THE DIALECTICS OF ECOLOGY: Socialism and Nature

Description

Today the fate of the earth as a home for humanity is in question—and yet, contends John Bellamy Foster, the reunification of humanity and the earth remains possible if we are prepared to make revolutionary changes. As with his prior books, The Dialectics of Ecology is grounded in the contention that we are now faced with a concrete choice between ecological socialism and capitalist exterminism, and rooted in insights drawn from the classical historical materialist tradition. In this latest work, Foster explores the complex theoretical debates that have arisen historically with respect to the dialectics of nature and society. He then goes on to examine the current contradictions associated with the confrontation between capitalist extractivism and the financialization of nature, on the one hand, and the radical challenges to these represented by emergent visions of ecological civilization and planned degrowth, on the other.

John Bellamy Foster is editor of Monthly Review and professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Oregon. He has written many books including The Robbery of Nature (with Brett Clark) and The Return of Nature which won the Deutscher Memorial Prize.

Past Praise for John Bellamy Foster

“He reconstructs a treasure trove of ecological insights that will keep scholars and activists preoccupied for years to come.” – Andreas Malm, author Fossil Capital: On the Rise of Steam Power

“For more than twenty years, John Bellamy Foster has engaged in serious thought and massive research, delving into the relation of ecology and socialism… The result is… a genealogy of ecosocialism.” – Helena Sheehan, author, Marxism and the Philosophy of Science

“In this time of growing ecological and economic crisis… he demonstrates that questions of ecology cannot be separated from questions of economics, and that building a truly sustainable future means putting people and the planet before profit.” – Howard Zinn, author, A People’s History of the United States