The Emergence of Ecosocialism

Here's What People Are Saying

“Joel Kovel modeled a lifetime of critical thinking, and rethinking, and in the process helped guide a generation of readers to ecosocialist thought and politics.” ~ Christian Parenti, Department of Economics at John Jay College, author of Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence (2012)

“I love this book. When Joel explained the use-value of bread as something contained in everything from its taste and nourishment to its smell, look, feel, history, ingredients, making, its assembled eaters, our own relation to the bread, ‘and so on, out to the edge of the universe,’ Beatles songs started playing in my head. His next line had me humming Pink Floyd: “The commodity form isolates these filiations through its wall of exchange-value; restored use-values begin to break down this wall, and open toward larger horizons.” It is a beautiful thing when every line of a beloved friend’s collected writings provides such musical accompaniment. It is even better when those lines also point presciently towards radical strategies for stopping today’s racist border walls and fascist defenders of late-stage capitalism, while preparing for ecosocialism’s dawn.” ~ Leigh Brownhill, Senior Ecofeminist Editor, Capitalism Nature Socialism, author of Land, Food and Freedom: Struggles for the Gendered Commons in Kenya (2009)

“Joel Kovel had a unique sense of the interrelatedness of all aspects of life, both human and non-human. He recognized the inseparability of what we seek and how we need to pursue it. His experience ranged across a broad span of human endeavor, from existential introspection to political/economic analysis. He looked to the wellsprings of human motivation to find hope for our collective capacity to surmount the gravest threat to our species-existence. He weaved together the strands of his exploration in a manner that does honor to the concept of dialectics. The result, THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM, is an exposition of distinctive intensity in every piece of his writing in which the moral force of his engagement emerges in each sentence.” ~ Victor Wallis, author of Red-Green Revolution: The Politics and Technology of Ecosocialism (2018)

“THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM is an invaluable collection of essays charting Joel Kovel’s development of a Marxist perspective on ecology and the simultaneous creation of an ecosocialist movement. Time and again the essays demonstrate the breadth of Kovel’s theory and the depth his experience as a psychotherapist gave to his work. The book is also about Kovel himself. In a moving section called ‘Tributes,’ friends and comrades provide a powerful biography showing how consistently bold he was in his approach and unafraid of self-criticism. Reading this book, then, you meet not only a movement but a deeply committed, inspiring comrade. Don’t miss him.” ~Silvia Federici, Professor Emerita, and Teaching Fellow at Hofstra University

“This book of essays, THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM by Joel Kovel, curated by Quincy Saul, is a great gift during the moment of looming climate crisis and ecological collapse. Kovel pioneered the understanding and analysis that environmental degradation is inseparable from capitalist exploitation and commodification of the natural world. Brilliantly and compassionately written, the essays reflect the life work of a giant among us and addresses the difficult work ahead.” ~Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (2015)

“En este momento, no solo la supervivencia de la especie humana está en peligro, sino también todos los seres vivos. ¿A quién culpar? Gran capital transnacional, cuyo único interés es ganar la mayor cantidad de dinero posible en el menor tiempo posible. Una persona que, debido a estas amenazas, dedicó su vida a combatirlos, ya advertir a la humanidad que debe ser consciente de este peligro y actuar colectivamente para detener el ataque a la naturaleza, fue Joel Kovel. Lamentablemente falleció hace muy poco. Afortunadamente, sus compañeros han publicado sus enseñanzas en un nuevo libro, THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM. Tenemos la responsabilidad de leerlo y actuar, en defensa no solo de la humanidad, sino de todos los seres vivos“.

“Right now not only the survival of the human species is in danger, but so are all living beings. Who is to blame? Big transnational capital, whose only interest is to gain the greatest possible quantity of money in the least possible amount of time. One person who, due to these threats, dedicated his life to combating them, and to warning humanity that it must be conscious of this danger and act collectively to stop the attack on nature, was Joel Kovel. Unfortunately, he passed away very recently. Fortunately, his companions have published his teachings in a new book, THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM. We have the responsibility to read it and to act — in defense of not only of humanity but all living beings.” ~Hugo Blanco, editor of Lucha Indigena, and leader of the Campesino Confederation of Peru

“A brilliant work by a real visionary. Joel Kovel was erudite but eminently readable, in the vital contributions he made to our insights into and understanding of the great crisis of our time. This volume, THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM, brings material hidden in a scholarly journal into the light.” ~Paul Buhle, Senior Lecturer at Brown University, activist, author, authorized biographer of C.L.R. James

“THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM is a magnificent collection of Joel Kovel’s essays, which along with his books will illuminate the ecosocialist path forward to overcome fossil capitalism now threatening human civilization and global biodiversity. We find the vision of Blochian Marxism and liberation theology in this collection, burning bright as ever.” ~David Schwartzman, Professor Emeritus at Howard University, activist, and coauthor of The Earth is Not for Sale: A Path Out of Fossil Capitalism to the Other World That Is Still Possible (2018)

“THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM is an essential book for socialist struggle in the new millennium. Joel Kovel’s indebtedness to Marx and his fi rm embrace of a socialist politics did not incline him to shy away from embracing spirituality. Kovel did not tread the tremulous trail from the “city on a hill” as interpreted in Ronald Reagan’s storied ‘Vision for America’ to William Blake’s Golgonooza by imbibing the dominant theistic orthodoxy of Rust Belt evangelicals, or, conversely, the pantheistic ‘all is God and God is all’ footpath of barefoot Wiccans invoking nature spirits. Kovel’s spiritual perspective was, rather, at least to me, panentheistic—all is not God, one thing is not another, yet God is in all and all is in God, and creatures and God are irrevocably and everlastingly intertwined. At the same time, his ontological and historical vocation, not unlike my mentor Paulo Freire, was to become more fully human. This magnificent collection of Kovel’s essays, edited by Quincy Saul, with incisive and heartfelt tributes by Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro, Quincy Saul and Michael Löwy, help to focus the reader’s imagination, infusing the most urgent political project of our time—ecosocialism!—with the lifeblood of Kovel’s many contributions to repristinating the planet and planting seeds of the socialist revolution to come.” ~Peter McLaren, Distinguished Professor in Critical Studies, Co-Director, The Paulo Freire Democratic Project, Attallah College of Educational Studies, Chapman University

“THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM is the broadest, deepest and most dedicated document of a whole epoch – but something is lacking that could have been essential for its success as a whole: The enemy of nature is not just capitalism, because this capitalism has a deep structure – patriarchy – with its irrational and systemic hatred of life. We do not only have to invent a new mode of production, but also to abolish patriarchy, the military, and most modern technologies as well. I, despite my critical comment, wish this book to be an international best-seller.” ~Claudia von Werlhof, PhD, Professor for Women Studies and Political Science, University of Innsbruck, Austria, and founder of the Planetary Movement for Mother Earth (www.pbme-online.org)

“From climate change to the theology of Bohme; from quantum mechanics, to racism in Africa; in THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM, Joel Kovel’s ecosocialism is dialectics in action. Kovel speaks the individual inside the sociological, and the spiritual inside the material. For myself, having come through a time when Marxists dismissed ecology or feminism as ‘bourgeois’ concerns, it was a joy to encounter Joel and to work alongside him on Capitalism Nature Socialism. He was immediately open to the idea of an ‘ecological feminist’ editorial collective for the journal. Kovel recognized interconnection, mutual recognition, and reciprocity, as foundational principles of nature, and acknowledged these universals in women’s labor as appropriated by capital. He would even name one of his pieces ‘The Ecofeminist Ground of Eco-Socialism.’ Now in the twenty-first century, with ‘the world historic defeat of women’ still enacted daily across the globe, we turn to Kovel for a gender-aware understanding of eco-socialism, renewing our hope and political courage while reading his essays.” ~Ariel Salleh, author of Ecofeminism as Politics: Nature, Marx, and the Postmodern (2017/1997)

“THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM is an excellent book in which Joel Kovel clearly demonstrates that capitalism is inherently linked to environment damage. If you want to know the emerging alternative ‘ecosocialism,’ then this is your book.” ~Huajie Cai, associate professor, Fujian Normal University (China)

“It is one thing to diagnose a malaise such as the terminal sickness of the present dominant civilizations, but quite another to clearly point the pathway forward. Joel Kovel has done both with great clarity. In THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM, he shows where we stand and provides the building blocks for the bridge that must be constructed to keep us from plunging into the precipice. Ecosocialism or barbarism!” ~Nnimmo Bassey, director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, author of To Cook a Continent: Destructive Extraction and the Climate Crisis in Africa (2012) and Oil Politics — Echoes of Ecological Wars (2016)

“Joel Kovel, an outstanding representative of ecosocialism, lived a legendary and wonderful life. His masterpieces, ‘The Enemy of Nature’ and ‘An Ecosocialist Manifesto,’ have great world influence. He regards capital as the enemy of nature and believes that capitalism is the cancerous change of human being and holds the view that overthrowing capitalism is the only way to overcome ecological crisis, which has been widely recognized. Based on this collection of Kovel’s ecosocialist literature, THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM, edited by Quincy Saul, concentrates on explaining Kovel’s thought of ecosocialism, which is profound, connotative and worth reading.” ~Lang Tingjian, teacher at Wuhan University (China)

“THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM is a must-read to understand why ecosocialism is a globally important red-green approach, and how to make it to become a world movement.” ~Qingzhi Huan, professor in comparative politics, Peking University

“Joel Kovel was amongst the first to break the unfortunate schisms between ecologists and socialists (or other kinds of Marxists). And then, go beyond to show the crucial importance of a wide-ranging alliance between anti-capitalists, advocates of the social control over means of production, and planet savers. Whether one agrees fully with the ecosocialist vision or not, anyone engaged in finding pathways out of our multiple planetary crises would have enough in common with it to find Kovel’s work rich with insights and inspiration. Quincy Saul does us a big favor by ably putting together these essays in THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM, which he rightly calls a ‘radical celebration of life’.” ~Ashish Kothari, Kalpavriksh / Vikalp Sangam / Radical Ecological Democracy (India)

“Joel Kovel was my respected friend. He was not satisfied with explaining the world; he was trying to change the world. He was both a famous scholar and a life-long revolutionary activist. Joel has left us with a valuable spiritual legacy. The best commemoration is the best progress, and I hope that the causes of ecosocialism will be passed on and carried forward through THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM.” ~Chang An Lu, associate professor, Department of Philosophy, Hubei Administration Institute (China)

“The ‘World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: Second Notice’ published in December 2017 vindicates the ecosocialists. Environmental problems are not being effectively addressed. Modern civilization, driven by the endless quest of its ruling elites for more profits is on a trajectory to global ecological destruction. Only by replacing capitalism will this catastrophe be averted. THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM collects the most important essays written over more than twenty years by Joel Kovel, co-author of An Ecosocialist Manifesto, a founder of ecosocialism, former editor of the main ecosocialist journal, Capitalism, Nature, Socialism, and the author of The Enemy of Nature: The End of Capitalism or the End of the World (2007). Ordered in the sequence of their publication, they provide a superb history of the struggles and advances of ecosocialism. They reveal the developments in ecosocialist thinking, the vast range of issues being taken up by ecosocialists, what they are confronted by, the insidious ways in which capitalism is penetrating every facet of life around the world to expand and cripple opposition to it, and the relationship between ecosocialism and other environmental movements. The essays in THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM explain why environmentalists who want to harness the dynamics of capitalism to generate technical solutions to environmental problems have failed and will continue to fail. Understanding the theoretical and practical issues and the engagements as they have taken place reveals very clearly the nature of the struggle going on, the obstacles to be overcome and what is required to meet current challenges to life and civilization. Perhaps most importantly, these essays indicate what ecosocialism entails and what life would be like in an ecosocialist society. THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM should be essential reading for anyone concerned with the future life on Earth, and this should be everyone.” ~Arran Gare, associate professor at Swinburne University of Technology (Australia), author of The Philosophical Foundations of Ecological Civilization (2016)

“THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM is a remarkable collection reflecting its author’s analytic reading of our contemporary crisis — a crisis of our collective selves within capitalist practices, a crisis of our relationship with our very source of being in planetary nature. A wise physician and psychiatrist, Joel Kovel was incisive and phlegmatic: his prognosis was collective suicide, the recommended treatment ecosocialism. This is Marxism with therapy. Read it. It will give solace to your soul. Then act — the world needs you.” ~Anitra Nelson, Associate Professor, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia), author of Small is Necessary: Shared Living on a Shared Planet (2018)

“THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM, divided into two sections, shows Joel Kovel in his true dimension. The first places Kovel in the context of the ecological crisis, as he prefigures the actual contours of an ecosocialist project that cuts across nature and labour. He develops the intermediate steps toward the transformation of the current order by rethinking several Marxist concepts, among them the notion of dialectic that entails subjectivity; as a result, “we feel with the river as well as the people who live on and by it as victims of pollution.” He revises the nature of wealth by adding the realm of intrinsic value to build ecosystem integrity. Furthermore, he incorporates the multiplicity of movements, such as race and ethnicity, religion, and spirituality, red-green, Israel and Palestine, gender and the provisioning of ecofeminism as integral to ecosocialism. By exposing how capital affects all creatures, he concludes that ecosocialism’s struggles against capital have an ecocentric valuation of life itself to direct the way out of the ecological and social crises. The second part is a tribute to Joe Kovel that speaks about the victorious person and intellectual that many of us have called friend and admired.” ~Ana Isla, professor of Sociology and the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies, Brock University

“Joel Kovel was a uniquely compelling voice for an ecosocialism that is inclusive, forward-looking, and profoundly ethical in character. He was among the first to restore a deep appreciation of the natural world to a Marxist tradition that had overlooked the ecological dimensions of Marx’s writings for much of the twentieth century. Kovel’s work was informed by his insights into philosophy, poetry, and human subjectivity, his commitment to radical democracy, as well as the rich traditions of political economy. THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM, which consists of Joel Kovel’s ecosocialist essays, commentaries, and editorials, is infused with his intellectual rigor, generosity of spirit, and his wealth of important contributions to an emerging ecological left. It is essential and enlightening reading for all who wish for a progressive politics that is deeply infused with a holistic ecological sensibility.” ~Brian Tokar, lecturer at the University of Vermont, and author of Toward Climate Justice (2010)

“The appearance of THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM is a highly significant event. It is a work of great depth, erudition, and dialectical subtlety in which Joel Kovel explores not only the political, but also the ethical and ontological dimensions of an ecosocialist worldview. It includes a great deal of Kovel at his best, which is ecosocialist thought at its best. It demonstrates that not only is Kovel one of the founders of ecosocialism, but that he is also the most profound thinker within that tradition, and one of the most important ecological thinkers of our time. It is a work that helps show the possibilities that emerge, as he has said, “when boundaries give way.” It will open up new worlds to perceptive readers: they will find it to be an inspiration, and, indeed, a revelation.” ~John Clark, author of Between Earth and Empire: From the Necrocene to the Beloved Community (2019), and editor of Anarchy, Geography, Modernity: The Writings of Elisée Reclus (2013)

“Like a hawk catching a thermal in the upper reaches of the sky, or like an ice-skater crossing a frozen pond in winter, or like a tennis player or baseball player who having smacked the ball then gracefully continues to follow through, Joel Kovel smoothly glides from the high philosophy of dialectics, to the warm critique of the frigid politics of neo-liberalism, to the actualities of collision with whatever ‘Nobodaddy’ throws at him. Skillful, joyful, deep, and friendly, these essays are essential to the growth and well-being of our movement, our humanity, our earth.” ~Peter Linebaugh, author of The Magna Carta Manifesto (2008) and Stop, Thief! The Commons, Enclosures, and Resistance (2014)

“Here we have an astonishing array of essays, deep in analytical power, profound in thought, and wide in its extensions and relevance. In addition to all of this, Joel Kovel is important as an activist because of his wide compassion and deep humanity. Joel Kovel is surely one of the treasures of modern-day revolutionary thought and praxis.” ~Salim Washington, professor at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, co-author of Clawing at the Limits of Cool (2008)

“La publicación de THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM es un acontecimiento. Pocos pensadores de los últimos decenios han contribuido tanto como Joel Kovel a la comprensión de la crisis ecológico-social y las vías para construir una cultura amiga de la naturaleza, y esta compilación de ensayos abre muchos caminos practicables. Escribiendo desde España, sólo puedo desear que una traducción a nuestra lengua — y la de cientos de millones de personas en América latina — esté pronto disponible.”

“The publication of THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM is an event. Few thinkers of the past decades have contributed as much as Joel Kovel to the understanding of the ecological-social crisis and ways to build a culture friendly to nature. This compilation of essays opens many practicable paths. Writing from Spain, I can only hope that a translation into our language — and that of hundreds of millions of people in Latin America — will be available soon.” ~Jorge Riechmann, professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Barcelona

“La copiosa y emergente compilación de trabajos, refl exiones, ideas, propuestas y comprometidas declaraciones de alto contenido espiritual, las cuales han sido sistematizadas en el texto de Joe Kovel (THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM) se constituyen en referencias fundamentales, para la permanentemente formación política e ideológica no sólo para nuestros ecomilitantes, quienes apuestan y se han comprometido en la construcción de una nueva civilización para nuestro planeta tierra. También estas lecturas y aprendizajes, oportuna y epocalmente, nos llegan, para llenar el profundo vacío ideológico actual, manifestado en las organizaciones y partidos políticos de izquierda del mundo, quienes están llamados a re-signifi car sus ideologías, discursos y sus programas estrategicos. Al parecer, se presagia y claramente lo justifi ca Joe Kovel sera: el Ecosocialismo”.

“This copious and emergent compilation of works, reflections, ideas, proposals and committed declarations of high spiritual content, which have been systematized in Joel Kovel’s text, THE EMERGENCE OF ECOSOCIALISM, constitute fundamental references for the permanent political and ideological formation not only for eco-militants, who bet on and have pledged themselves to the construction of a new civilization for our planet earth. These readings and learnings, timely and epochally, also come to all of us, to fill the contemporary deep ideological void, manifested in the organizations and political parties of the left of the world, who are called to re-signify their ideologies, discourses and strategic programs. It is presaged and clearly justified by Joel Kovel: Ecosocialism.” ~Miguel Angel Nuñez, former director of the Latin American Institute of Agroecology, author of Venezuela ecosocialista un debate pendiente (2010)