This postdoctoral project is carried out by Thomas Kayzel and funded by the Bruno Latour Fund for a period of 3 years (2023-2026).

The project aims at contributing to an intellectual history of economic growth. More specifically, it investigates where the idea of limitless growth comes from. This idea can be traced back to the mid-19th century and emerged paradoxically precisely at a time when scholars started to understand the environmental limits of the economy. 

This research explores the nexus between political economy and environmental thought, trying to understand how conceptions of nature have influenced economics. It draws on writings by authors such as Smith, Ricardo, Mill, Bagehot, Cliffe Leslie, McCulloch, Green, and Sidney Webb.  

Funding

Established in 2022 at the initiative of Bruno Latour, the Bruno Latour Fund - "A New Climate for Social Sciences" is an ambitious postdoctoral research program at Sciences Po dedicated to studying environmental and climate change. This postdoctoral program is unprecedented in scale and scope. 

Find out more

Podcast “Conversations with Sergei Guriev” hosting Thomas Kayzel on Growth Thought (2023)