The Rise and Fall of the Limits to Growth Debate

Abstract

The intellectual roots of the Limits to Growth debate have involved a long history of controversy. This paper reviews four different perspectives on the debate. The reasons why the recent debate arouse cannot be explained simply by pointing to the comparative scientific validity of these perspectives. The prominence of Malthusian and environmentalist perspectives in the 1960s and early 1970s reflects the rise of the 'environmental movement'. The decline in interest in the Limits of Growth debate can be attributed in part to criticisms of these perspectives, but also to various economic and political changes which have led to a decrease in public concern about the environment.