SAVINGS FOR GOOD LIVING

a reflection for post-pandemic society

Abstract

The aim of this essay is to reflect on a pressing question, reinforced in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which will forever mark humanity: in what sense should we lead the transformation of our economies so that the "new normal" after the pandemic does not continue to be one of reproducing poverty, hunger and the degradation of nature? Based on the assumptions and concepts set out in the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si elaborated by Pope Francis and the notion of "good living" developed by Alberto Acosta, with the support of other authors, I define two main reflective dimensions: cognitive, which concerns the senses and meanings we attribute to our experiences and, especially, to the definition of what is economic; and institutional, which explains the importance of institutions and normative aspects in conditioning our behaviors. These dimensions reveal fundamental aspects for the transformation of the economy and underpin reflection, based on the notion of integral ecology, on the socio-ecological transition of the economy so that we can design economies for good living, which represents a complex paradigm shift.