ABSTRACT
The current devotion to economic growth as a basis of social progress is premised on the idea that the flourishing of each member of society depends on the constant expansion of the possibilities of material consumption. This chapter challenges this vision. It argues for a measure of human progress that is based on a different and richer understanding of “prosperity”, which takes into account both the need to remain within planetary boundaries and the fairness and equity in the decision-making processes, as societies seek to strike a balance between the various dimensions of real prosperity. It also examines how the State can combine strategic planning with its role in stimulating social innovations, adopting of pragmatist mode of governance which combines pathway thinking with new forms of partnerships between the public, the private, and the civic.
