In 2013 the book “Responsible Economics—E.F. Schumacher and His Legacy for the 21st Century” edited by Hendrik Opdebeeck was published by Peter Lang Academic Publishers in Oxford.
The centenary of E.F. Schumacher’s birth (1911–1977) offered an urgent opportunity to revisit his work and life. Against the background of the crisis at the beginning of this century, reconsidering Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful or frugality paradigm makes clear that advances in responsible economics continue to be a priority. This book contains the proceedings of the Annual Conference of the European SPES on the Legacy of E.F. Schumacher, which was organized in September 2011 in Antwerp.
The aims of this conference were to celebrate the 100th anniversary of E.F. Schumacher’s birth and to engage with Schumacher’s vision to help address the present need for responsibility in economics and business. The answers to our current economic crisis presented in this book prove that the legacy of an economist and philosopher like Schumacher is not confined to a utopian economic paradigm. Utopian economic paradigms are concerned with a better economic situation in the future. Schumacher reconsidered today, however, makes it clear that society needs responsible economics invested in the sustainability of the globe, right now.