Utilitarianism made for ‘Hard Times’ in Dickens’ England

Comment from Anya VerKamp on the novel "Hard Times" by Charles Dickens. Introduction: Charles Dickens, an author witnessing firsthand the harsh impacts of the industrial revolution, wrote a novel that contains in it some of the themes still present in degrowth discourse today. His novel Hard Times demonstrates the invasion of utilitarianism and its economic implications into human relationships and education. Art is Dickens preferred form of dépense to replace the hegemony of utilitarianism.