Energy and Equity

Ivan Illich poses that human problems must be solved by the impressment of still more ＂energy slaves’ to meet the expanding demand of human masters. The two solutions consist of securing the current source of the drug, or finding a different, more secure pusher. In this essay, Illich examines the question of whether or not humans need any more energy than is their natural birthright. Along the way he gives a startling analysis of the marginal disutility of tools. After a certain point, that is, more energy gives negative returns. For example, moving around causes loss of time proportional to the amount of energy which is poured into the transport system, so that the speed of the fastest traveller correlates inversely to the equality as well as freedom of the median traveller.

Ivan Illich (1926-2002) was born in Vienna, Austria, and grew up in Europe. A Croatian-Austrian philosopher, Roman Catholic priest, and polemical critic of the institutions of Western culture, he could appear as a stern, forbidding character, which he put down to ＂growing up in five languages, but without a mother tongue＂. He is the author of more than fourteen books, including those addressing education (Deschooling Society, 1971), technological development (Tools For Conviviality, 1973), energy, transport and economic development (Energy And Equity, 1974), medicine (Medical Nemesis, 1974), work (The Right To Useful Unemployment And Its Professional Enemies, 1978); Shadow Work, 1981), and gender (Gender, 1982). He analyzed the corruption of institutions which, he said, ended up by performing the opposite of their original purpose. He was greatly influenced by J.C. Kumarappa, an Indian economist and adviser to Gandhi, most notably his book Economy of Permanence.