The Return of Nature

The Return of Nature

Socialism and Ecology

$28.00

Publication Date: 1st June 2021

Winner, 2020 Isaac and Tamara Deutscher Memorial PrizeA fascinating reinterpretation of the radical and socialist origins of ecologyTwenty years ago, John Bellamy Foster’s Marx’s Ecology: Materialism... Read More
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Winner, 2020 Isaac and Tamara Deutscher Memorial PrizeA fascinating reinterpretation of the radical and socialist origins of ecologyTwenty years ago, John Bellamy Foster’s Marx’s Ecology: Materialism... Read More
Description

Winner, 2020 Isaac and Tamara Deutscher Memorial Prize

A fascinating reinterpretation of the radical and socialist origins of ecology


Twenty years ago, John Bellamy Foster’s Marx’s Ecology: Materialism and Nature introduced a new understanding of Karl Marx’s revolutionary ecological materialism. More than simply a study of Marx, it commenced an intellectual and social history, encompassing thinkers from Epicurus to Darwin, who developed materialist and ecological ideas. Now, with The Return of Nature: Socialism and Ecology, Foster continues this narrative. In so doing, he uncovers a long history of the efforts to unite questions of social justice and environmental sustainability, and helps us comprehend and counter today’s unprecedented planetary emergencies.

The Return of Nature begins with the deaths of Darwin (1882) and Marx (1883) and moves on until the rise of the ecological age in the 1960s and 1970s. Foster explores how socialist analysts and materialist scientists of various stamps, first in Britain, then the United States, from William Morris and Frederick Engels, to Joseph Needham, Rachel Carson, and Stephen J. Gould, sought to develop a dialectical naturalism, rooted in a critique of capitalism. In the process, he delivers a far-reaching and fascinating reinterpretation of the radical and socialist origins of ecology. Ultimately, what this book asks for is nothing short of revolution: a long, ecological revolution, aimed at making peace with the planet while meeting collective human needs.

Details
  • Price: $28.00
  • Pages: 672
  • Carton Quantity: 12
  • Publisher: Monthly Review Press
  • Imprint: Monthly Review Press
  • Publication Date: 1st June 2021
  • Trim Size: 6 x 9.25 in
  • ISBN: 9781583679289
  • Format: Paperback
  • BISACs:
    NATURE / Environmental Conservation & Protection
    POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Environmental Policy
    POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Communism, Post-Communism & Socialism
Reviews
"In the century following Marx’s death, left-wing scientists and writers made major contributions to the development of modern ecological thought. Foster’s brilliant new book recovers that history, making the work and ideas of those neglected ecosocialist pioneers accessible to the activists who are building today’s movements against global environmental destruction."
- Ian Angus, author, Facing the Anthropocene; editor, Climate & Capitalism
Author Bio
John Bellamy Foster is a Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Oregon and editor of Monthly Review. He has written many books including The Robbery of Nature (with Brett Clark) and The Return of Nature, which won the Deutscher Memorial Prize.

Winner, 2020 Isaac and Tamara Deutscher Memorial Prize

A fascinating reinterpretation of the radical and socialist origins of ecology


Twenty years ago, John Bellamy Foster’s Marx’s Ecology: Materialism and Nature introduced a new understanding of Karl Marx’s revolutionary ecological materialism. More than simply a study of Marx, it commenced an intellectual and social history, encompassing thinkers from Epicurus to Darwin, who developed materialist and ecological ideas. Now, with The Return of Nature: Socialism and Ecology, Foster continues this narrative. In so doing, he uncovers a long history of the efforts to unite questions of social justice and environmental sustainability, and helps us comprehend and counter today’s unprecedented planetary emergencies.

The Return of Nature begins with the deaths of Darwin (1882) and Marx (1883) and moves on until the rise of the ecological age in the 1960s and 1970s. Foster explores how socialist analysts and materialist scientists of various stamps, first in Britain, then the United States, from William Morris and Frederick Engels, to Joseph Needham, Rachel Carson, and Stephen J. Gould, sought to develop a dialectical naturalism, rooted in a critique of capitalism. In the process, he delivers a far-reaching and fascinating reinterpretation of the radical and socialist origins of ecology. Ultimately, what this book asks for is nothing short of revolution: a long, ecological revolution, aimed at making peace with the planet while meeting collective human needs.

  • Price: $28.00
  • Pages: 672
  • Carton Quantity: 12
  • Publisher: Monthly Review Press
  • Imprint: Monthly Review Press
  • Publication Date: 1st June 2021
  • Trim Size: 6 x 9.25 in
  • ISBN: 9781583679289
  • Format: Paperback
  • BISACs:
    NATURE / Environmental Conservation & Protection
    POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Environmental Policy
    POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Communism, Post-Communism & Socialism
"In the century following Marx’s death, left-wing scientists and writers made major contributions to the development of modern ecological thought. Foster’s brilliant new book recovers that history, making the work and ideas of those neglected ecosocialist pioneers accessible to the activists who are building today’s movements against global environmental destruction."
– Ian Angus, author, Facing the Anthropocene; editor, Climate & Capitalism
John Bellamy Foster is a Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Oregon and editor of Monthly Review. He has written many books including The Robbery of Nature (with Brett Clark) and The Return of Nature, which won the Deutscher Memorial Prize.