Shareable

Born in Germany and having grown up in Thailand, Korea, and Greece, Wolfgang Hoeschele pursued his higher education in the US, culminating in a doctorate in geography at Pennsylvania State University. He now teaches geography at Truman State University in Missouri. His research at first focused on land degradation in the state of Kerala in southern India, but subsequently turned to a critique of an economics that finds value only in scarce commodities, because only those are profitable. He specifically examines the modes of operation of what he calls “scarcity-generating institutions,” those social institutions that make sure that demands continue increasing beyond existing supplies, or that ensure that people do not have access to the resources they need and are thus willing to sell their labor at any cost. Instead, he promotes an economics of abundance, that seeks to ensure that all people, regardless of their backgrounds, now and in the future, are enabled to live life as art, meaning self-expression to others. These ideas are explained in detail in a forthcoming book (The Economics of Abundance: A Political Economy of Freedom, Equity, and Sustainability, published by Gower in Aldershot, UK), as well as in several academic articles. Some of the key features of an abundant economy consist of shared ownership of important resources and assets, and increased self-reliance at household and community levels – in fact, virtually all the ideas promoted on shareable.net would form part of an economy of abundance.