Future Histories   /     S03E32 - Jacob Blumenfeld on Climate Barbarism and Managing Decline

Description

Jacob Blumenfeld discusses the concept of “managing decline”, the subject of fossil capitalism and the implications of transitioning away from it. --- Info on Creative Construction Book Launch: Date: March 4th, 19h Location: aquarium am Südblock Skalitzer Str. 6 10999 Berlin Deutschland About the book: Groos, J. & Sorg, C. (2025). Creative Construction - Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond. Bristol University Press. [for a review copy, please contact: amber.lanfranchi[at]bristol.ac.uk] https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction   If you are interested in democratic economic planning, these resources might be of help: Democratic planning – an information website https://www.democratic-planning.com/ Sorg, C. & Groos, J. (eds.)(2025). Rethinking Economic Planning. Competition & Change Special Issue Volume 29 Issue 1. https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ccha/29/1 International Network for Democratic Economic Planning https://www.indep.network/ Democratic Planning Research Platform: https://www.planningresearch.net/   --- Shownotes The Centre for Social Critique at the Humboldt University Berlin: https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/ Blumenfeld, J. (2022). Climate barbarism: Adapting to a wrong world. Constellations, 30(2), 162–178. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8675.12596 Blumenfeld, J. (2023) What was socialization. A look back. https://sfb294-eigentum.de/en/blog/what-was-socialization-a-look-back/ Blumenfeld, J. (2024a). Managing Decline. Cured Quail, Vol. 3. https://curedquail.com/Managing-Decline Blumenfeld, J. (2024b). The Concept of Property in Kant, Fichte, and Hegel. Freedom, Right, and Recognition. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/The-Concept-of-Property-in-Kant-Fichte-and-Hegel-Freedom-Right-and-Recognition/Blumenfeld/p/book/9781032575186 Blumenfeld, J. (2024c). Socialising Nature. https://www.break-down.org/post/socialising-nature Blumenfeld, J. (2024d). Welcome to the Anderscene. Brooklyn Rail. https://brooklynrail.org/2024/07/field-notes/Welcome-to-the-Anderscene/ Angebauer, N., Blumenfeld, J., & Wesche, T. (2025). Umkämpftes Eigentum: Eine gesellschaftstheoretische Debatte. Suhrkamp. https://www.suhrkamp.de/buch/umkaempftes-eigentum-t-9783518300503 Jacob contributed to this soon to be published book: Forstenhäusler, Robin, et al. (Eds.). (2025). Klima und Gesellschaftskritik. Verbrecher Verlag. https://www.verbrecherverlag.de/shop/klimawandel-und-gesellschaftskritik/ Buck, H. J. (2021). Ending Fossil Fuels: Why Net Zero is Not Enough. Verso Books. https://www.versobooks.com/products/2735-ending-fossil-fuels on the productive forces turning into destructive forces see: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/german-ideology/ch01d.htm Staab, P. (2022). Anpassung. Leitmotiv der nächsten Gesellschaft. Suhrkamp. https://www.suhrkamp.de/buch/philipp-staab-anpassung-t-9783518127797 Felli, R. (2021). The Great Adaptation: Climate, Capitalism and Catastrophe. Verso Books. https://www.versobooks.com/products/841-the-great-adaptation Malm, A., & Carton, W. (2024). Overshoot: How the World Surrendered to Climate Breakdown. Verso Books. https://www.versobooks.com/products/3131-overshoot on the „Promethean Gap“: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promethean_gap on Otto Neurath: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Neurath on Freud’s concept of the “Reality Principle”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_principle Marcuse, H. (1955) Eros and Civilization. A Philosophical Inquiry into Freud. Beacon Press. https://archive.org/details/HerbertMarcuseErosandCivilization on Vaclav Smil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaclav_Smil on the Yellow Wests Protests (also “Gilets Jaunes”): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_vests_protests Mann, G., & Wainwright, J. (2018). Climate Leviathan: A Political Theory of Our Planetary Future. Verso Books. https://www.versobooks.com/products/520-climate-leviathan Moore, S., & Roberts, A. (2022). The Rise of Ecofascism: Climate Change and the Far Right. Polity Books. https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=the-rise-of-ecofascism-climate-change-and-the-far-right--9781509545377 on Marxist crisis theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_theory Markley, S. (2023) The Deluge. Simon & Schuster. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Deluge/Stephen-Markley/9781982123109   Future Histories Episodes on Related Topics S03E23 | Andreas Malm on Overshooting into Climate Breakdown https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e23-andreas-malm-on-overshooting-into-climate-breakdown/ S03E30 | Matt Huber & Kohei Saito on Growth, Progress and Left Imaginaries https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e30-matt-huber-kohei-saito-on-growth-progress-and-left-imaginaries/ S03E03 | Planning for Entropy on Sociometabolic Planning https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e03-planning-for-entropy-on-sociometabolic-planning/ S02E55 | Kohei Saito on Degrowth Communism https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e55-kohei-saito-on-degrowth-communism/ S02E47 | Matt Huber on Building Socialism, Climate Change & Class War https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e47-matt-huber-on-building-socialism-climate-change-class-war/ S02E27 | Nick Dyer-Witheford on Biocommunism https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e27-nick-dyer-witheford-on-biocommunism/ S02E18 | Drew Pendergrass and Troy Vettese on Half Earth Socialism https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e18-drew-pendergrass-and-troy-vettese-on-half-earth-socialism/   Future Histories Contact & Support If you like Future Histories, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/FutureHistories Contact: office@futurehistories.today Twitter: https://twitter.com/FutureHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehpodcast/ Mastodon: https://mstdn.social/@FutureHistories English webpage: https://futurehistories-international.com   Episode Keywords  #JacobBlumenfeld, #Podcast, #JanGroos, #Interview, #FutureHistories, #futurehistoriesinternational, #FutureHistoriesInternational, #Degrowth, #Socialism, #Capitalism, #GreenNewDeal, #ClimateJustice, #PoliticalEconomy, #ClimateCrisis, #FossilCapitalism, #EcoSocialism, #Marx, #DemocraticEconomicPlanning, #Market, #Adaption, #Mitigation, #AndreasMalm, #Marcuse, #Freud, #DemocraticPlanning, #PostCapitalism, #ClimatePolitics, #RadicalEcology, #JustTransition, #Prometheanism

Summary

Jacob Blumenfeld discusses the concept of “managing decline”, the subject of fossil capitalism and the implications of transitioning away from it.

Subtitle
Duration
01:33:38
Publishing date
2025-02-16 03:00
Link
https://futurehistories.podbean.com/e/s03e32-jacob-blumenfeld-on-managing-decline/
Contributors
  Jan Groos
author  
Enclosures
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/je2fhmhpifby5cqa/future_histories_s03e32_jacob_blumenfeld.mp3
audio/mpeg

Shownotes

Jacob Blumenfeld discusses the concept of “managing decline”, the subject of fossil capitalism and the implications of transitioning away from it.


---

Info on Creative Construction Book Launch:

Date: March 4th, 19h
Location: aquarium am SĂĽdblock
Skalitzer Str. 6
10999 Berlin
Deutschland

About the book:

Groos, J. & Sorg, C. (2025). Creative Construction - Democratic Planning in the 21st Century and Beyond. Bristol University Press. [for a review copy, please contact: amber.lanfranchi[at]bristol.ac.uk]

https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/creative-construction

 

If you are interested in democratic economic planning, these resources might be of help:


Democratic planning – an information website

https://www.democratic-planning.com/


Sorg, C. & Groos, J. (eds.)(2025). Rethinking Economic Planning. Competition & Change Special Issue Volume 29 Issue 1.

https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/ccha/29/1


International Network for Democratic Economic Planning

https://www.indep.network/


Democratic Planning Research Platform:

https://www.planningresearch.net/

 

---


Shownotes


The Centre for Social Critique at the Humboldt University Berlin:

https://criticaltheoryinberlin.de/


Blumenfeld, J. (2022). Climate barbarism: Adapting to a wrong world. Constellations, 30(2), 162–178.

https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8675.12596


Blumenfeld, J. (2023) What was socialization. A look back.

https://sfb294-eigentum.de/en/blog/what-was-socialization-a-look-back/


Blumenfeld, J. (2024a). Managing Decline. Cured Quail, Vol. 3.

https://curedquail.com/Managing-Decline


Blumenfeld, J. (2024b). The Concept of Property in Kant, Fichte, and Hegel. Freedom, Right, and Recognition. Routledge.

https://www.routledge.com/The-Concept-of-Property-in-Kant-Fichte-and-Hegel-Freedom-Right-and-Recognition/Blumenfeld/p/book/9781032575186


Blumenfeld, J. (2024c). Socialising Nature.

https://www.break-down.org/post/socialising-nature


Blumenfeld, J. (2024d). Welcome to the Anderscene. Brooklyn Rail.

https://brooklynrail.org/2024/07/field-notes/Welcome-to-the-Anderscene/


Angebauer, N., Blumenfeld, J., & Wesche, T. (2025). Umkämpftes Eigentum: Eine gesellschaftstheoretische Debatte. Suhrkamp.

https://www.suhrkamp.de/buch/umkaempftes-eigentum-t-9783518300503


Jacob contributed to this soon to be published book:
Forstenhäusler, Robin, et al. (Eds.). (2025). Klima und Gesellschaftskritik. Verbrecher Verlag.

https://www.verbrecherverlag.de/shop/klimawandel-und-gesellschaftskritik/


Buck, H. J. (2021). Ending Fossil Fuels: Why Net Zero is Not Enough. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/2735-ending-fossil-fuels


on the productive forces turning into destructive forces see:

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/german-ideology/ch01d.htm


Staab, P. (2022). Anpassung. Leitmotiv der nächsten Gesellschaft. Suhrkamp.

https://www.suhrkamp.de/buch/philipp-staab-anpassung-t-9783518127797


Felli, R. (2021). The Great Adaptation: Climate, Capitalism and Catastrophe. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/841-the-great-adaptation


Malm, A., & Carton, W. (2024). Overshoot: How the World Surrendered to Climate Breakdown. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/3131-overshoot


on the „Promethean Gap“:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promethean_gap


on Otto Neurath:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Neurath


on Freud’s concept of the “Reality Principle”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_principle


Marcuse, H. (1955) Eros and Civilization. A Philosophical Inquiry into Freud. Beacon Press.

https://archive.org/details/HerbertMarcuseErosandCivilization


on Vaclav Smil:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaclav_Smil


on the Yellow Wests Protests (also “Gilets Jaunes”):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_vests_protests


Mann, G., & Wainwright, J. (2018). Climate Leviathan: A Political Theory of Our Planetary Future. Verso Books.

https://www.versobooks.com/products/520-climate-leviathan


Moore, S., & Roberts, A. (2022). The Rise of Ecofascism: Climate Change and the Far Right. Polity Books.

https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=the-rise-of-ecofascism-climate-change-and-the-far-right--9781509545377


on Marxist crisis theory:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_theory


Markley, S. (2023) The Deluge. Simon & Schuster.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Deluge/Stephen-Markley/9781982123109

 


Future Histories Episodes on Related Topics


S03E23 | Andreas Malm on Overshooting into Climate Breakdown

https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e23-andreas-malm-on-overshooting-into-climate-breakdown/


S03E30 | Matt Huber & Kohei Saito on Growth, Progress and Left Imaginaries

https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e30-matt-huber-kohei-saito-on-growth-progress-and-left-imaginaries/


S03E03 | Planning for Entropy on Sociometabolic Planning

https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s03/e03-planning-for-entropy-on-sociometabolic-planning/


S02E55 | Kohei Saito on Degrowth Communism

https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e55-kohei-saito-on-degrowth-communism/


S02E47 | Matt Huber on Building Socialism, Climate Change & Class War

https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e47-matt-huber-on-building-socialism-climate-change-class-war/


S02E27 | Nick Dyer-Witheford on Biocommunism

https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e27-nick-dyer-witheford-on-biocommunism/


S02E18 | Drew Pendergrass and Troy Vettese on Half Earth Socialism

https://www.futurehistories.today/episoden-blog/s02/e18-drew-pendergrass-and-troy-vettese-on-half-earth-socialism/

 


Future Histories Contact & Support


If you like Future Histories, please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/join/FutureHistories

Contact: office@futurehistories.today

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FutureHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehpodcast/

Mastodon: https://mstdn.social/@FutureHistories

English webpage:

https://futurehistories-international.com

 

Episode Keywords

 #JacobBlumenfeld, #Podcast, #JanGroos, #Interview, #FutureHistories, #futurehistoriesinternational, #FutureHistoriesInternational, #Degrowth, #Socialism, #Capitalism, #GreenNewDeal, #ClimateJustice, #PoliticalEconomy, #ClimateCrisis, #FossilCapitalism, #EcoSocialism, #Marx, #DemocraticEconomicPlanning, #Market, #Adaption, #Mitigation, #AndreasMalm, #Marcuse, #Freud, #DemocraticPlanning, #PostCapitalism, #ClimatePolitics, #RadicalEcology, #JustTransition, #Prometheanism