Small Is Beautiful
Also known as Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics As If People Mattered
E. F. Schumacher's 1973 essays on economics at a human scale.
At a glance
Key ideas
The problem of production, Buddhist economics, Education as the greatest resource …
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- Schumacher argues that the modern economy is unsustainable because it treats natural resources such as fossil fuels as income rather than capital.
- Nature's capacity to absorb pollution is limited too.
- He proposes an economics of "enoughness", with technology used appropriately, drawn from his study of village economies.
- The title comes from his teacher Leopold Kohr's case for small technologies and polities over "bigger is better".
Why it matters
- The 1973 energy crisis brought it a wide audience, and it remains a founding text for sustainable development and appropriate technology.
Key facts
- Author
- E. F. Schumacher1
- Published
- 1973, as a collection of essays1
- Finished
- In the house of his friend Leopold Kohr2
- Parts
- The Modern World; Resources; The Third World; Organization and Ownership1
- Recognition
- Ranked by The Times Literary Supplement in 1995 among the 100 most influential books since World War II1
- Later editions
- An edition with commentaries in 1999; a 50th-anniversary study guide by David Boyle, commissioned by the Schumacher Center in 20231
- Award
- Prix européen de l'essai Charles Veillon, 19762
Key ideas
-
The problem of production1
Fossil fuels are capital, not income, and will run out; small technical fixes will not save an unsustainable economy.
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Buddhist economics1
The fourth chapter, from his study of village-based economics.
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Education as the greatest resource1
Part II, alongside land, industry, nuclear energy and the human effect of technology.
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Villages and unemployment1
Part III looks at the gap between rich and developing countries, with a focus on India.
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Large-scale organisation1
Part IV sketches a theory of large organisations and alternatives to capitalism, with advice to socialists.
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