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smal:small [2025/12/21 11:57] – Dave Darbysmal:small [2026/04/20 19:43] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-# Small is beautful+This topic is part of [[gt:philosophy|Philosophy & politics]]. 
 +====== Small is beautful ======
  
  
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-## What is 'small is beautiful'?+===== What is 'small is beautiful'? =====
  
 "Small is beautiful" is a philosophy that favours small shops and restaurants rather than enormous supermarkets and chains; small farms and smallholdings rather than huge monoculture agribusiness; local businesses and mutual credit networks rather than multinational corporations and banks, and so on. "Small is beautiful" is a philosophy that favours small shops and restaurants rather than enormous supermarkets and chains; small farms and smallholdings rather than huge monoculture agribusiness; local businesses and mutual credit networks rather than multinational corporations and banks, and so on.
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-### Distributism+==== Distributism ====
  
 ‘Distributism’ was an early 20th-century movement urging that wealth and power be spread thinly through society, not concentrated in corporations or the state. In capitalism, the ‘means of production’ (land, tools, factories, offices, machinery etc.) are mainly owned by large businesses, and under socialism, the means of production are mainly (or completely) owned by the state. In a distributist society, everyone owns the means of production, either individually, or in partnership / co-operatively with other people. ‘Distributism’ was an early 20th-century movement urging that wealth and power be spread thinly through society, not concentrated in corporations or the state. In capitalism, the ‘means of production’ (land, tools, factories, offices, machinery etc.) are mainly owned by large businesses, and under socialism, the means of production are mainly (or completely) owned by the state. In a distributist society, everyone owns the means of production, either individually, or in partnership / co-operatively with other people.
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-### Neither left nor right+==== Neither left nor right ====
  
 The ‘smallist’ message to the left is that collective ownership of the means of production works well on the small, local scale, where people know each other (co-ops, commons etc.), but not at the large scale because trust is lost, it becomes overly bureaucratic, alliances are made with big business, and it can end up concentrating power in very few hands. The ‘smallist’ message to the left is that collective ownership of the means of production works well on the small, local scale, where people know each other (co-ops, commons etc.), but not at the large scale because trust is lost, it becomes overly bureaucratic, alliances are made with big business, and it can end up concentrating power in very few hands.
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-### The role of the state+==== The role of the state ====
  
 ‘Giantism’ can’t happen [without state intervention](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/kevin-carson-corporations-state-capitalism-and-international-trade). As a company grows, internal bureaucracy and communication channels become further removed from the market, and they become inefficient and slow to react compared to small companies. Plus their distribution networks get bigger, with higher transport costs. The state helps large institutions to externalise their internal inefficiencies and costs, so that [the taxpayer ends up paying](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/how-the-state-favours-big-business-and-causes-inflation-with-quantitative-sleazing) for the things that are labelled ‘economies of scale’. ‘Giantism’ can’t happen [without state intervention](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/kevin-carson-corporations-state-capitalism-and-international-trade). As a company grows, internal bureaucracy and communication channels become further removed from the market, and they become inefficient and slow to react compared to small companies. Plus their distribution networks get bigger, with higher transport costs. The state helps large institutions to externalise their internal inefficiencies and costs, so that [the taxpayer ends up paying](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/how-the-state-favours-big-business-and-causes-inflation-with-quantitative-sleazing) for the things that are labelled ‘economies of scale’.
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 The same tendency towards giant organisations happens in nationalised industries in more socialist-leaning countries, and even in the co-operative sector. The Co-op Bank would not have stumbled and been swallowed by a hedge fund if it had remained a federation of small co-op banks in every town, rather than merging into one giant institution. ‘Giantism’ produces the same problems whether corporate, state or co-operative. The same tendency towards giant organisations happens in nationalised industries in more socialist-leaning countries, and even in the co-operative sector. The Co-op Bank would not have stumbled and been swallowed by a hedge fund if it had remained a federation of small co-op banks in every town, rather than merging into one giant institution. ‘Giantism’ produces the same problems whether corporate, state or co-operative.
-### Credit clearing and mutual credit+==== Credit clearing and mutual credit ====
  
 [[crcl:Credit clearing]] and [[mucr:mutual credit]] are ways for trusted networks of small businesses to reduce their need for giant banks, or even money. They provide ways for local businesses to support each other, and to survive in times of economic crisis. [[crcl:Credit clearing]] and [[mucr:mutual credit]] are ways for trusted networks of small businesses to reduce their need for giant banks, or even money. They provide ways for local businesses to support each other, and to survive in times of economic crisis.
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-## What are the benefits of ‘small is beautiful’?+===== What are the benefits of ‘small is beautiful’? =====
  
 - We get better-quality products, food, housing etc. - We get better-quality products, food, housing etc.
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 First, read Schumacher's seminal 1973 work, _Small is Beautiful_ ([free online](https://web.archive.org/web/20141014171926/http://www.ditext.com/schumacher/small/small.html) or [free pdf](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/Schumacher-1973-Small-is-Beautiful.pdf)). There are many more sources of information online (search Schumacher or Small is Beautful); and you can support the principle with both your consumption and your production / work. First, read Schumacher's seminal 1973 work, _Small is Beautiful_ ([free online](https://web.archive.org/web/20141014171926/http://www.ditext.com/schumacher/small/small.html) or [free pdf](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/Schumacher-1973-Small-is-Beautiful.pdf)). There are many more sources of information online (search Schumacher or Small is Beautful); and you can support the principle with both your consumption and your production / work.
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-### Consumption+==== Consumption ====
  
 If small businesses are to prosper there has to be a body of people prepared to support them by buying what they’re offering, rather than giving money to the corporate sector. So: If small businesses are to prosper there has to be a body of people prepared to support them by buying what they’re offering, rather than giving money to the corporate sector. So:
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-### Production+==== Production ====
  
 Some production lends itself to the household scale (growing veg, keeping bees or chickens), and some to the community scale. For example, it makes much more sense for a community to support a bakery, potter, blacksmith etc, rather than individual households doing those things for themselves. For local consumption, there has to be a range of local, small businesses to consume from. So: Some production lends itself to the household scale (growing veg, keeping bees or chickens), and some to the community scale. For example, it makes much more sense for a community to support a bakery, potter, blacksmith etc, rather than individual households doing those things for themselves. For local consumption, there has to be a range of local, small businesses to consume from. So:
  
-- [Re-skill](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/ints/start)+- [Re-skill](ints:start)
 - [Start a small business](https://www.gov.uk/browse/business/setting-up) - [Start a small business](https://www.gov.uk/browse/business/setting-up)
 - [Downshift](/down/downshifting) (to cope with any reduction in income) - [Downshift](/down/downshifting) (to cope with any reduction in income)
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-## Further resources+===== Forum =====
  
-- [Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered](https://www.daastol.com/books/Schumacher%20(1973)%20Small%20is%20Beautiful.pdf) Schumachers's 1973 book+This topic belongs to the section [[gt:philosophy|Philosophy & politics]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/philosophy). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources ===== 
 + 
 +- [Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered](https://www.lowimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/Small-is-Beautiful.pdf) - Schumachers's 1973 book
 - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competition_law) - anti-monopoly law - [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competition_law) - anti-monopoly law
 - [The Next System](https://thenextsystem.org/learning-from-emilia-romagna) - learning from Emilia Romagna, a region of Italy with an economy based on small businesses and 8000 co-operatives - [The Next System](https://thenextsystem.org/learning-from-emilia-romagna) - learning from Emilia Romagna, a region of Italy with an economy based on small businesses and 8000 co-operatives
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-## Specialist curators of this topic+===== Related topics ===== 
 + 
 +- [[intc:Intentional communities]] 
 +- [[ptrn:Pattern language]] 
 +- [[lish:shopping|Low-impact shopping]] 
 +- [[mucr:Mutual credit]] 
 +- [[demo:democracy|The democracy problem]] 
 +- [[tran:transition|Transition initiatives]] 
 +- [[self:Self-employment]] 
 +- [[crun:Credit unions]] 
 +- [[csas:Community-supported agriculture]] 
 +- [Collaborative finance](cofi:collaborative_finance) 
 +- [[coec:Commons economy]] 
 +- [[comy:Community]] 
 +- [[down:Downshifting]] 
 +- [[phil:Philosophy]] 
 +- [[fair:Fairtrade]] 
 +- [[lcur:Local currencies]] 
 +- [[smho:Smallholding]] 
 +- [[farm:Farmers markets]] 
 + 
 + 
 +===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
  
  
  • smal/small.1766318235.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2025/12/21 11:57
  • by Dave Darby