Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Reconciling humans with nature : using Marx's dialectical materialism to critically explore philosophy and politics in contemporary environmentalism and to develop a perspective on environmental justice
Bibliography : leaves 152-161.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
2015
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613160508227584 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Jordi, Richard |
| author2 | Oldfield, Sophie |
| author_browse | Jordi, Richard Oldfield, Sophie |
| author_facet | Oldfield, Sophie Jordi, Richard |
| author_sort | Jordi, Richard |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Bibliography : leaves 152-161. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/15423 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:31:43.046Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | Department of Environmental and Geographical Science |
| publisherStr | Department of Environmental and Geographical Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/15423 Reconciling humans with nature : using Marx's dialectical materialism to critically explore philosophy and politics in contemporary environmentalism and to develop a perspective on environmental justice Jordi, Richard Oldfield, Sophie Environmental Science Bibliography : leaves 152-161. Nature exists as an objective reality on which human beings rely physically and spiritually. We are part of nature. But throughout human and environmental history 'nature' has also existed as a human idea and cultural construct. We project our values, fears, and aspirations onto our environment so that in nature we see a reflection of our own historical development and social existence. Our different class, cultural, and gender life experiences generate different attitudes towards our natural environment. For the most part we regard the ideas and attitudes towards nature as natural, and not as ideological constructions. Dominant techno centric and ecocentric discourses within contemporary environmentalism unselfcritically regard nature as a commodity and as a moral authority respectively. These alienated and romanticised views of nature reflect our contemporary estrangement from the natural world that we are part of Marx's dialectical materialism provides the analytical tools to critique the human/nature dualism expressed by technocentrism and ecocentrism and offers a more dynamic, historical, and ecological perspective on the changing relations between humans and' their natural environment. As humans we are also apart from nature. We have a unique capacity to stand aside and consciously shape our relation with nature, albeit within the constraints and possibilities offered by ecological processes. How we define that relationship is for the most part determined by our own human economic, social, and political relations. This thesis argues that our contemporary alienation from, and abuse of, nature emerges out of the development of capitalist economic and social relations and the ethic and practice of the private ownership of natural resources. Ironically, it is the most alienated and impoverished sector of human society that offers the most progressive perspective on reconciling humans with nature. The struggles of urban and rural working class and poor communities for environmental justice integrates social, economic, political, and ecological issues in a way that poses a radical challenge to the alienated dualism of mainstream environmentalism. This thesis explores and highlights the progressive possibilities that the 'environmental justice perspective offers in our struggle for social justice and ecological wisdom. 2015-11-27T11:12:19Z 2015-11-27T11:12:19Z 2000 Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15423 eng application/pdf Department of Environmental and Geographical Science Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Environmental Science Jordi, Richard Reconciling humans with nature : using Marx's dialectical materialism to critically explore philosophy and politics in contemporary environmentalism and to develop a perspective on environmental justice |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Reconciling humans with nature : using Marx's dialectical materialism to critically explore philosophy and politics in contemporary environmentalism and to develop a perspective on environmental justice |
| title_full | Reconciling humans with nature : using Marx's dialectical materialism to critically explore philosophy and politics in contemporary environmentalism and to develop a perspective on environmental justice |
| title_fullStr | Reconciling humans with nature : using Marx's dialectical materialism to critically explore philosophy and politics in contemporary environmentalism and to develop a perspective on environmental justice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reconciling humans with nature : using Marx's dialectical materialism to critically explore philosophy and politics in contemporary environmentalism and to develop a perspective on environmental justice |
| title_short | Reconciling humans with nature : using Marx's dialectical materialism to critically explore philosophy and politics in contemporary environmentalism and to develop a perspective on environmental justice |
| title_sort | reconciling humans with nature using marx s dialectical materialism to critically explore philosophy and politics in contemporary environmentalism and to develop a perspective on environmental justice |
| topic | Environmental Science |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15423 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jordirichard reconcilinghumanswithnatureusingmarxsdialecticalmaterialismtocriticallyexplorephilosophyandpoliticsincontemporaryenvironmentalismandtodevelopaperspectiveonenvironmentaljustice |