An early Totnesian Thinker

Many of us in the Totnes area will, (I hope), remember Guy Dauncey, writer, social activist and initiator of numerous projects for a greener, fairer, wiser and more convivial way of life, who lived amongst us in the late 70s and early 80s.

Described by The Guardian in 1985 as ‘Britain’s leading barefoot economist,’ he was involved in the early Hood Fairs at Dartington, helped set up the Acorn economy (fore-runner of the Totnes Pound) and much else.

Dauncey now lives near Ladysmith, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. His work centres on ecological economics, climate action, cooperative systems, and long‑term civilisational thinking. He describes his mission as rewriting “the story of who we are” to integrate science, evolution, and the perennial human dream of a better future

He has lived in Canada, since the late 80s and, now in his seventies, is as active as ever (and still looks and sounds about 35). His life’s work is inspired by the evolutionary, spiritual vision of thinkers like Teilhard de Chardin, Sri Aurobindo, Jung and others, and his world can be found at www.thepracticalutopian.ca

He is about to publish a major new book, The Economics of Kindness: A New Ecological Civilisation (Palgrave MacMillan, August 2026) expanding on his argument that society can shift from extractive capitalism to a cooperative, ecological economy. This is the result of steeping himself for several years in the study of economics and history, and in his fluent, succinct style he shows how the whole basis of economic theory – that people are naturally mean, selfish and only concerned with ‘looking after number one’ – is just not true.

Highly stimulating and hopeful, it is also full of practical ideas and examples from all over the world.