<p>As Steven Landsburg pointed out, indefinite anything isn't possible given the eventual heat death of the universe.</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-replicating_spacecraft#Von_Neumann_probes">Von Neumann posited machines capable of indefinite growth in population</a> (and theoretically production and consumption), so in theory, it would be possible for a time.</p>

<p><a href="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1983QJRAS..24..113S">Sagan's Response</a> however argued if such things existed that we would have already observed them, and that they would destroy whole galaxies <em>en masse</em>.</p>

<p>That's probably the closest answer you can get to a question like this.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-05T06:56:16.943Z
but what if economic growth is in intangibles? If the future growth of the world is all in videogames and philosophy, would it still destroy whole galaxies en masse?
CarrKnight
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-05T13:29:53.917Z
Probably. Generation of intangibles still consumes energy, requiring fuel. Not to mention people do the thinking and appreciating.
Jason Nichols
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-05T03:32:28.247Z
2014-12-05T03:32:28.247Z
Jason Nichols
<p>Economic growth is frequently expressed as a % of GDP.  Proponents of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steady_state_economy" rel="nofollow noreferrer">steady-state economy</a> postulate that perpetual exponential economic growth is impossible and that any system relying on it is inherently unstable. Is this true?</p>

<p>Is indefinite exponential economic growth possible?</p>

<p>(See also: <em><a href="https://economics.stackexchange.com/q/455/332">Are there fundamental reasons why (exponential) economic growth is highly desirable?</a></em>)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-17T21:52:10.623Z
[Kenneth Boulding](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Exponential_growth#Quotes): "Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist."
luchonacho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-04T21:03:50.900Z
The answer, of course, is yes in some models and no in others.  If you're asking for a survey of the growth literature, this question is too broad.  Otherwise, it should be about a specific model or class of models.
Steven Landsburg
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-05T00:49:57.177Z
@StevenLandsburg - what about real life, instead of models which can be constructed either way?
Deer Hunter
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-05T01:10:40.167Z
@DeerHunter:  In real life, the Universe will pretty much die out in another $10^{15}$ years or so, so the answer is no, you can't have exponential growth "forever".  If you want to ask a sensible question about this, it needs to be in the context of a model.
Steven Landsburg
<economic-growth>
Is indefinite exponential economic growth possible?
gerrit
# Is indefinite exponential economic growth possible?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-12-04)

Economic growth is frequently expressed as a % of GDP. Proponents of a [steady-state economy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steady_state_economy) postulate that perpetual exponential economic growth is impossible and that any system relying on it is inherently unstable. Is this true?

Is indefinite exponential economic growth possible?

(See also: *[Are there fundamental reasons why (exponential) economic growth is highly desirable?](https://economics.stackexchange.com/q/455/332)*)

**Tags:** economic-growth

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: The answer, of course, is yes in some models and no in others.  If you're asking for a survey of the growth literature, this question is too broad.  Otherwise, it should be about a specific model or class of models.  
> **username_3**: @StevenLandsburg - what about real life, instead of models which can be constructed either way?  
> **username_2**: @DeerHunter:  In real life, the Universe will pretty much die out in another $10^{15}$ years or so, so the answer is no, you can't have exponential growth "forever".  If you want to ask a sensible question about this, it needs to be in the context of a model.  
> **username_1**: [Kenneth Boulding](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Exponential_growth#Quotes): "Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist."  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-12-05. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

As username_2 pointed out, indefinite anything isn't possible given the eventual heat death of the universe.

[Von Neumann posited machines capable of indefinite growth in population](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-replicating_spacecraft#Von_Neumann_probes) (and theoretically production and consumption), so in theory, it would be possible for a time.

[Sagan's Response](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1983QJRAS..24..113S) however argued if such things existed that we would have already observed them, and that they would destroy whole galaxies *en masse*.

That's probably the closest answer you can get to a question like this.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: but what if economic growth is in intangibles? If the future growth of the world is all in videogames and philosophy, would it still destroy whole galaxies en masse?  
> **username_4**: Probably. Generation of intangibles still consumes energy, requiring fuel. Not to mention people do the thinking and appreciating.  

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