MacIntyre and Havel as green political thinkers: Unreasonable thinking in turbulent times

Abstract

Purpose

This chapter explores the ideas of Alasdair MacIntyre and Vaclav Havel and what these two thinkers can contribute to green political theory.

Design/methodology/approach

This chapter includes examination of some of the key works of Havel and MacIntyre and analysis of these works from the point of view of green political theory.

Findings

The section ‘Havel and the Imperative to “Live in Truth”: Dissent and Green Politics’ explores Havel’s thought with a particular emphasis on his ethicised notion of political action and critique (‘living in truth’) and his focus on the centrality of dissent (both intellectually and in practice) as central to political critique and action. The section ‘MacIntyre as a Green Thinker: Vulnerability in Political and Moral Theory’ offers an overview of MacIntyre interpreted as a putative green thinker, with a particular emphasis on his ideas of dependence and vulnerability. The Conclusion attempts to draw some common themes together from both thinkers in terms of what they have to offer contemporary green political thought.

Research limitations/implications

What is presented here is introductory, ground clearing and therefore necessarily suggestive (as well as under-developed). That is, it is the start of a new area of exploration rather than an analysis based on any exhaustive and comprehensive knowledge of both thinkers.

Practical implications

This chapter offers some initial lines of exploration for scholars interested in the overlap between green thinking and the work of Havel and MacIntyre.

Originality/value

This is the first exploration of the connections between the works of Havel and MacIntyre and green political theory.

Citation

Barry, J. (2013), "MacIntyre and Havel as green political thinkers: Unreasonable thinking in turbulent times", Environmental Philosophy: The Art of Life in a World of Limits (Advances in Sustainability and Environmental Justice, Vol. 13), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-5030(2013)0000013005