As early as 1976, the psychoanalyst, philosopher and social psychologist Erich Fromm delivered premises for a post-material way of living, which still are valid today, with his socially critical book „To Have Or To Be“. In „To Have Or To Be“, Kurt Langbein and Anna Katharina Wohlgenannt portray five families, that chose to use ways of sustainability beyond greed and the pursuit of profit. They learned a lot by doing so.

There is Family Hilmar, for instance, from the residential project Vienna, where the living space is self-governed. Or the farming-family Schmidt from the Weinviertel: Since the end of the 1980’s, the family is a pioneer of organic agriculture. Also, the residents of „Allmende Wulfsdorf“ not far from Hamburg: Here, daily cooperations are tested. Furthermore, the former Bank clerk Friedrich Schmid tells about his new home Stift Göttweig. Eventually there is Family Salzmann from the residential project Kalkbreite in Zürich, that values sharing. Those people take us on their journey, where they put „To Be“ before „To Have“. Their motivation, their aspirations, their thoughts, but also their failures as well as the recognition of borders offer food for thought.

Experts such as Rainer Funk, executor Erich Fromms, the degrowth-economist Niko Pawch, as well as the neurobiologist Joachim Bauer give insights in the evolutional and economic meaning of cooperation and moderate development of economy.