Ecosocialism and degrowth

Abstract

This chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Degrowth (2025) proposes that a divide between ‘productivist’ and ‘eco’ socialisms existed from the earliest beginnings of the socialist movement. It identifies Henri de Saint-Simon and Charles Fourier as the emblematic figures of the two currents. It surveys key figures and processes in the evolution of ‘proto-ecosocialism’, discussing the writings of Russian and Ukrainian Narodniks, and of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels – including the question of the ‘productivist’ interpretation of their work. The chapter identifies José Carlos Mariátegui and Walter Benjamin as contributors to a creative development of ecosocialist thought, before concluding with an evaluation of the postwar ‘age of ecology’ and the complex relationship between degrowth and ecosocialism.