18 Questions
What is the focus of a political economy approach?
Control of money and power within a society
What does the text suggest about market-oriented distribution of pollution?
It often leads to less equitable exposure of different social and economic groups
Why does the text mention 'under-pollution'?
To highlight the argument that places are 'under-polluted'
What creates environmental problems according to a political economy approach?
Structure of the economy and power relations within it
According to the Marxist lens, societal progress is predicted to move through various stages from:
Hunter-gatherers to communism
Marxist theoretical position predicts that each stage, except the last, contains the seeds of its own destruction due to:
Inequality, leading to conflicts and crises
In capitalist systems, only some people own/control the means and conditions of production, leading to:
Social inequality and accumulation of wealth in a few hands
What started the beginnings of modern capitalism?
Primitive accumulation during the industrial revolution
What does capitalist accumulation occur through in the text?
Maximizing surplus value
What does capitalism undervalue according to the text?
Environmental conditions necessary for its own propagation
What does capitalism see nature as according to the text?
Something that can be commodified for human use
What is the focus of Political Economy approaches based on Karl Marx's work?
Structures of capitalism as a political and economic order
What does Marx's theoretical position stem from according to the text?
Historical materialism
According to the production of nature thesis, what does it argue?
Nature is always altered by human activities
What does the spatial fix allow capitalism to do?
Continue functioning in the shorter term, but contributes to increased inequality between places and people
What is social reproduction of society?
Whatever it takes to get a worker back the next day (food, water, shelter, etc.) and to make new workers
What are the problems with the political economy perspective according to the text?
Both A and C
What is eco-feminism's perspective on environmental degradation?
Patriarchy is a source of environmental degradation and the social condition of women
Study Notes
Marxist Lens on Capitalism and Environmental Exploitation
- Political Economy approaches are based on Karl Marx's work and focus on the structures of capitalism as a political and economic order.
- Marx's theoretical position stems from historical materialism, which predicts societal progress through various stages from hunter-gatherers to communism.
- Each stage, except the last, contains the seeds of its own destruction due to inequality, leading to conflicts and crises.
- Stages are distinguished by their unique mode of production, which comprises forces of production and relations of production.
- In capitalist systems, only some people own/control the means and conditions of production, leading to social inequality and accumulation of wealth in a few hands.
- Accumulation and surplus value in capitalism come from rending control of means and conditions of production from workers, leading to underpayment and specific crises.
- The beginnings of modern capitalism started with primitive accumulation, such as the enclosure and privatization of communal resources during the industrial revolution.
- Capitalist accumulation occurs through maximizing surplus value, which leads to overaccumulation and underconsumption, creating economic crises.
- Capitalism also undervalues environmental conditions necessary for its own propagation, leading to environmental degradation and overextraction of resources.
- The system encourages exploitation of natural resources, leading to significant natural destruction and lower quality inputs, including human inputs.
- Capitalism sees nature as external to society, something that can be commodified for human use, which supports environmental exploitation.
- Marx's theories and the Marxist lens provide a critical perspective on the structures and contradictions of capitalism, especially in relation to environmental exploitation.
Test your knowledge on the strange logic of under-pollution and its implications in political economy. Explore the relationship between market-oriented distribution, efficiency, and environmental impact.
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