This article critically examines the position taken by Serge Latouche against economic development. Although his position enjoys the favor of radical environmentalism, it is here criticized for the weakness of its scientific basis, especially in the political economy field. Latouche is in fact a socio-anthropologist who analyzed several african populations, finding in African cultures a model that he would like to propose as an alternative to the typical Western scientific, technological and economic development model. This article, after highlighting what could be regarded as the scientific weakness of Latouche doctrinaire position concludes by expounding how this position can lead to authoritarian deviations remote from any reformist perspective.
Keywords: Economic decrease, radical environmetalism, economic reformism
Jel Code: 01, 05, P4