Political Philosophies of Ecology

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In this seminar we will examine the philosophical origins of two contemporary political responses to the climate emergency: ecofeminism and eco-Marxism. Our point of departure will be located in seventeenth century science and philosophy, long before Ernst Haeckel coined the term ‘ecology’ to define the relations between living beings and their environment. We will see how each of the two contemporary movements respond to Early Modern conceptualisations of the shift in nature-human relations brought about by accelerated processes of mechanisation and industrialisation. While ecofeminism is outlined through a critique of Cartesian science and epistemology, eco-Marxism is rooted in Baconian materialism as well as what may be called the ‘ecological materialisms’ of Karl Marx and Walter Benjamin. The contextualisation of contemporary debates on the climate emergency within the rich tradition of Modern European philosophy will enable an examination of their political and epistemological stakes, offering avenues for possible action.

Semester: WiSe 2021/22