Introduction
Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics is a revolutionary economic model that replaces the traditional obsession with GDP growth with a pursuit of dynamic equilibrium. In the face of the climate crisis and rising inequalities, this concept serves as a new compass for the 21st century. This article analyzes how combining social justice theory with planetary boundaries allows us to define a safe space for human development. You will learn why the economy must be embedded within biophysical realities and the challenges involved in bringing this vision to life.
The Social Foundation: Twelve Needs and the Minimum for a Dignified Life
The inner ring of the model, the social foundation, is a precise demarcation line; falling below it means entering a state of deprivation and the erosion of human dignity. This is not merely an abstract postulate, but a concrete map of the boundary conditions necessary for full participation in community life. This foundation is based on twelve dimensions, encompassing biological needs (water, food, energy, sanitation) and the resources that build the social fabric (education, work, healthcare, decent housing, information, and support networks).
A deficiency in any of these elements inevitably breeds social tension and conflict, which consequently undermines the stability of the economy itself. Thus, the social foundation serves as a moral and political cornerstone, without which formal equality remains a mere legal fiction. It is the structure that enables the actual exercise of freedom.
Rawls, Sen, and the Ecological Ceiling: Limits to Growth in the Anthropocene
Raworth’s model integrates the thought of John Rawls and Amartya Sen, giving their theories a material dimension. From Rawls, it adopts the imperative that institutions should serve the least advantaged, while Sen’s capability theory allows us to view access to public services as a means of developing an individual's real freedom. This social structure is inextricably linked to the ecological ceiling—the outer ring that defines the limits of exploiting planetary systems.
In the age of the Anthropocene, where human activity has become a geological force, overshooting the nine planetary boundaries (including climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean acidification) risks a domino effect. Breaching one limit, such as forest degradation, weakens the planet's ability to sequester CO₂, accelerating warming and disrupting the global water cycle. The ecological ceiling forces a paradigm shift: the economy is not an autonomous system, but a fragile subsystem of the biosphere, entirely dependent on its regenerative capacity.
Well-being Economics: Critique of the Model and the Role of Inequality
Contemporary well-being economics is moving away from the dictatorship of GDP toward multidimensional measures of quality of life, such as health, security, and the strength of social bonds. The Doughnut model indicates that social inequalities are the primary barrier to achieving balance. The extreme concentration of wealth prevents resources from reaching where they are essential for meeting basic needs, destabilizing the entire system. Thus, the fight against poverty becomes a matter of fair redistribution and institutional mechanisms.
Despite implementation in cities like Amsterdam, the concept faces criticism. Skeptics point to the lack of a precise mathematical framework and the difficulty of establishing universal standards for a "dignified life," which often depend on local cultural contexts. Realizing the model requires a radical shift in production and consumption paradigms, which, under global market conditions, generates high political costs and the risk of resistance from groups whose situation might worsen due to ecological restrictions.
Summary
The Doughnut model reminds us that prosperity is not just a matter of economic growth, but the ability to live in harmony with the planet and ensure fundamental rights for all people. It shifts the axis of thinking from the linear paradigm of "more and faster" to the cyclical wisdom of seeking balance. Can we create an economy that not only meets our needs but also respects ecological limits and promotes social justice? Perhaps the Doughnut is the map that will lead us toward this utopia, or perhaps it is merely a reminder that the future depends on our capacity for a fundamental mental shift.
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