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...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Andrea Righi
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