Week 2: Countercurrents of MSD, lecture + pre-reading Flashcards
What is the core idea of Ecosocialism?
- Combines socialism and environmentalism
- Argues that capitalist structures inherently lead to environmental and social crises.
Who are the key proponents of Ecosocialism and their contributions?
1) David pepper
Links 19th-century environmental problems to capitalist practices, seeing them as socially inflicted.
2) Karl Marx
Viewed nature as having aesthetic, moral, and scientific values, not just economic ones; argued that capitalism commodifies nature and human relations.
3) David Harvey
ntroduced “accumulation by dispossession,” showing how capitalism exploits people and nature for profit.
What are the main points emphasized by Ecosocialism?
- Capitalism commodifies labor and nature
- Environmental crises disproportionately impact marginalized groups, highlighting global power imbalances
- Views the capitalist system as unsustainable, with inherent flaws that could lead to its eventual collapse.
What is the core idea of Eco-Anarchism?
- hierarchical power structures as the root of social and environmental issues
Who are the key proponents of Eco-Anarchism and their contributions?
1) Murray Bookchin: Argues human domination over nature is rooted in human-to-human domination; promotes participatory democracy, decentralization, and alternative technology.
2) Robyn Eckersley: Distinguishes between social ecology and “ecocommunalism,” supporting varying non-violent tactics.
What is peppers (1993) critique of eco-anarchism?
it lacks explanations for why societal and environmental problems emerged.
What does eco-anarchism advocate for?
- Community-based, self-sufficient living models
- decentralization and non-coercive (not using threats or force) forms of governance
Explain why eco-anarchist sees ecology as subversive.
Eco-anarchism sees ecology as a tool for resistance against systems that oppress both people and the natural world.
What is the core idea of deep ecology ?
- Rejects anthropocentrism (human-centeredness)
- in favor of eco-centric and bio-centric perspectives.
- Believes in the intrinsic value of all life forms, not just human life.
Who is a key proponent of Deep Ecology and their contributions?
Arne Naess:
- Introduced “ecosophy” and criticized “shallow ecology” (focused on human welfare only).
- Proposed a “total field model” where all organisms exist as interconnected parts of an ecosystem.
What are some criticisms of Deep Ecology?
- Associations with religious fundamentalism and neo-Malthusian thinking.
- Potential for ideologies like eco-fascism.
What does deep ecology advocate for ?
-policies to drastically reduce human impact, aligning with biospherical egalitarianism (concerned with the rights of other species independent of their interactions with humans)\
- Reducing human population and consumption to allow non-human life to thrive
What is the core idea of Eco-Feminism
- Links the exploitation of nature with the oppression of women.
- Argues that environmental and gender-based oppression stem from the same patriarchal systems.
Who are the key proponents of Eco-Feminism and what are the differences in their theory
Vandana Shiva: Believes capitalism and reductionist science displace women and degrade nature; sees women as inherently closer to nature.
Val Plumwood: Criticizes the idea of a “special” connection between women and nature, advocating for critical ecological feminism that challenges dualistic thinking (e.g., man/woman, human/nature).
What is the core idea of Political Ecology?
Sees environmental or ecological conditions as the product of political and social processes.
Examines how power dynamics lead to inequalities in resource distribution and shape environmental narratives.
