SOCIOL 218 - Anthropocene essay

capitalism structurally exploiting nature

• Marx’s analysis of capitalism - exploitation began with primitive accumulation

• capitalism based on constant accumulation and competition

• capitalism not inherently evil but reached limits

• capitalism constantly evolving and increasing technological forces of production

• capitalists responsible, but disavow their contributions through charity

capitalism structurally exploiting nature - evidence

• unprecedented levels of deforestation, rising sea levels, melting ice caps etc

• Fraser argues humanity has not destroyed nature, it is capitalists

• Zizek capitalists ideologically separate themselves e.g. buy organic food

• Zizek concept of objective violence: invisible, systemic violence of capitalism

• Saito argues that capitalism development no longer counts as ‘development,’ instead threatens survival

metabolic rift

• a rift between humanity and nature

• robbing soil of nutrients leading to pollution, thereby undermining regenerative capacities of nature

• alienation of humans from nature as we become more capitalistic

• nature as a resource to be used

• only healed through revolutionary transformation

metabolic rift - evidence

• Nauru phosphate deposits severely depleted

• nature “a tap for production’s inputs and a sink for disposing its waste” (Fraser)

• “predatory and extractive relation, a serpent that eats its own tail” (Fraser)

• Saito: primary metabolic process of using and discarding nature

capitalism cannot be reformed

• capitalist state passive and incapable

• existential choice to continue with capitalism or turn to alternative of eco-socialism

• proletariat need to be unified, currently lack agency due to division

• pick revolution or face imminent destruction

capitalism cannot be reformed - evidence

• voting in greens temporarily mitigates nature problem, not lasting solution

• Fraser advocates for trans-environmentalism

• own experience with climate strikes

state of environmental regulation

• international regulatory bodies agreed to targets to reduce emissions (2015 Paris Agreement)

• uneven effects, no one enforcing agreement

• is capitalist state capable of addressing issue? successes and failures, but essentially no

• fascist govt better than social democratic govt at preventing catastrophe? perhaps not, but raises issues about nature of state and so-called democracies