Planet Local Voices II - Aseem Shrivastava – An Ecosophical Critique of Modernity

Aseem Shrivastava is an environmental economist, philosopher and a writer. He is the co- author with Ashish Kothari of Churning the Earth: The Making of Global India, and The Grammar of Greed, among others. He taught economics for many years in India and the US and writes extensively on issues associated with globalization. More recently he taught ecosophy, an ecological philosophy grounded in the thought of Raimon Panikkar. He writes regularly for numerous publications, and is currently writing a book bringing Rabindranath Tagore’s spiritual and ecological vision into dialogue with the ecological challenges of 21st century modernity. In this interview for the Planet Local Voices II, Aseem delves into the philosophical roots of our present crises in the rise of modernity which effected an ‘earth alienation’ that ultimately gave rise to colonialism and today’s catastrophic obsession with economic growth and progress. The values of modernity – including individualism, instrumentalism, and mechanization – drive the dominant world system, in which we are all embedded. As a radical alternative, Aseem proposes ‘ecosophy’, an ecological philosophy that rejects the philosophical foundations of modernity and calls instead for us to return to and embrace our home, the Earth. This podcast episode forms part of the Planet Local Voices II series, produced by Local Futures, an international non-profit organisation, dedicated to renewing ecological and social well-being by strengthening communities and local economies. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/20JPzAGCRt8 Follow the Planet Local Voices Series II series: https://www.localfutures.org/programs/planet-local-voices-series-2/ Explore our work: https://www.localfutures.org/ Sign up for our newsletter to never miss an episode — exploring localization as a pathway to ecological balance and community resilience. Sign up here: https://www.localfutures.org/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/