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Is Emergy really a theory of value ?
1République des Savoirs, École Normale Supérieure de Paris, 45 rue d'Ulm 75005, Paris, France; Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement, 45 Bis av Belle Gabrielle, Nogent sur Marne, 94130, France.
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Although Howard Odum is often viewed as a foundational figure in ecological economics, he is also widely regarded as the epitome of absolute energy reductionism and a strong proponent of an energetic theory of value. In this article, we challenge this view by discussing the concept of emergy. We aim to complexify the epistemological and political reception of Odum's work to delve deeper into the philosophical issues raised by the articulation of ecology and economics. We argue that emergy is not as reductionist as commonly perceived. Emergy is neither constructed nor used as an energetic theory of value. Moreover, it operationalises the notion of ecologically unequal exchange, indicating that Odum's approach cannot be reduced merely to an engineering perspective focused on optimal environmental control.
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