Tim Jackson: The economics of care. A book presentation

Tim Jackson has been researching the moral, economic and social dimensions of prosperity on a finite planet for three decades. His first book in this series was published in 2011 under the title "Prosperity without growth", the second, "How do we want to live", in 2021 - both also by oekom Verlag. In this book, he continues his reflections, this time on the connection between capitalism and health. It is not a non-fiction book in the traditional sense, but "a book about economics for people who are not necessarily economists". Tim Jackson not only takes us on numerous journeys into the history of medical discoveries and (mis)developments, but also to numerous places and interesting dialogue partners.

At the centre of the book is the thesis that the care sector is the only one that creates jobs without CO2 emissions and thus brings us a better life. The call to abolish patriarchy is also central if the transition to an economy of care is to succeed. This also applies, in particular, to the hierarchy in the various sciences - because "male scientists were constantly concerned with economic efficiency. With productivity. With technology. With investments. And especially with economic growth" (p. 28).

Furthermore, he continues his reflections with a great deal of wit to the effect that many diseases and deaths are not caused by infections or similar, but by our modern lifestyle. In this respect, he addresses undesirable developments (e.g. in the use of sugar), which primarily serve the profit of the producers of certain foods rather than the well-being of people. At the same time, studies on this have been deliberately prevented or suppressed. In this context, he also refers to the "unholy alliance" between big business and public health (p. 278ff), as well as the fierce battle between scientific medicine and naturopathy (historically between Asclepius and Hygeia). In this context, he also deals in detail with the expulsion of women from the professional healthcare sector in Europe - "Witches, midwives and nurses" is the telling title of this chapter.

If you don't have the book to hand immediately or would rather listen than read, you can listen to the presentation of the book, excellently moderated by Friederike Habermann, on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3nwJy22wGY.

Tim Jackson: The Economy of Care. Why we need to rethink prosperity, health and work. Translated from the English by Moritz Langer and Hans-Peter Remmler. Published by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, oekom verlag Munich 2025, 479 pp.

A review by Viola Schubert-Lehnhardt