Uexküll’s Surroundings: Umwelt Theory and Right-Wing Thought

Florian Sprenger, Michael Thomas Taylor, Wayne Yung, and Gottfried Schnödl
meson press
2022-03-23

With its diversity of possible Umwelten or environments for living things, Jakob von Uexküll’s Umwelt theory has been hailed by many readers as the first step toward an innovative, pluralistic conception of nonhuman life. But what is generally ignored is its structural conservatism, its identitarian logic in which everything should remain in its place and nothing should mix, and its proximity to Nazi ideology and politics. By turning the spotlight on these neglected aspects, Uexküll’s Surroundings opens up a new perspective on Uexküll’s Umwelt theory.

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Keywords

  • Racism
  • Media studies
  • Racism and racial discrimination
  • Ecological science, the Biosphere
  • Social and political philosophy
  • Environmentalist thought and ideology
  • P87-96
  • Ecology
  • Uexküll
  • Umwelt Theory
  • Far-right political ideologies and movements
  • Philosophy of science
  • Nazism
  • New Right

Uexküll’s Surroundings: Umwelt Theory and Right-Wing Thought

Florian Sprenger, Michael Thomas Taylor, Wayne Yung, and Gottfried Schnödl

meson press

2022-03-23

CC BY-SA

With its diversity of possible Umwelten or environments for living things, Jakob von Uexküll’s Umwelt theory has been hailed by many readers as the first step toward an innovative, pluralistic conception of nonhuman life. But what is generally ignored is its structural conservatism, its identitarian logic in which everything should remain in its place and nothing should mix, and its proximity to Nazi ideology and politics. By turning the spotlight on these neglected aspects, Uexküll’s Surroundings opens up a new perspective on Uexküll’s Umwelt theory.

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Included in Packages

Topics

  • Racism
  • Media studies
  • Racism and racial discrimination
  • Ecological science, the Biosphere
  • Social and political philosophy
  • Environmentalist thought and ideology
  • P87-96
  • Ecology
  • Uexküll
  • Umwelt Theory
  • Far-right political ideologies and movements
  • Philosophy of science
  • Nazism
  • New Right