Capital in the Anthropocene
LC Class | PT2428.M47 S35 2020 |
Capital in the Anthropocene (
Background
Capital in the Anthropocene draws from Marx's unpublished notebooks on ecological research written late in his life, particularly his writing on natural science and the metabolic rift.[4][5] In these writings, Marx argued that capitalism had created an "irreparable rift in the interdependent process of social metabolism"[4] and examined self-governing agricultural communes that existed in pre-capitalist societies.[5] From this foundation, Saito mounts an argument for degrowth based on Marx's conclusions.[4]
Synopsis
Saito argues that while sustainable growth has become a central organizing principle in global responses to climate change, the expectation of perpetual growth has only exacerbated the climate crisis.[6][7] He is particularly critical of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), describing them as "the new opium of the masses" in regards to what he believes is the impossibility for the goals to be achieved under a capitalist system.[6][8] Instead, Saito advocates for degrowth, which he conceives as the slowing of economic activity through the democratic reform of labor and production.[4][7]
In practical terms, Saito's conception of degrowth involves the end of
Publication history
Capital in the Anthropocene was published by Shueisha on September 17, 2020.[9] In 2021, a Korean translation was published under the title 지속 불가능 자본주의 (lit. 'Unsustainable Capitalism').[10] Marx in the Anthropocene: Towards the Idea of Degrowth Communism, an English-language book that builds on the material published in Capital in the Anthropocene, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2023.[11] An English translation was published under the title Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto by Astra House in 2024.[12]
Reception
Capital in the Anthropocene was awarded the 2021 New Book Award by Chuokoron-Shinsha,[13][14] and was selected as one of the "Best Asian Books of the Year" at the Asia Book Awards in 2021.[2]
The book was an unexpected mainstream commercial success in Japan,
The success of Capital in the Anthropocene has been credited with provoking a renewed interest in Marxist thought in Japan, with bookstores reporting an increase in sales in books about Marxism[3][8] and Saito appearing on NHK's television series 100 Pun de Meicho to present a four-part introduction to Marx's Capital.[6][8]
References
- ^ 人新世の「資本論」 / Hitoshinsei no "Shihonron" WorldCat.
- ^ a b "Kohei Saito". United Agents. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ The Asahi Shinbun(in Japanese). Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "人新世の「資本論」 斎藤幸平著" ["Capital in the Anthropocene" by Kohei Saito]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). December 13, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c Atsuko, Iwasaki (February 27, 2022). "Japanese scholar looks to Marx's theory to explain pandemic, climate change". NHK World-Japan. NHK. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f McCurry, Justin (September 9, 2022). "'A new way of life': the Marxist, post-capitalist, green manifesto captivating Japan". The Guardian. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ a b Morinaga, Takuro (October 11, 2020). "人新世(ひとしんせい)の「資本論」 斎藤幸平著" ["Capital in the Anthropocene" by Kohei Saito]. TokyoWeb (in Japanese). Chunichi Shimbun. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c "More young Japanese look to Marx amid pandemic, climate crisis". Kyodo News. May 5, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ "人新世の「資本論」" [Capital in the Anthropocene]. Shueisha (in Japanese). Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ Won-hyung, Choi (October 15, 2021). ""새로운 세대는 자본주의 멈출 '탈성장 코뮤니즘' 추구한다"". The Hankyoreh. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- S2CID 255899443. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- ISBN 9781662602368. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ a b "Put Brake on Capitalism, Says Popular Marxist Book Author". Nippon.com. May 11, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ Murao, Tetsu (2021-05-29). "IT giants' business more feudalism than capitalism, says bestselling Japanese critic". Mainichi Daily News. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
Further reading
- .
- Saito, Kohei (February 2016). "Marx's Ecological Notebooks". Monthly Review. 67 (9): 25. .