While the impacts of climate change become increasingly severe,
efforts to prevent them suffer one blow after the other, as seen in
the rise of far-right populist parties in Western democracies. Why
does denialism thrive when blatantly contradicted by the realities
before our very eyes, be it wild-fires, floods, drought, and melting
glaciers? Should we abandon the assumption that the more solid the
knowledge about climate change, the more eager will ordinary people as
well as political leaders be to take action? This book sets out to
explain the contradiction witnessed between knowledge and action.
Inspired by Clive Hamilton’s claim that “denial is due to a
surplus of culture rather than a deficit of information”, the book
critiques the focus on “cognitive disso-nance” in individual
agents advocated by climate psychology as well as the individualistic
bias in liberal political theory. To get out of the current
theoretical as well as political impasse, the author suggests three
moves are necessary: from knowledge to first-hand experience, and so
to feelings; from the tension within the individual to the social
organization of denial; and from the obsession with personal
responsibility – nowadays in the guise of building resilience – to
exposing the complicity of the culture of neoliberalism in the
intimately intertwined crisis of politics and the climate alike. A
highly timely and sharp analysis of the roots of inaction and denial
and possible strategies for resistance, the book will appeal to
scholars and upper-level students with interests in social, political,
and environmental philosophy and psychology; political theory; and
environmental studies.
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Resilience, Resistance, and Denial
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781040436899
Publisert
2025
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Taylor & Francis
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter