Facing the Planetary

Entangled Humanism and the Politics of Swarming

By: William E. Connolly

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Paperback | 10 February 2017

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Paperback
242 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23 x 16 x 1.5

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In Facing the Planetary William E. Connolly expands his influential work on the politics of pluralization, capitalism, fragility, and secularism to address the complexities of climate change and to complicate notions of the Anthropocene. Focusing on planetary processes-including the ocean conveyor, glacier flows, tectonic plates, and species evolution-he combines a critical understanding of capitalism with an appreciation of how such nonhuman systems periodically change on their own. Drawing upon scientists and intellectuals such as Lynn Margulis, Michael Benton, Alfred North Whitehead, Anna Tsing, Mahatma Gandhi, Wangari Maathai, Pope Francis, Bruno Latour, and Naomi Klein, Connolly focuses on the gap between those regions creating the most climate change and those suffering most from it. He addresses the creative potential of a "politics of swarming" by which people in different regions and social positions coalesce to reshape dominant priorities. He also explores how those displaying spiritual affinities across differences in creed can energize a militant assemblage that is already underway.

Industry Reviews

"... theorists will find plenty to unpack here. Recommended. Graduate students through faculty." -- R. J. Meagher * Choice *
"Connolly's analysis of planetary calamities and proposal for a politics of swarming merit attention. The book effectively integrates a variety of sources, including from political theory, social theory, philosophy, theology, economics, geology, biology and paleontology, and covers a wide range of topics, reinvigorating discussion regarding not only the current ecological problems, but also what can be done given the prospect of a seemingly apocalyptic future." -- Nikhilendu Deb * LSE Review of Books *
"Facing the Planetary is a timely book. It underscores what is daily becoming ever more obvious."
-- David W. Orr * Perspectives on Politics *
"William Connolly aspires to make us see our fragile and beautiful planet from the temporal distance the Anthropocene imposes. He does so by plunging, with intellectual courage, theoretical sophistication, and deeply felt appreciation for the human and nonhuman forces that tie human destines to what he calls 'the planetary.'" -- Nidesh Lawtoo * Postmodern Culture *
"Bill Connolly's Facing the Planetary buzzes with a swarm of innovative concepts, testing both the limits and the creative powers of contemporary political theory to address the fragility of the human condition in the Anthropocene." -- Anatoli Ignatov * Contemporary Political Theory *

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