TY - JOUR
AU - Stevenson, Nick
AB - The politics of the Anthropocene has been widely debated within recent sociological theory. This article seeks to argue that Marxism, critical theory and especially the work of Herbert Marcuse have a great deal to contribute to these debates. Here, I seek to link together the recent revival of interest in the idea of the commons by the alter-globalisation movement and Marxist social theory in an attempt to challenge some of the dominant assumptions in respect of the nature/culture division and the neoliberal dominance of mainstream politics. The more critical politics of the commons would suggest both a radical politics fit for the twenty-first century and a way of understanding the environmental crisis located within critical understandings of the histories of capitalism and social movements. This is suggestive of a civilisation-based politics focused on questions of emancipation informed by political economy, a critique of the dominant consumer society and culture rather than questions of deconstruction. In the final section, I seek to explore how Marcuse’s concerns remain linked to contemporary global ethical movements for change.
TI - Critical theory in the Anthropocene: Marcuse, Marxism and ecology
JF - European Journal of Social Theory
DO - 10.1177/1368431020962726
DA - 2021-05-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/sage/critical-theory-in-the-anthropocene-marcuse-marxism-and-ecology-0H0s3k4Nz0
SP - 211
EP - 226
VL - 24
IS - 2
DP - DeepDyve
ER -