The Currency of the Anthropocene. Dismantling the Theological Presupposition of Neoliberalism in Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future
This essay analyzes Kim Stanley Robinson’s latest Sci-fi novel, The Ministry for the Future (2020), by focusing on key narrative elements developed in the text that offer solutions to our current climate crisis. Although fictional, these ideas are theoretically relevant because they challenge the cu...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
University of Bologna
2023-04-01
|
Series: | European Journal of Creative Practices in Cities and Landscapes |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://cpcl.unibo.it/article/view/15217 |
_version_ | 1827964575630229504 |
---|---|
author | Andrea Righi |
author_facet | Andrea Righi |
author_sort | Andrea Righi |
collection | DOAJ |
description | This essay analyzes Kim Stanley Robinson’s latest Sci-fi novel, The Ministry for the Future (2020), by focusing on key narrative elements developed in the text that offer solutions to our current climate crisis. Although fictional, these ideas are theoretically relevant because they challenge the current symbolic system of neoliberalism based on a sacrificial economy and a notion of transcendence that demands the infinite accumulation of surplus value. In particular, I examine the import of Robinson’s argument regarding the need for political representation of future generations through the creation of an ad hoc intragovernmental branch (the above-mentioned Ministry of the title of his novel) and a new understanding of value based on the concept of the Carbon Coin reward system. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:18:40Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-bc96197a4c22408586876fc2e624aa94 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2612-0496 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:18:40Z |
publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
publisher | University of Bologna |
record_format | Article |
series | European Journal of Creative Practices in Cities and Landscapes |
spelling | doaj.art-bc96197a4c22408586876fc2e624aa942023-04-19T07:42:04ZengUniversity of BolognaEuropean Journal of Creative Practices in Cities and Landscapes2612-04962023-04-0152617710.6092/issn.2612-0496/1521713550The Currency of the Anthropocene. Dismantling the Theological Presupposition of Neoliberalism in Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the FutureAndrea Righi0Miami University of OhioThis essay analyzes Kim Stanley Robinson’s latest Sci-fi novel, The Ministry for the Future (2020), by focusing on key narrative elements developed in the text that offer solutions to our current climate crisis. Although fictional, these ideas are theoretically relevant because they challenge the current symbolic system of neoliberalism based on a sacrificial economy and a notion of transcendence that demands the infinite accumulation of surplus value. In particular, I examine the import of Robinson’s argument regarding the need for political representation of future generations through the creation of an ad hoc intragovernmental branch (the above-mentioned Ministry of the title of his novel) and a new understanding of value based on the concept of the Carbon Coin reward system.https://cpcl.unibo.it/article/view/15217anthropocenecarbon cointranscendenceneoliberalismalterity |
spellingShingle | Andrea Righi The Currency of the Anthropocene. Dismantling the Theological Presupposition of Neoliberalism in Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future European Journal of Creative Practices in Cities and Landscapes anthropocene carbon coin transcendence neoliberalism alterity |
title | The Currency of the Anthropocene. Dismantling the Theological Presupposition of Neoliberalism in Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future |
title_full | The Currency of the Anthropocene. Dismantling the Theological Presupposition of Neoliberalism in Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future |
title_fullStr | The Currency of the Anthropocene. Dismantling the Theological Presupposition of Neoliberalism in Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future |
title_full_unstemmed | The Currency of the Anthropocene. Dismantling the Theological Presupposition of Neoliberalism in Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future |
title_short | The Currency of the Anthropocene. Dismantling the Theological Presupposition of Neoliberalism in Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future |
title_sort | currency of the anthropocene dismantling the theological presupposition of neoliberalism in kim stanley robinson s the ministry for the future |
topic | anthropocene carbon coin transcendence neoliberalism alterity |
url | https://cpcl.unibo.it/article/view/15217 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT andrearighi thecurrencyoftheanthropocenedismantlingthetheologicalpresuppositionofneoliberalisminkimstanleyrobinsonstheministryforthefuture AT andrearighi currencyoftheanthropocenedismantlingthetheologicalpresuppositionofneoliberalisminkimstanleyrobinsonstheministryforthefuture |