An interesting piece by Philipp Lepenies:
“Fundamentally, GDP
is a materialistic concept: higher production is the sole imperative; the more
goods produced and services rendered, the better. Whether any of this actually
makes people better off is a different matter entirely.
Dissatisfaction
with the myopia of GDP has led policymakers in recent years to explore
alternative, more people-oriented aggregate indicators. But moving beyond GDP
has proved difficult, given its history.”