The Ecological Rift argues that humanity faces an ultimate environmental catastrophe due to the destruction of the climate and the decline of all planetary ecosystems, driven by capitalism's inherent conflict between expanding individual wealth and diminishing public and natural wealth. This creates an irreparable rift in the metabolic relation between humanity and nature. The book contends that fundamental changes in social relations, moving beyond capital towards sustainable human development, are necessary to transcend these ecological and social problems.
The authors critically examine mainstream economic and technological arguments, insisting instead on the necessity of social revolution. Their analysis is grounded in a deep dialectical naturalism, exploring the interaction of ecology, evolution, and the economy. The book offers reasons for revolutionary hope, proposing that altering course is possible by addressing the paradox of wealth in capitalist society and rectifying the rift with nature.
Key concepts
- Ecological rift — A fundamental division between human beings and nature, driven by capitalist expansion that prioritizes individual riches over collective and environmental well-being.
- Metabolic relation — The interconnectedness and interdependence between humanity and the natural world, which is irreparably damaged under capitalist production.
- Paradox of wealth in capitalist society — The inherent contradiction where capitalist expansion increases individual riches by depleting public wealth, including the wealth of nature.
- Dialectical naturalism — An analytical approach concerned with the intricate interplay between ecological issues, evolutionary processes, and economic systems.