Postpolitics and the Limits of Nature: Critical Theory, Moral Authority, and Radicalism in the Anthropocene

294 Pages·2019·1.86 MB·English

by  Andy Scerri

Postpolitics and the
Limits of Nature

i
SUNY series in New Political Science
—————
Bradley J. Macdonald, editor
Postpolitics and the
Limits of Nature
Critical Theory, Moral Authority,
and Radicalism in the Anthropocene
ANDY SCERRI
Publication of this book was made possible with financial support from the
Faculty Book Publishing Subvention Fund at Virginia Tech.
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 201(cid:26) State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic,
electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise
without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
www.sunypress.edu
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Scerri, Andy, author.
Title: Postpolitics and the limits of nature : critical theory, moral authority, and
radicalism in the anthropocene / Andy Scerri.
Description: Albany, NY : State University of New York Press, [201(cid:26)] |
Series: SUNY series in new political science | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017059916 | ISBN 9781438472133 (hardcover : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9781438472157 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Radicalism. | Climatic changes—Political aspects. | Income
distribution—Political aspects. | Globalization—Political aspects. | Occupy
movement. | Critical theory.
Classification: LCC HN49.R33 S44 2018 | DDC 303.48/4—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017059916
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
In memory of Alan Patrick Roberts

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Chapter 1
From Mimetic Expression to the Rational Mastery of Nature 1
Chapter 2
Holism, Modernism, and “the Problem of the Environment” 31
Chapter 3
From Enlightenment Hubris to Neo-Enlightenment Humility 63
Chapter 4
Globalization, Neoliberalism, and Neocommunitarianism 99
Chapter 5
Postpolitics and the Return of Moral Authority 129
Chapter 6
Meaning Lost, Meaning Refound . . . 153
Conclusion 183
Notes 199
Bibliography 243
Index 269

Acknowledgments
Many people in Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and
the United States helped to shape the argument presented here.
Central influences came from longtime mentors, Paul James, Manfred
Steger, and Tom Nairn. In this regard, I also thank Tim Luke, Univer-
sity Distinguished Professor of political science, and François Debrix,
director of the ASPECT program, at Virginia Tech. I am indebted to
Bradley McDonald Michael Rinella, and Jenn Bennett-Genthner for
their confidence in my ideas. I thank Karen Hult, chair of the Depart-
ment of Political Science, for her sound advice, and am grateful for
the support of former dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human
Sciences, Elizabeth Spiller, and the current dean, Margaret Blieszner. I
am thankful to Debra Stoudt, Janell Watson, Tom Ewing, Peter Porter,
and the university subvention committee for their support. I am also
extremely thankful to the generations of members of the Caucus for a
New Political Science for maintaining a forum for scholarship of the
kind to which this book endeavors to contribute.
I am especially grateful to Elisabeth Chaves for her comments
on versions of this work, and to Tim Luke, Arran Gare, Meg Holden,
Andy Denis, Andy Cornell, and Metin Guven for commenting on all
or part of the final draft. I also thank the anonymous reviewers for their
many insightful comments and valuable suggestions. I am thankful for
comments relating to significant sections of the work-in-progress presented
at conferences and seminars, and offered by Andrew Biro, Geoffrey
Whitehall, the students at Acadia University’s Social and Political Theory
Colloquium, Zev Trachtenberg, Peter Cannavò, Jordan Laney, Gabriel
Piser, Christian Matheis, Adrian Parr, Jenn Lawrence, Sarah-Marie
Wiebe, Emily Howard, Warren Magnusson, Sarah Surak, Yogi Hendlin,

ix