Politics of nature : how to bring the sciences into democracy

A significant work by a leading thinker, this text establishes the conceptual framework for political ecology by reimagining ecological terms within a new philosophical context. The author provocatively states that political ecology has no relation to nature, which he views as a construct used to organize political order without proper process. He argues for the dissolution of the traditional divide between nature and society, advocating for a collective that includes both humans and nonhumans, grounded in real scientific practices. Challenging the fact-value distinction, the author critiques the political philosophy that emerges from this division, arguing it undermines democracy and scientific progress. He moves beyond modernist concepts of "mononaturalism" and "multiculturalism" to propose "multinaturalism," a dynamic collective shaped not by absolute expert reasoning but by adaptable "diplomats" open to experimentation. The text explores the complexities of assembling this collective, addressing the challenges of representation and the interplay between humans and nonhumans. It also discusses the need for new powers of representation and the skills required for collective governance. Ultimately, it questions how political ecology can revitalize public life, emphasizing that politics and nature are inseparable, and calls for a reimagined political landscape unbound by traditional constraints.