Abstract: What scientists call the Anthropocene, representing a new “anthropogenic rift” in this evolution of the planet, has forever altered humanity’s relation to the earth. For more than a half a century the scientific community has been concerned about accelerated climate change. Ecological change that is irreversible on a human time scale now threatens civilization and possibly the survival of the human species. Yet, little has been done thus far to address the danger. The argument in this talk is that the seeming inability to confront this dire threat is due not to the failure of natural science, but of social science, namely, the dismissal of capitalism as a category of social analysis. In a variation on Naomi Klein’s famous argument on “bad timing,” associated with the rise of neoliberalism, it will be argued here that the growing retreat in the 1980s from the concept of capitalism within social science has undermined the capacity to recognize the socioeconomic causes of the planetary emergency. Conversely, a clear understanding of the nature of contemporary capitalism reveals both the current threat to civilization, and the necessary actions that humanity must now take in order to overcome it.
John Bellamy Foster’s visit has been organized under the auspices of the 3U partnership (DCU, MU and RCSI), with support from the Department of Sociology at MU and the Crops, Plants and Bioeconomy Research Cluster at MU.
To register to attend this event please email sociology.department@mu.ie before Friday, April 29th, 2016.