New Books in Sociology

Ståle Holgersen, "Against the Crisis: Economy and Ecology in a Burning World" (Verso, 2024)

Apr 9, 2025

Ståle Holgersen, a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Stockholm University, tackles the intricate relationship between economic and ecological crises in his new book. He argues that these crises are not anomalies but fundamental to capitalism's operation, urging a reevaluation of how we understand them. Holgersen emphasizes the need for systemic change rather than viewing crises as opportunities for reform. He also touches on the intersection of wealth disparity and climate challenges, showcasing how marginalized communities are most affected by these intertwined crises.

54:50

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Ståle Holgersen

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Quick takeaways

Ståle Holgersen argues that economic and ecological crises are deeply interrelated phenomena of capitalism, challenging past analyses that treated them separately.

The podcast emphasizes the potential for human solidarity and transformative change in the face of crises, countering the bleak narratives around capitalism's contradictions.

Deep dives

Understanding Crises in Capitalism

Crises in capitalism are examined through a framework that connects economic and ecological crises, emphasizing their profound interrelation. Many past analyses have treated these crises separately, failing to recognize how their coexistence undercapitalism's contradictions can exacerbate human suffering. This framework challenges the notion that crises are merely opportunities, clarifying that they are existential threats that disproportionately affect the most vulnerable classes. By redefining crisis as a turning point that includes a rapid event, underlying processes, and negative impacts, the discussion encourages a deeper understanding of crises beyond simplistic narratives.

Intro

2min

Examining Economic and Ecological Crises

13min

Marx and the Crisis of Economic Thought

5min

Capitalism and Crises: A Complex Relationship

14min

Wealth, Disparity, and Crisis Response

5min

Crisis, Conflict, and Capitalism

12min

Exploring Audience and Purpose: Understanding Crisis through Literature

2min

In Against the Crisis: Economy and Ecology in a Burning World (Verso, 2024), Ståle Holgersen develops a conceptualization of 'crisis' that moves beyond simplistic understandings of societal turbulence or even disaster, arguing that crises have come to mean something very specific. Where previous analyses have treated economic and ecological crises as separate phenomena, Holgersen reveals their profound interconnection within capitalism's contradictions. Central to the book is the idea that both economic and climate crises are crises of capitalism specifically, and the powers that be are not willing to acknowledge it.

Holgersen delves into today’s economic and ecological crises to demonstrate that they are not exceptions to an otherwise functioning system but integral to its operation. It is naive to see these upheavals as opportunities for reform or revolution. They are the bedrock of the status quo. Fortunately, the vicious circle sustaining capitalism is not founded on an iron law. Our historical mission in the face of the climate crisis is to create a historical exception to the rule. It is time for ecosocialism against crisis.

About the Author:

Ståle Holgersen is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Stockholm University, Sweden. He is a member of two research collectives: the Zetkin Collective (ecosocialist group working on political ecologies of the far right) published White Skin, Black Fuel on Verso in 2021 and Fundament (a housing research collective) published Kris i Bostadsfrågan on Daidalos in 2023. This is his first monograph in English.

About the Host:

Stuti Roy has recently graduated with an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies from the University of Oxford. She has a BA in Political Science from the University of Toronto.

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