Hierarchy, Domination, Nature

Abstract

The work of Murray Bookchin stands as one of the most ambitious attempts in recent times to produce a post-Marxist critical social theory that places ecological concerns at its core. This article argues that this richly elaborated theory has highlighted the distinct limitations of "high modernist" formulations of historical materialism and liberalism. However, it is also maintained that Bookchin's "organic society" thesis and his theorising about social hierarchy, social domination, and the domination of nature ultimately suffer from significant theoretical and empirical inconsistencies. Bringing Bookchin's more valuable insights into dialogue with the recent interface between "historical-geographical materialism" and poststructuralism, a dynamic, discontinuous view of eco-social relations is recommended that recognises that human societies are always involved in the production, reproduction, and enframing of disruptive, active, and generative natures. How forms of social domination relate to these processes is viewed as complex, contingent, and spatially and historically varied.