On Pepper's Eco-socialism

Since the 1960s, the global ecological problems have become more and more serious, and then a new trend of thought ---eco-socialism has arisen. David Pepper is one of the most important representative figures of eco-socialism after 1990s. Facing the increasingly serious ecological crisis, Pepper utilizes the method of Marxism to analyze and solve ecological issues. By combining socialism with ecology, Pepper works out the blueprint of eco-socialism. This paper will elaborate Pepper's theory of eco-socialism in four parts.The first part deals with the significance of this research, namely the enlightenment that Pepper's theory of eco-socialism brings to our research on ecological issues, the analysis of current research on Pepper's theory of eco-socialism home and abroad and the framework of this paper.The second part firstly analyses the change of Pepper's research interests. Pepper initially focused on geography and later he turned to eco-socialism studies along with his gradual penetration into ecological problems. This part secondly introduces the formation background of Pepper's theory of eco-socialism. The increasingly grim western environment problems, which cause the attention of western academic world, the ever-increasing pubic awareness of environmental protection and western academia's application of Marxism in analyzing environmental problems, have facilitated the formation of Pepper's eco-socialism.The third part elucidates the main content of Pepper's theory of eco-socialism. By using Marxism to analyze the root of ecological crisis, Pepper points out that capitalist mode of production is its root; by criticizing the eco-centrism, Pepper points out eco-socialism should follow the rules of Anthropocentrism. Besides, Pepper formulates the strategy of radical social reform and finally points out that eco-utopia should be watched out and draws the blueprint of future eco-socialism society.The fourth part mainly comments on Pepper's theory of eco-socialism. Pepper's eco-socialism is a development of ecological Marxism. Though tinted with strong idealism, his theory nevertheless provides a unique perspective and research method for our understanding of ecological problems.