Marx and the Earth: An Anti-critique (Historical Materialism, 115)

In Marx and the Earth John Bellamy Foster and Paul Burkett respond to recent ecosocialist criticisms of Marx, offering a full-fledged anti-critique. They thus extend their earlier pioneering work on Marx’s ecology, providing the basis for a new red-green synthesis. A decade and a half ago John Bellamy Foster and Paul Burkett introduced a new, revolutionary understanding of the ecological foundations of Marx’s thought, demonstrating that Marx’s concepts of the universal metabolism of nature, social metabolism, and metabolic rift prefigured much of modern systems ecology. Ecological relations were shown to be central to Marx’s critique of capitalism, including his value analysis. Now in Marx and the Earth Foster and Burkett expand on this analysis in the process of responding to recent ecosocialist criticisms of Marx. The result is a full-fledged anti-critique—pointing to the crucial roles that dialectics, open-system thermodynamics, intrinsic value, and aesthetic understandings played in the original Marxian critique, holding out the possibility of a new red-green synthesis. Biographical note John Bellamy Foster, Ph.D., 1985, York University, Toronto, is Professor of Sociology at the University of Oregon and editor of Monthly Review (New York). He is author of Marx’s Ecology (Monthly Review Press, 2000). Paul Burkett, Ph.D., 1984, Syracuse University, is Professor of Economics at Indiana State University, Terre Haute. He is the author of Marx and Nature (Palgrave, 1999) and Marxism and Ecological Economics (Brill, 2006). Readership All those (both academics and movement activists) interested in the relation of Marxism and socialism generally to ecology, including those in the fields of ecological economics, environmental sociology, Marxian theory, and history of ecology. ‎Contents 5 ‎Preface 7 ‎Introduction 11 ‎Three Stages of Ecosocialist Analysis 11 ‎The Debate on Marx and Ecology a Decade and a Half Later 22 ‎Marx’s ‘Major Ecological Flaw’: The Tanuro Thesis 25 ‎Marx and the Foreshortening of Intrinsic Value: The Kovel Thesis 44 ‎Marx, Aesthetics, and the Sensuous Value of Nature 60 ‎Chapter 1. The Dialectic of Organic and Inorganic Relations 67 ‎The Critique of ‘Marx’s Inorganic Body’ 68 ‎The Organic/Inorganic Distinction and Hegel’s Philosophy of Nature 75 ‎Marx’s Dialectic of Organic/Inorganic: The Conditions of Human Existence 80 ‎The Ecological Transformation of Marx’s Nature-Dialectic 88 ‎Instrumentalism and Teleology: Contradictions in the Ecological Critique of Marx 93 ‎Toward Ecological Materialism 98 ‎Chapter 2. The Origins of Ecological Economics: Podolinsky and Marx-Engels 99 ‎Podolinsky: Life and Work 103 ‎Development of Podolinsky’s Project 109 ‎Accumulation of Energy on Earth 112 ‎Problems with the Quantitative Energy Accumulation Approach 113 ‎Podolinsky’s Analysis as a Basis for Value Theory 116 ‎Value and Nature: Marx and Sieber versus Podolinsky 117 ‎Podolinsky’s Perfect Machine Argument 120 ‎Shortcomings of the Perfect Machine Perspective 123 ‎Marx’s Notes on Podolinsky 127 ‎Engels’s Comments on Podolinsky 132 ‎Elaborations in Die Neue Zeit 141 ‎Stoffwechsel 144 ‎Chapter 3. Classical Marxism and Energetics 147 ‎Introduction 147 ‎Labour Power and its Value 149 ‎Energy and Surplus Value 154 ‎Capitalist Industrialisation and Thermodynamics in Marx’s Capital 160 ‎Entropy and the Metabolic Rift 170 ‎Chapter 4. Engels, Entropy, and the Heat Death Hypothesis 175 ‎Introduction 175 ‎The Second Law and the Heat Death of the Universe 180 ‎The Heat Death Hypothesis and Nineteenth-Century Physics 196 ‎Marxism, the Entropy Law, and Ecology 207 ‎Conclusion: The Dialectics of Nature and Society and the Second Law 209 ‎Chapter 5. The Reproduction of Economy and Society 214 ‎Introduction 214 ‎Ecological Economists on Marx’s Reproduction Schemes 215 ‎Production and Circular Flows in the tableau économique 216 ‎Marx on the tableau économique 219 ‎Production, Nature and Monetary Flows in Marx’s Schemes 221 ‎The Analytical Background for Marx’s Schemes 224 ‎The Reproduction Schemes and Environmental Crises 228 ‎Conclusion 231 ‎Conclusion. Marx and Metabolic Restoration 232 ‎Marx’s Ecology after Marx (and after Engels) 234 ‎Marx, Metabolism, and Open-System Economics 242 ‎Against Energeticism 246 ‎Metabolic Restoration: Toward Sustainable Human Development 249 ‎Appendix 1. Socialism and the Unity of Physical Forces (Podolinsky) 253 ‎Appendix 2. Human Labour and the Unity of Force (Podolinsky) 272 ‎Bibliography 298 ‎Index 320 A Decade And A Half Ago John Bellamy Foster And Paul Burkett Introduced A New, Revolutionary Understanding Of The Ecological Foundations Of Marx's Thought, Demonstrating That Marx's Concepts Of The Universal Metabolism Of Nature, Social Metabolism, And Metabolic Rift Prefigured Much Of Modern Systems Ecology. Ecological Relations Were Shown To Be Central To Marx's Critique Of Capitalism, Including His Value Analysis. Now In Marx And The Earth Foster And Burkett Expand On This Analysis In The Process Of Responding To Recent Ecosocialist Criticisms Of Marx. The Result Is A Full-fledged Anti-critique--pointing To The Crucial Roles That Dialectics, Open-system Thermodynamics, Intrinsic Value, And Aesthetic Understandings Played In The Original Marxian Critique, Holding Out The Possibility Of A New Red-green Synthesis. -- Publisher's Description The Dialectic Of Organic And Inorganic Relations -- The Origins Of Ecological Economics: Podolinsky And Marx-engels -- Classical Marxism And Energetics -- Engels, Entropy, And The Heat Death Hypothesis -- The Reproduction Of Economy And Society -- Conclusion: Marx And Metabolic Restoration -- Appendix 1: Sergei Podolinsky, 'socialism And The Unity Of Physical Forces' (translated From The Italian) -- Appendix 2: Sergei Podolinsky, 'human Labour And The Unity Of Force' (translated From The German). By John Bellamy Foster, Paul Burkett ; With The Editorial Assistance Of Ryan Wishart. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. A decade and a half ago John Bellamy Foster and Paul Burkett introduced a new, revolutionary understanding of the ecological foundations of Marx's thought, demonstrating that Marx's concepts of the universal metabolism of nature, social metabolism, and metabolic rift prefigured much of modern systems ecology. Ecological relations were shown to be central to Marx's critique of capitalism, including his value analysis. Now in Marx and the Earth Foster and Burkett expand on this analysis in the process of responding to recent ecosocialist criticisms of Marx. The result is a full-fledged anti-critique --pointing to the crucial roles that dialectics, open-system thermodynamics, intrinsic value, and aesthetic understandings played in the original Marxian critique, holding out the possibility of a new red-green synthesis. Preface Introduction Chapter 1 The Dialectic of Organic and Inorganic Relations Chapter 2 The Origins of Ecological Economics: Podolinsky and Marx-Engels Chapter 3 Classical Marxism and Energetics Chapter 4 Engels, Entropy, and the Heat Death Hypothesis Chapter 5 The Reproduction of Economy and Society Conclusion: Marx and Metabolic Restoration Appendix I: Sergei Podolinsky, ‘Socialism and the Unity of Physical Forces’ (Translated from the Italian) Appendix II Sergei Podolinsky, ‘Human Labour and Unity of Force’ (Translated from the German) Bibliography Index