Environmentalism and Political Theory: Toward an Ecocentric Approach / Edition 1

by Robyn Eckersley

Overview

This book provides the most detailed and comprehensive examination to date of the impact of environmentalism upon contemporary political thought. It sets out to disentangle the various strands of Green political thought and explain their relationship to the major Western political traditions. Environmentalism and Political Theory represents the consolidation of a new field of political inquiry that is destined to become an increasingly important component of political studies and political reporting worldwide. An interdisciplinary study that builds bridges between environmental philosophy, ecological thought, and political inquiry, this book employs a range of new insights from environmental philosophy to outline a particular Green political perspective.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780791410141
Publisher:	State University of New York Press
Publication date:	04/14/1992
Series:	SUNY series in Environmental Public Policy
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Robyn Eckersley is Australian Research Council Fellow, Centre for Environmental Studies at the University of Tasmania.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: Staking out the Green Terrain

1: The Development of Modern Ecopolitical Thought: From Participation and Survival to Emancipation

Introduction
The Environmental Problematic as a Crisis of Participation
The Environmental Problematic as a Crisis of Survival
The Environmental Problematic as a Crisis of Culture and Character and as an Opportunity for Emancipation
The Emancipatory Critique of Conservatism, Liberalism, and Orthodox Marxism
The Anthropocentric/Ecocentric Cleavage within Emancipatory Thought

2. Exploring the Environmental Spectrum: From Anthropocentrism to Ecocentrism

Introduction
Major Streams of Environmentalism
Resource Conservation
Human Welfare Ecology
Preservationism
Animal Liberation
Ecocentrism

3. Ecocentrism Explained and Defended

Introduction
Ecocentrism Explained
Some Common Criticisms and Misunderstandings
Three Varieties of Ecocentrism

Autopoietic Intrinsic Value Theory
Transpersonal Ecology
Ecofeminism

Part II: An Ecocentric Analysis of Green Political Thought

4. The Ecocentric Challenge to Marxism

Introduction
The Theoretical Roots
Orthodox Eco-Marxism
Humanist Eco-Marxism
Beyond Marxism

5. The Failed Promise of Critical Theory

Introduction
The Legacy of Horkheimer, Adorno, and Marcuse
Habermasian Revisions
The Ecocentric Critique
The "Good Life" Revisited

6. Ecosocialism: The Post-Marxist Synthesis

Introduction
The Ecosocialist Critique

Farewell to Scientific Socialism and the Economic Growth Consensus
The Problematic Role of the Working Class
The New Internationalism

The Meaning and Lesson of Ecology according to Ecosocialism
The Ecosocialist Agenda
Evaluation: More Democracy or More Bureaucracy?
An Alternative Green Market Economy

7. Ecoanarchism: The Non-Marxist Visionaries

Introduction
The Social Ecology of Murray Bookchin

Bookchin's Social Hierarchy Thesis
Bookchin's Evolutionary Stewardship Thesis

Ecocommunalism

Monasticism Revisited
Bioregionalism

Does Ecocentrism Demand Ecoanarchism?

Are Humans "Essentially" Cooperative?
The "Other Side" of Decentralization, Local Democracy, and Human Scale

The Ecoanarchist Model of Autonomy as Self-Management

Conclusion

Documentation

Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

"Green political theory is the most exciting new area of inquiry for political theory scholars. The author's scholarship significantly advances that inquiry. This area is also important for the future of life on planet Earth, as the presently dominant political theories are leading us to an environmental catastrophe. I have long perceived the need for this kind of book." — Lester Milbrath, State University of New York at Buffalo

"The environmental crisis is the most serious crisis we have ever faced. It cannot be approached without a comprehensive understanding that is interdisciplinary. The political philosophy of this book addresses this reality. The environmental crisis, as the author points out, is not a technical problem but involves our culture and character structures. The old political ideologies and left-right distinctions are no longer useful. Thus the need for a transevaluation and new ecocentrically based transformative theories and practices. We need to revision our comprehensive understanding of political theory and worldview. This book makes significant contributions to these ends." — Alan R. Drengson, University of Victoria, British Columbia

From the Publisher

An inquiry into the human relationship to, and impact upon, the nonhuman world, leading to a critique of anthropocentrism, which in turn prepares the ways for the outline of an alternative political framework with an ecology-centered perspective. Paper edition (unseen), $14.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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