Ecological Emotions

Ecological Emotions

Understanding Life at the End of Times

von Ondřej Beran

In this book, Ondřej Beran explores the various emotions that arise in response to the perceived and observed climate crisis.  He provides a focused philosophical overview of ecological emotions (mostly negative ones, such as grief)  and reflects on some of their characteristics. He also addresses the nature of their interconnection, and their status as potentially lucid and justified recognitions of a compromised value. In general, Beran’s interest is in thinking of these emotions as peculiar forms of understanding, and in exploring what these forms of understanding show us about living in a world that we see as seriously damaged or under serious risk. He argues that these forms of understanding are cultivated and expressed in various ways and can take very diverse, even idiosyncratic shapes. Ultimately, he highlights the important role played by the reflective distance in many of our emotional responses to the climate crisis, as they also incorporate and shape how we understand our individual lives. Special attention is paid here to “light-heartedly pessimistic” takes on one life, in relation to the climate crisis, and to a critical reflection of the problematic aspects of this reflection, especially its enabling conditions (which would represent natural openings for further discussions, whether post-colonial, Marxist, feminist, or general political critiques).

The book is, methodologically, seated primarily in the tradition of post-Wittgensteinian philosophy (ethics), building upon previous theoretical work on examples in philosophy. But it relies on other resources as well: cognitivist approaches to emotion (Solomon, Nussbaum, Rorty), existential phenomenology (Ratcliffe), or Adornoian dialectics.

In this book, Ondřej Beran explores the various emotions that arise in response to the perceived and observed climate crisis.  He provides a focused philosophical overview of ecological emotions (mostly negative ones, such as grief)  and reflects on some of their characteristics. He also addresses the nature of their interconnection, and their status as potentially lucid and justified recognitions of a compromised value. In general, Beran’s interest is in thinking of these emotions as peculiar forms of understanding, and in exploring what these forms of understanding show us about living in a world that we see as seriously damaged or under serious risk. He argues that these forms of understanding are cultivated and expressed in various ways and can take very diverse, even idiosyncratic shapes. Ultimately, he highlights the important role played by the reflective distance in many of our emotional responses to the climate crisis, as they also incorporate and shape how we understand our individual lives. Special attention is paid here to “light-heartedly pessimistic” takes on one life, in relation to the climate crisis, and to a critical reflection of the problematic aspects of this reflection, especially its enabling conditions (which would represent natural openings for further discussions, whether post-colonial, Marxist, feminist, or general political critiques).

The book is, methodologically, seated primarily in the tradition of post-Wittgensteinian philosophy (ethics), building upon previous theoretical work on examples in philosophy. But it relies on other resources as well: cognitivist approaches to emotion (Solomon, Nussbaum, Rorty), existential phenomenology (Ratcliffe), or Adornoian dialectics.

Ondřej Beran
is a Docent (Associate Professor) in Philosophy and one of the Heads of Research at the Centre for Ethics at the University of Pardubice. His recent major works include

The Philosophy of Environmental Emotions
(co-edited with L. Candiotto, N. Forsberg, A. Fredriksson and D. Rozen, 2024),

Examples and Their Role in Our Thinking
(2021), and

Ethical Inquiries after Wittgenstein
(co-edited with S. Aldrin Salskov and N. Hämäläinen, 2022).

Highlights

• Presents the first philosophical exploration of ecological emotions Contributes to the phenomenology of what it is like to be aware of grave facts and not act upon them Shows that the environmental and climate crisis is a uniquely compelling case of how new emotional formations emerge

Über den Autor

Ondřej Beran
is a Docent (Associate Professor) in Philosophy and one of the Heads of Research at the Centre for Ethics at the University of Pardubice. His recent major works include

The Philosophy of Environmental Emotions
(co-edited with L. Candiotto, N. Forsberg, A. Fredriksson and D. Rozen, 2024),

Examples and Their Role in Our Thinking
(2021), and

Ethical Inquiries after Wittgenstein
(co-edited with S. Aldrin Salskov and N. Hämäläinen, 2022).