On the Emergence of an Ecological Class - a Memo

Ecology can organize politics around an agenda and a set of beliefs, similar to how liberalism, socialism, conservatism, and other political ideologies have done. To do this, the ecological movement must offer a political narrative that recognizes, embraces, and effectively represents its project in terms of social conflict. Political ecology must accept division and provide a convincing cartography of the conflicts it generates. It must also try to define a common horizon of collective action. Latour and Schultz propose to reuse the old notions of 'class and 'class struggle' infused with a new meaning to advance the idea of a new ecological class.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 80 pages
Publication date: 11 November 2022
Publisher: Polity Press

Ecology, as a movement, has the potential to shape politics around an agenda and a set of beliefs. It can aspire to define the political horizon in the same way as liberalism, socialism, conservatism, and other political ideologies have done at various times and places. To achieve this, the ecological movement must offer a political narrative that recognizes, embraces, and effectively represents its project in terms of social conflict.

Political ecology must accept that it brings along division. It must provide a convincing cartography of the conflicts it generates and, based on this, try to define a common horizon of collective action. In order to represent and describe these conflicts, Latour and Schultz propose to reuse the old notions of 'class and 'class struggle, albeit infused with a new meaning in line with the ecological concerns of our New Climate Regime.

Advancing the idea of a new ecological class, assembled by its collective interests in fighting the logic of production and safeguarding our planet's conditions of habitability, they ask: how can a proud and self-aware ecological class emerge and take effective action to shape our collective future?

To answer these questions, Latour and Schultz propose a series of steps. Firstly, they argue that the ecological movement must recognize the importance of social conflict and engage in it strategically. This means identifying the key actors and conflicts involved in environmental degradation and developing effective strategies to address them. Secondly, they suggest that the ecological movement should embrace the concept of a new ecological class. This class would be composed of individuals and groups who are committed to fighting the logic of production and safeguarding our planet's conditions of habitability. Thirdly, they propose that the ecological movement should develop a political narrative that resonates with this new ecological class. This narrative should highlight the urgency of the environmental crisis and the need for collective action to address it. Finally, they suggest that the ecological movement should build alliances with other social movements and political parties to advance its agenda. By doing so, the ecological movement can gain greater legitimacy and influence in the political sphere.

In conclusion, ecology has the potential to shape politics around an agenda and a set of beliefs. By offering a political narrative that recognizes, embraces, and effectively represents its project in terms of social conflict, the ecological movement can aspire to define the political horizon in the same way as other political ideologies have done. By embracing the concept of a new ecological class and developing a political narrative that resonates with this class, the ecological movement can build alliances with other social movements and political parties to advance its agenda. This will help to ensure that the environmental crisis is addressed in a timely and effective manner.

Weight: 122g
Dimension: 192 x 125 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509555062