The chapter aims to state that the circular economy contributes to the demand for socio-environmental rights of people, without which the human and natural life of a society would be in danger. In order to address this statement, a historical reconstruction is proposed with respect to the importance of the environmental issue that arose in the last century, highlighting the problems that the dominant economic models are creating (social and environmental); subsequently, some concepts are introduced to address the arguments, such as a phenomenological approach in the light of which the demand for rights and the ontological reason of territories are defined, in opposition to the demand for consumption and individual interests. After defining some characteristics of the circular economy, some passages of economic thought are exposed to outline the tension between circular and linear economy, between utilitarian reason and ontological reason. The physiocratic school and some limits of economic thought are drawn, taking up Smith and Keynes. Finally, concepts such as meso-economy are proposed, as a space where the circular economy could position itself to permanently build with more coherence an ontological reason linked to local identities, and to carry forward the demand for socio-environmental rights of a people. For this reason, it is stated that a circular economy is stronger when there is a change of consciousness, human and social, that considers such practices important for their full individuality and happiness (referring to the circular economy). For these reasons it is argued that in economic thought, the circular economy is positioned as antithetical to the classical economy, based on individual interests and the concept of infinite growth. It reintroduces principles such as circularity and reciprocity that were also proposed several centuries ago.