Critical theory in the Anthropocene: Marcuse, Marxism and ecology

Stevenson, Nick

Abstract

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 has 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.

Citation

Stevenson, N. (2021). Critical theory in the Anthropocene: Marcuse, Marxism and ecology. European Journal of Social Theory, 24(2), 211-226. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431020962726

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 9, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Oct 15, 2020
• Publication Date: 2021-05
• Deposit Date: Oct 20, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 20, 2020
• Journal: European Journal of Social Theory
• Print ISSN: 1368-4310
• Electronic ISSN: 1461-7137
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 211-226
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431020962726
• Keywords: Sociology and Political Science
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4977921
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1368431020962726