruction.

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