#6: The Birth of Capitalism Part 2 - Colonisation and the Paradox of Artificial Scarcity

In this episode, we continue our exploration into the origins of capitalism. Following the enclosures of Europe, the next chapter of this story follows the Age of Discovery, as Europeans took to the seas in search of resources, wealth and new trading routes. When Europeans started to colonise the Americas after 1492, they were not driven by the romance of 'exploration', 'discovery' and 'adventure' as our schoolbooks tell us.

Guided by Dr. Jason Hickel's book 'Less is More', we will trace how colonisation wasn't merely an expansion of territories but a fundamental reshaping of global economies and societies. As we unravel this chapter, we discover that colonisation was far from the benign process often depicted in conventional narratives. Instead, it involved aggressive strategies that deliberately imposed scarcity on abundant resources, securing the wealth and power structures that laid the groundwork for modern capitalism.

This journey through the darker passages of history invites us to reflect on how deeply ingrained ideologies of capitalism and colonisation continue to influence our world.

In our next episode, we will be discussing the Melbourne Doughnut! I am very excited to sit down with Alison Whitten, The Director of Research from Regen Melbourne, and discuss the Melbourne Doughnut in all its glorious detail. I highly recommend checking out the Melbourne Doughnut before our conversation, which is scheduled to take place in two weeks.

https://doughnut.regen.melbourne/

References:

📚 Less is More - Dr Jason Hickel

📄 Degrowth: A theory of radical abundance - Dr Jason Hickel

📄 Arora, S. and Stirling, A. (2023). Colonial modernity and sustainability transitions: A conceptualisation in six dimensions. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, [online] 48, p.100733. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2023.100733.

🌐 What Was the Age of Exploration? - ThoughtCo