Eco-socialism as politics: rebuilding the basis of our modern civilization

摘要

This volume is an up-to-date discussion of the possible contribution of eco-socialism as a red-green politics to rebuild the basis of modern civilisation in the context of capitalist globalisation. This red-green pattern of socialism is designed to create a socially just and ecologically sustainable society. The diversity of academic background, experts from both the West and the East exploring the subject from an interdisciplinary perspective, and strong case studies linking theory to reality account for a great deal of the book's appeal. The first section begins with Lixin Han's reflective review of relations between Marxism and ecology. The discussion considers the methodological divergence over how to conceptualise the theoretical basis of eco-socialism: Marx's ecology or a Marxist ecology. Authors in this section, by interpreting the nature and mechanism of globalisation, offer socio-political criticism of the capitalist system of production for profit based on consumerism rather than social needs. Victor Wallis envisions an eco-socialist society where 'technological choices are no longer made on the basis of marketability and profit-potential, but rather on the basis of compatibility with the overall requirements of humanity and the natural world' (p. 45). Given that the environmental crisis is a global one, Yitian Li suggests that a local community approach to eco-politics is not workable in reality. He pays more attention to the unique value of eco-Marxism as an integral part of eco-politics in addressing ecological crises in the contemporary world.