Ideology and Environmental Politics

'Devin Joshi's masterfully edited volume brings together a diverse and high-quality group of scholars who assess the ecological implications of a wide range of ideologies. These essays make a strong case for the crucial role played by ideological factors in the making of environmental policies around the world. A special treat is the inclusion of various classical Eastern thought-systems in the construction of modern green ideologies. This book is bound to become a classic itself!'

Manfred B. Steger, Professor and Chair of Sociology, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, United States

'Ecological degradation now competes for attention with artificial intelligence as the most dynamic and disruptive factor in world politics in the early twenty-first century. In this fascinating and wide-ranging volume, a diverse cast of scholars shows that, in some ways, humans’ capacity for thinking and acting like machines has already involved us in centuries’ worth of destructive campaigns against natural environments. Ideology is the fuel for that brand of machine politics. We think and act on ideas that are only partially revealed to us, whether by others or by ourselves. But this book begins to lift the veil, with its strikingly broad coverage of cultural, geographic, philosophic, religious, and economic traditions and their implications for environmental politics. For orchestrating such an ensemble, few scholars could be better equipped than Devin Joshi.'

J.S. Maloy, Professor and Endowed Chair, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, United States

'Devin K. Joshi’s Ideology and Environmental Politics: Rethinking Sustainability is the volume I have been hoping someone would fashion. With remarkable global scope, it offers nuanced accounts of how the ecological catastrophe is fundamentally a crisis of ideology, examining sources ranging from Buddhism, Daoism, and Christianity to Marxism, ecofeminism, and eco-fascism. Coherent and persuasive, the volume reveals the double-edged character of ideology: its capacity to thwart environmental action, but also its potential to nurture radical ecological thought and praxis. I consider it essential reading for scholars of environmental politics and the environmental humanities--indeed, for all who care about the fate of the planet.'

Mark S. Cladis, The Brooke Russell Astor Professor of the Humanities, Brown University, United States

'As editor Devin Joshi argues, the ‘ecocrisis is a crisis of ideology.’ Bringing together a globally diverse array of scholars, Ideology and Environmental Politics offers nuanced insight into a wide range of ideological perspectives, well beyond the usual western suspects. Readers—whether specialists or newcomers to the contested terrain of ecology and ideology—will come away with a deeper understanding of the multiple ideological dimensions of today's ecological crisis.'

John M. Meyer, Professor of Politics, Cal Poly Humboldt, United States