Nothing in Excess

NOTHING IN EXCESS; Re-evaluating Nature, the Economy and Life post Corona

Carlos de Bourbon de Parme, Sylvester Eijffinger and Paul van Geest

What are the lessons learned from the corona crisis? In this essay, the authors try to develop a vision in which the word ‘crisis’ is interpreted as ‘opportunity’. First of all, the corona crisis is an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with each other in the many socio-economic connections in which people live, both globally and regionally. There is a concrete case for a change in social and economic thinking based on a reflection on the relationship of the virtues of “mercy” and “justice”. The corona crisis is an opportunity to review our relationship with nature and our association with other living things. Finally, the pandemic is not only seen as punishment of our infringement on nature. The suffering and death resulting from the spread of the virus was, by some individuals, labelled a punishment from God. In the last part of their essay, the authors discuss the absurdity of such a belief and describe the corona crisis as an opportunity to go through personal or collective growth towards a world where we no longer live in excesses, but within the planetary boundaries.
H.R.H Prince Carlos Javier de Bourbon de Parme, MA, is director of Compazz, an independent foundation whose goal is to accelerate the circular economy, sustainable innovation and transition. He is an alumnus of Wesleyan University and Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge.
Professor Sylvester Eijffinger is emeritus professor of Financial Economics at Tilburg University, emeritus president of the Tilburg University Society and visiting professor at the Economics Department of Harvard University.
Professor Paul van Geest is professor of Church History and History of Theology at Tilburg University, professor of Economics and Theology at Erasmus University Rotterdam and visiting professor at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the Catholic University of Leuven.