Between Gaia and Ground: Four Axioms of Existence and the Ancestral Catastrophe of Late Liberalism

Elizabeth A. Povinelli's book explores the ancestral catastrophe that Indigenous and colonized peoples have been suffering from, and how the violence and philosophies of the West threaten it. She highlights four axioms of existence: entanglement of existence, unequal distribution of power, collapse of the event as essential to political thought, and legacies of racial and colonial histories.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 30 September 2021
Publisher: Duke University Press

Elizabeth A. Povinelli delves into the intricate web of climatic, environmental, viral, and social catastrophes that have plagued Indigenous and colonized peoples for centuries, viewing them as an ancestral catastrophe. This perspective challenges the foundations of Western violence and philosophies, posing a threat to the West itself. Povinelli engages with the works of Glissant, Deleuze and Guattari, Césaire, and Arendt to highlight four fundamental axioms of existence: the entanglement of existence, the unequal distribution of power, the collapse of the event as central to political thought, and the legacies of racial and colonial histories. She traces the inspiration for these axioms in the anticolonial struggles against dispossession and extraction that have devastated the lives of many on our planet. By examining the dynamic and evolving forms of late liberal violence, Povinelli addresses critical questions about changing environmental conditions, the legacies of violence, and the limitations of inherited Western social theory.

Additionally, Between Gaia and Ground features a comprehensive glossary of the keywords and concepts that Povinelli has developed throughout her work, providing a valuable resource for scholars and readers alike. This book is a groundbreaking exploration of the interconnectedness of human and natural systems, offering a profound understanding of the ongoing struggles and challenges faced by Indigenous and colonized communities.

Weight: 418g
Dimension: 255 x 240 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478013648