Environmentalism and Political Theory

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

"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

• Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Staking out the Green Terrain 1: The Development of Modern Ecopolitical Thought: From Participation and Survival to Emancipation IntroductionThe Environmental Problematic as a Crisis of ParticipationThe Environmental Problematic as a Crisis of SurvivalThe Environmental Problematic as a Crisis of Culture and Character and as an Opportunity for EmancipationThe Emancipatory Critique of Conservatism, Liberalism, and Orthodox MarxismThe Anthropocentric/Ecocentric Cleavage within Emancipatory Thought 2. Exploring the Environmental Spectrum: From Anthropocentrism to Ecocentrism IntroductionMajor Streams of EnvironmentalismResource ConservationHuman Welfare EcologyPreservationismAnimal LiberationEcocentrism 3. Ecocentrism Explained and Defended IntroductionEcocentrism ExplainedSome Common Criticisms and MisunderstandingsThree Varieties of Ecocentrism Autopoietic Intrinsic Value TheoryTranspersonal EcologyEcofeminism Part II: An Ecocentric Analysis of Green Political Thought 4. The Ecocentric Challenge to Marxism IntroductionThe Theoretical RootsOrthodox Eco-MarxismHumanist Eco-MarxismBeyond Marxism 5. The Failed Promise of Critical Theory IntroductionThe Legacy of Horkheimer, Adorno, and MarcuseHabermasian RevisionsThe Ecocentric CritiqueThe "Good Life" Revisited 6. Ecosocialism: The Post-Marxist Synthesis IntroductionThe Ecosocialist Critique Farewell to Scientific Socialism and the Economic Growth ConsensusThe Problematic Role of the Working ClassThe New Internationalism The Meaning and Lesson of Ecology according to EcosocialismThe Ecosocialist AgendaEvaluation: More Democracy or More Bureaucracy?An Alternative Green Market Economy 7. Ecoanarchism: The Non-Marxist Visionaries IntroductionThe Social Ecology of Murray Bookchin Bookchin's Social Hierarchy ThesisBookchin's Evolutionary Stewardship Thesis Ecocommunalism Monasticism RevisitedBioregionalism 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