Ivan Illich.

HIS KEY IDEAS: 

He popularised the term of conviviality: 

The term was initially coined by a French 19th century lawyer and politician Brillat‐Savarin in his book Physiologie du goût published in 1825. Illich gave the word its modern meaning which is that a culture of "conviviality" is one where people are empowered to meet their own needs and participate in the decision-making process that affects their lives.  

Illich believed conviviality invited to "a way of life where people can create and recreate themselves and their environment, where they can be free and autonomous, where they can share and care for each other." He argued that conviviality was necessary for human flourishing and that modern institutions were inhibiting it.

Counter-productivity: 

Ivan Illich did not coin the term "counter productivity," but he did popularise the concept in his works. He used the term to describe situations where the intended benefits of an activity or institution are actually undermined by unintended consequences, resulting in a net loss for individuals and society as a whole. He argued that modern institutions, particularly in the fields of medicine, education and transportation, were often counterproductive.

He gave many examples of counter productivity:

Education as credentialing: Illich argued that modern education had become too focused on credentialing and certification, leading to a devaluation of knowledge and a diminished capacity for learning and personal development.

Transportation as pollution: Illich argued that modern transportation had created a culture of speed and mobility that had negative environmental, social, and health consequences, including air pollution and urban sprawl. The car and highways system which was presented as the incarnation of freedom resulted in growing polluting and frustrating traffic jams. 

Medicine as illness: Illich argued that modern medicine had created new illnesses by pusing to medicalise more and more conditions leading to overdiagnosis and overtreatment, the antibiotic race to the bottom, the hospital born dideases etc. 

Housing as homelessness: Illich argued that modern housing policies had created a culture of homelessness by prioritising property rights over human needs and creating a dependence on mortgages and rental markets.

Energy as depletion: Illich argued that modern energy policies had created a culture of depletion by relying on non-renewable sources of energy and creating a dependence on fossil fuels.

Development as underdevelopment: Illich argued that modern development policies had created a culture of underdevelopment by imposing Western models of economic growth and creating a dependence on aid and loans.

Welfare as poverty: Illich argued that modern welfare policies had created a culture of poverty by creating a dependence on state aid and disincentivizing self-reliance and entrepreneurship.

Communication as noise: Illich argued that modern communication technologies had created a culture of noise by inundating people with information and creating a dependence on media and screens.

The tyranny of institutions: 

Modern societies have created a culture of "institutionalised scarcity" in which people are dependent on institutions and experts to meet their needs.

Illich was critical of modern institutions, which he believed had become too powerful and were no longer serving the needs of the people. He believed that institutions such as schools, hospitals, and governments had become oppressive and were limiting the freedom and creativity of individuals. He notably lamented the limits of professionalisation, believing that the expansion of specialised expertise and professional services had negative consequences for individuals and communities. He argued that the proliferation of professions creates a dependence on experts and diminishes the capacity for individuals to solve problems on their own.

The importance of informal learning: 

Illich believed that informal learning, or learning that occurs outside of formal schooling, was crucial for human development. He argued that formal schooling had become too focused on credentialing and had lost sight of its original purpose of providing education for all.

The need for limits: 

Illich believed that modern society had become too focused on growth and expansion and that this was unsustainable. He argued that people needed to recognize the limits of growth and consumption and find ways to live within them.