Worth quoting Sahlins' (1972) remarks on the original affluent society: "there are two possible courses to affluence. Wants may be "easily satisfied'' either by producing much or desiring little. 1/
https://twitter.com/jasonhickel/status/1376097068251541504
"The familiar conception... makes assumptions peculiarly appropriate to market economies: that man's wants are great, not to say infinite, whereas his means are limited, although improvable... 2/
"thus, the gap between means and ends can be narrowed by industrial productivity, at least to the point that "urgent goods'' become plentiful. But there is also a Zen road to affluence, departing from premises somewhat different from our own... 3/
"that human material wants are finite and few, and technical means unchanging but on the whole adequate. Adopting the Zen strategy, a people can enjoy an unparalleled material plenty---with a low standard of living. That, I think, describes the hunters" (Sahlins 1972)/end
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