Hermitix Climate Apocalypticism In and Against the World with Jakub Kowalewski
11 snips
Oct 15, 2025 Jakub Kowalewski, a philosopher and author known for his work on eco-apocalypticism, shares intriguing insights about climate-related fears. He delves into the multiple meanings of apocalypse, reflecting on its historical persistence. Kowalewski outlines three responses to climate apocalypticism, examines secular and religious parallels, and discusses how failed prophecies can resurface. He challenges the idea of systemic change versus capitalism and explores the role of ideology in our apocalyptic narratives, urging a rethinking of meaning and action.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Apocalypse Resists One Definition
- Kowalewski resists a single definition of apocalypse and highlights its many forms and family resemblances.
- He argues defining apocalypse is futile; better to explain why it supports many interpretations.
Apocalypse Functions Like Ideology
- Kowalewski deploys Althusser: apocalypticism functions like ideology mediating subject and world.
- As ideology, apocalypticism paradoxically helps reproduce society by spotlighting threats and prompting corrective action.
Three Faces Of Climate Apocalypse
- He identifies three climate apocalyptic positions: denialist alarmism, localized reformist apocalypse, and radical destruction.
- He claims all three ultimately support the reproduction or continuation of the earth or society.
