New Books in Economics

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

Apr 10, 2025

Ståle Holgersen, a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Stockholm University and author of 'Against the Crisis', offers an insightful analysis of the intertwined nature of economic and ecological crises. He critiques the simplistic views of crisis, arguing that they reflect capitalism's inherent contradictions. Holgersen delves into how crises exacerbate class divides and systemic discrimination, emphasizing the need for ecosocialism as a response. He also discusses the lessons learned from COVID-19 regarding socioeconomic disparities and highlights the necessity for collective action.

54:50

Episode guests

Ståle Holgersen

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Quick takeaways

Ståle Holgersen emphasizes that economic and ecological crises are interconnected phenomena stemming from the contradictions of capitalism, challenging the notion that they are separate issues.

The podcast highlights the importance of recognizing systemic class disparities in how different communities experience crises, advocating for transformative action to address these inequalities.

Deep dives

Understanding the Nature of Crisis

Crisis is conceptualized as a rapid event that brings significant negative consequences for both humanity and nature, borne from underlying structural issues. Dr. Holgersen stresses the importance of establishing a precise definition of crisis to facilitate meaningful discussions, aiming to avoid both rigid determinism and overly broad interpretations that hinder communication. He defines crisis through three key components: a sudden event, underlying processes, and negative implications. This definition seeks to distinguish crises from mere disasters or ongoing issues, refining our understanding of their societal impacts and potential political implications.

Intro

4min

Understanding Crisis: A Transformative Perspective

10min

Marx's Evolving Perspective on Economic Crises

3min

Crises, Capitalism, and Class Divide

16min

The Intersection of Wealth and Crisis: Lessons from COVID-19

2min

Crises and Systemic Discrimination

15min

Understanding the Audience of a Comprehensive Analysis

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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