Capital, Nature, and Class Struggle

Abstract

This chapter considers the role of environmental conflict in the transition from capitalism to communism, conceived as a struggle by the producers and their communities for control over the natural and social conditions of production. Here, just as in Chapter 12, the subject under discussion is not directly addressed by Marx. Although he did incorporate environmental concerns into his projections of communism (see Chapter 14), these concerns are less apparent in his treatments of the transition from capitalism to communism. Nonetheless, I will argue that Marx’s analytical approach to the transition contains important insights for the unification of environmental and class struggles. In order to appreciate these insights, however, it is necessary to avoid reducing Marx’s approach to a one-sidedly industrialist vision. Hence, before addressing the main elements of Marx’s general approach and their relevance for environmental struggles, I discuss the limitations of the more standard industrialist interpretation— an interpretation that does seem to have a strong basis in the writings of Marx and Engels.