A History of Ecosocialism

Ecosocialism is a perspective traceable to social movements originating in the 1960s within liberal democracies, where it is still mainly confined. A notable exception is in Bolivarian Venezuela, which is briefly discussed. But ecosocialism also grew out of leftist opposition to the specifically neoliberal variants of capitalism prevailing by the late 1970s. Much of the differentiation that has occurred is traceable to ecosocialists’ relative adherence to more centralistic or more de-centralistic positions or principles. At times, the difference is reflected via evaluations of Bolivarian Venezuela and socialist states. The historical processes leading to the formation of ecosocialist groups are described in detail. The main tendencies within ecosocialism are also described, which increasingly involve an affinity with leftist degrowth perspectives.