Ecological Crise

Le présent mémoire se penche sur les fondements socio-historiques de la crise écologique. Aujourd’hui associé aux changements climatiques, la perte massive de biodiversité, la pollution des écosystèmes, la transgression des cycles naturels et l’épuisement des ressources, cet enjeu planétaire connaît un intérêt sans cesse croissant. Depuis vingt ans, le sociologue de l’environnement John Bellamy Foster offre une contribution originale aux débats sur la source de notre rapport problématique à la nature. Pierre angulaire de l’École de l’Oregon et reconnus mondialement, ses travaux feront ici l’objet d’une étude approfondie.
Selon la théorie de la rupture métabolique développée par Foster et l’École de l’Oregon, une scission entre les processus sociaux et naturels apparaît lors de l’industrialisation de la Grande-Bretagne. Le système de relations sociales capitalistes serait donc au cœur des problèmes environnementaux actuels. Or, si ce courant d’inspiration marxienne considère que l’étude de la crise écologique requiert un examen détaillé de la dynamique du système capitaliste, ne faudrait-il pas également en comprendre l’origine historique? Se pencher sur le phénomène de l’accumulation primitive du capital nous aiderait-il à clarifier les caractéristiques fondamentales du capitalisme? En retour, cela permettrait-il de mieux comprendre le caractère global de la crise écologique et son ancrage historique?
C’est à cette tâche que nous nous adonnerons ici en enrichissant l’analyse de Foster avec celle du marxisme politique; un courant des sciences sociales qui explique la transition du féodalisme au capitalisme à l’aide de la théorie des relations sociales de propriété. Palliant aux failles de la théorie du système-monde telle qu’adoptée par l’École de l’Oregon, nous croyons qu’elle nous permettra d’articuler adéquatement entre eux la naissance du capitalisme et l’apparition de ruptures métaboliques en tant que source de la crise écologique. Pour ce faire, nous soutiendrons que l’internationalisation de la rupture métabolique prend racine dans les impératifs socio-économiques du capitalisme britannique.

THE ORIGIN OF THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS:
AN ANALYSIS OF THE THEORY OF METABOLIC RIFT IN JOHN BELLAMY FOSTER’S SOCIOLOGY

This thesis traces the socio-historical roots of the ecological crisis. Associated to climate change, massive biodiversity loss, pollution of the ecosystems, transgression of natural cycles and the depletion of resources, there is a growing interest today for this global issue. Over the last twenty years, environmental sociologist John Bellamy Foster has offered an original contribution to the debates on the origins of our problematic relationship with nature. Recognized throughout the world and the corner stone of the Oregon School, his work will be here the subject of a thorough study.
According to the Theory of Metabolic Rift developed by Foster and the Oregon School, a rift between social and natural processes appeared during the industrialization of Britain. Therefore, the environmental problems humanity is now facing would result from the dynamics of the capitalist system. However, the origin of this system has received less attention by the Oregon School and requires a more detailed analysis.
In order to overcome the limits of World-Systems Theory adopted by Foster for the study of the transition to capitalism, we will confront and enrich his analysis with the Theory of Social Property Relations which is proposed by Political Marxism. This will allow us to develop a better understanding of the origin of capitalism and the emergence of multiple metabolic rifts as the source of the ecological crisis. We will argue that the internationalization of the metabolic rift took roots in the socio-economic imperatives of British capitalism.

La taxe carbone en question. Gilets jaunes, capitalocène et oligarchie éco technocrate.Parue dans l'Humanité, cette tribune propose d'analyser le soulèvement des gilets jaunes en France comme un mouvement de survie à la crise écologique et sociale.

Yeşil’ düşünce biçimlerinin hemen hepsi insan-doğa ilişkisini merkez bir problem olarak kurgular. İnsanın doğa ile girdiği ilişkinin sorunlu olduğu iddiası/varsayımı ‘yeşil’in en önemli varlık sebeplerinden birisidir. Tespit edilen sorun, doğanın sınırlı olduğu ve bu sınırlara yaklaşmakta olduğumuz düşüncesi etrafında şekillenmiş bir doğa kavrayışı ile doğrudan ilgilidir. Bir haklılık gerekçesi olarak sabitlenen doğanın sınırlılı-ğı, bir sonraki adımda beraberinde yaşamın sürdürülebilirliği meselesini getirir ve artık ‘yeşil’ oluşun, ‘yeşil’in yapılması gerekenlere yönelik ileri sürdüğü hemen her şeyin meşrûluk zeminine dönüşür. Bu meşrûluk zeminini “yaşamın sürdürülebilirliği kaygısı” olarak adlandırmamız mümkündür.
İşte bu çalışma da, yeşil siyasal düşünce bağlamında değerlendirdiğimiz zaman ‘ideolojik unsurlar’ diyebile-ceğimiz doğanın kavranış biçimi ve yaşamın sürdürülebilirliği kaygısı şeklindeki felsefî ve düşünsel temelle-rin eleştirisini konu etmektedir. Ekolojik bunalıma yönelik yaklaşımımızın sağlayacağı eleştirel çerçeve, söz konusu temellerin ‘mevcûdun’/tespit edilen sorunların aşılması noktasında içerdiği olanak ve sınırlılığın sorgulanması ile tamamlanacaktır.

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A majority of ‘green’ thought defines its centreal problem as relationship between human being and nature. Inconvenient aspect of relationship with nature is the primary presence cause of green thought. The problem is related to a concept of nature which claims that the nature is finite and this finitude is getting more and more serious. Finite character of nature transforms into a justification of being green and the issue of “sustainability of life” comes into question. Hereby sustainability of life serves as a legitimacy basis of green thought; which can be named as “anxiety about the sustainability of life”.
This study aims to criticize “concept of nature” and “anxiety about the sustainability of life” which are the philosophical basis of green political thought. Our explication about emergence of ecological crisis will provide this study’s critical framework and this framework will be completed by evaluation of green political thought’s potentials and limitations in its own basis about achieving green politics’ purposes.