Introduction
In the book, “Radical Ecology: The Search for a Livable World,” Merchant has essentially written a handy introduction to the ecological problems as well as issues from a radical viewpoint. Capra (1996) agrees that ecological thinking emerged simultaneously in a number of disciplines in first half of the century particularly in 1920s. The ecological thinking was pioneered by the biologists, who stressed the opinion of living organisms as the integrated wholes a fact shared by Merchant. In Radical Ecology, Merchant manages to incorporate major topics of concern like social ecology, deep ecology, science and worldviews, ecofeminism, spiritual ecology, among other important topics, all of which she presents them in a clear and comprehensible language. In the introduction, she explains radical ecology as “the cutting edge of social ecology pushing social and ecological systems towards new patterns of production, reproduction, and consciousness that will improve the quality of human life and the natural environment.”
After reading the book, one understands that the author does not trust that mere modifications to current global system can remedy the centuries of the growth-driven industrialization. In chapter 7 of her other text, “The Death of Nature,” Merchant provides a classic critique of the Bacon’s script, setting it in context of witch trials of 16th century besides treating it as essential point in transformation of the nature from benevolent nurturing mother to a demonized and an objectified female figure or the witch. In her criticism, she goes further and argues that the secrets of this witch can only be extracted through means of torture and domination (Merchant 1990). Thus, her point by this criticism is that novel ideas should be compulsory as the new realities arise- fresh techniques of living with each other and with the nature. In simple terms, fresh frameworks for sustaining the life on the earth have in fact become unavoidable. The aim of this book is to offer its reader with a robust sense of the conceptual frameworks currently in existence. Whatever the reader’s persuasion, this volume is a provocative and lively introduction to what might well be the onset of a new age.
Radical ecology is fundamentally an overview of environmental movement and economic as well as social forces, which gave rise to it. This classical book is divided into three major parts that forms its key ideas. The first part of the book deals with nature of global ecological crisis. In the next part, the author centers on the three schools of thought in environmental movement that include Spiritual Ecology, Social Ecology, and Deep Ecology. Lastly, the author discusses the movements, which have actually grown out of these three schools of thought. These movements include Ecofeminism, Sustainable Development, and Green Politics. This book report specifically focuses on the three mentioned key ideas that I came across when reading the book.
The nature of global ecological crisis is the first key idea that the author has presented in the book. According to the author, the world of late 20th century is actually going through a global ecological crisis that is a product of the past economic and ecological patterns besides being a challenge for the future. Merchant argues that the planet and entirely its life are in big trouble. The goes further and discusses how the industrial production heightened by global population reproduction has put stress on the nature’s capacity for life reproduction. Depletion and pollution are analytically interlinked on a new scale not experienced previously in the planet according to the author. This point is supported by Foltz in “understanding our place in a global age” when he explains the awesome task of human beings living wisely on earth (Foltz 2008).
The other key idea that I got after reading this book is the three schools of thought in environmental movement. These include the Spiritual Ecology, Social Ecology, and Deep ecology. Merchant argues that the key project of the spiritual ecology school of thought is fundamentally to effect the values transformation, which in turn results to the action to heal the world. In emphasizing this key idea, the book reports that in whatever spirituality or religion one practices, it is probable to discover a link to earth and to political work, which requires to be done to alter the current way of handling the resources. In addition, the author stresses the idea by reporting that a spiritual revolution might assist to support ecological and human justice in the 21st century when most persons practicing given type of religion as well as with the rising attention to ecological consequences of recent methods of doing business.
On the Social Ecology school of thought, the author reports that it analyzes the numerous social and political institutions, which individuals use in their relationship to nature as well as its resources. The technologies like guns, axes, and bulldozers transform animals, trees, and rocks into the natural resources. The economic production systems like gathering, fishing, hunting, industrial manufacturing, subsistence agriculture turn resources into products for market trading and home use. On the deep ecology school of thought, Merchant argues that the ideas of this school point to possibility of new worldview, which could guide the 21st century populations in an ecologically sustainable way of living. Nonetheless, according to Vidal, the new worldview can have negative connotation for a philosopher, since philosophy normally claims universal validity, because it has a clear link with the rational thought (Vidal 2008). From the book, I understand that this type of ecology is both egalitarian and feminist. It provides a society vision, which is truly free. Merchant goes further and argues that this school of thought recognizes that the nature is essentially a social construction, which changes over time. The book also reports that this school of thought distinguishes that science is trapped in the socially negotiated relationships with the nature, meaning that there are relationships, which respond to the society needs.
Finally yet importantly, the movements, which have actually grown out of the discussed three schools of thought is the other key idea of radical ecology. These movements include Ecofeminism, Sustainable Development, and Green Politics. The Ecofeminists demand for equality of gender as well as production subordination to life reproduction such that kids will actually be born into the societies, which can offer adequate security and employment and possess an ethnic of fostering both nature and humans. The book reports that this movement is frequently critical of the deep ecologists for these ecologist failures to distinguish both socially and biologically constructed differences. The author argues that sustainable development movement searches for the new approaches to the resource use, which would reverse assaults of production on the ecology, hence renewing besides preserving waters, soil, biota, and air. On the green politics movement, the author claims that this movement addresses contradiction that exist between reproduction and production, pressing for the ways of reproducing nonhuman and human life, which are compatible with the ecosystem social justice and health.
References
Capra, F. (1996b). From the parts to the whole. Chapter 2 of The web of life: A new scientific understanding of living systems (pp.17-35). New York, NY: Anchor Books
Foltz, R. (2008). Understanding our place in a global age. In R. Foltz (Ed.), worldviews, religion, and the environment: a global anthology (pp. 1-7). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning
Merchant, C. (1990). Dominion over nature, chapter 4 of the death of nature- women, ecology, and the scientific revolution. (2nd ed., pp. 164-190)
Vidal, C. (2008) What is een wereldbeeld. (What is a worldview?), in Van Belle, H. & Van der Veken, J., Editors, Nieuwheid denwken. De wetenschappen en het creatieve aspect van de werkelijkheid, in press. Acco, Leuven.
