The Forum - Psychoanalysts in Dialogue | Why Is Our Planet In Crisis?

Our planetary life support systems are in deep crisis, most prominently with the climate crisis, whose devastating impact is growing year on year. Deeper reasons why it has come this far, despite the dangers being publicly recognised for half a century, are manifold: psychological, sociological, economic, political.

Two important new books explore these reasons: “Psychological Roots of the Climate Crisis: Neoliberal Exceptionalism and the Culture of Uncare” by Sally Weintrobe (Bloomsbury) and “How Women Can Save the Planet” by Anne Karpf (Hurst).

As Sally Weintrobe argues, a “culture of uncare” has developed, driven by a widespread Exceptionalism that overrides caring, whether for others or for the planet. Anne Karpf points at an important gender divide, in that worldwide women have done much less to cause the crisis yet are suffering most from it. Addressing the climate crisis needs to touch on fundamental questions of how we live together and it cannot be achieved without our capacity to care more firmly in the driving seat.

Sally Weintrobe, psychoanalyst and author who has written and talked on climate change and its roots, and Anne Karpf, sociologist, journalist and author, will be in dialogue about their books and about the psychological and sociological reasons for climate change and what needs to change on a deeper level. The dialogue will be chaired by the psychoanalyst Trudy McGuinness.

Please note: These dialogues will be held on Zoom and will also be available for the following 48 hours to all registered participants. This is to allow for international attendees to enjoy the event at a more appropriate time in their time zone. After this time, the recording will no longer be available. 

Registration for this event will close an hour before the live event begins.

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