New Books in Critical Theory Ståle Holgersen, "Against the Crisis: Economy and Ecology in a Burning World" (Verso, 2024)
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Apr 9, 2025 Ståle Holgersen, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Stockholm University, dives into the profound interconnection between economic and ecological crises under capitalism. He argues these crises are not anomalies but central to capitalism’s operation. Holgersen critiques common views on crises, stressing they reinforce the status quo rather than present opportunities for change. He also discusses the socio-economic disparities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and advocates for ecosocialism, challenging listeners to envision a historical exception to ongoing turmoil.
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Crisis Defined
- Crises are turning points with three components: a quick event, underlying processes, and negative consequences.
- Defining "crisis" is crucial for productive discussions and avoiding confusion.
Pre-20th Century Crises
- Examining economic crises before the 20th century reveals varying temporalities and challenges the idea that crises are predictable turning points.
- The 19th-century crisis pattern might be more relevant to the 21st century than the 20th.
Marx's Shifting Crisis Perspective
- Marx initially saw crises as revolutionary opportunities but later revised his view after the 1857 crisis and subsequent economic boom.
- His later work in Capital emphasizes crises as mechanisms of creative destruction for capitalism.