Sustainability 2010, 2(8), 2601-2616; doi:10.3390/su2082601
Article

Political Economy, Capitalism and Sustainable Development

George Liodakisemail
Department of Sciences, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece
Received: 13 July 2010; in revised form: 5 August 2010 / Accepted: 10 August 2010 / Published: 18 August 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Political Economy and Sustainability)
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Abstract: After a critical review of conventional approaches to sustainability, this paper contrasts orthodox (neoclassical) economic theory with a political economy approach, arguing that such an approach focusing on the historically specific organizational form of production and the inherent characteristics of the capitalist mode of production is crucial for exploring the preconditions, the content and the prospects of sustainability. Analyzing briefly these characteristics and the developmental trends of capitalism, we locate the basic causes behind the currently exacerbated economic and ecological crisis, and on these grounds we briefly explore the required systemic transformations necessary to ensure a socially and ecologically, truly sustainable development.
Keywords: political economy; Marxist theory; capitalism; sustainability conditions; sustainable development

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MDPI and ACS Style

Liodakis, G. Political Economy, Capitalism and Sustainable Development. Sustainability 2010, 2, 2601-2616.

AMA Style

Liodakis G. Political Economy, Capitalism and Sustainable Development. Sustainability. 2010; 2(8):2601-2616.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Liodakis, George. 2010. "Political Economy, Capitalism and Sustainable Development." Sustainability 2, no. 8: 2601-2616.

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