The Critical Ecofeminism of Alicia Puleo: Weaving the Thread of the «New Ariadna»

Abstract

The reflection upon feminism and the environment has gained relevance in the past decades. Nevertheless, ecofeminism has arisen discredit among several thinkers due to the popularization of versions considered “classic” and essentialist. In this context, Alicia Puleo’s contribution is fundamental because, based on her analysis of Modernity, she has traced the illustrated origins of feminism, of environmental ethics, and of the spread of moral considerations beyond the human scope. If we lacked the work that has been carried out by this philosopher, very little would be known of constructivist ecofeminism in Spanish speaking countries. Having said that, the objective of this article will be to present A. Puleo’s thinking and to make visible her contributions to ecofeminism. This will be accomplished through four sections: the first one explores the forgotten voices of Modernity; the second sets out a reading of Simone de Beavoir from the perspective of critical ecofeminism; the third presents the proposal that A. Puleo has named critical ecofeminism, and finally the fourth examines the main challenges ecofeminism faces regarding environmentalism, ecosocialism and the downturn.

Resumen La reflexión sobre feminismo y medio ambiente ha cobrado mayor relevancia en las últimas décadas. Sin embargo, el ecofeminismo suscita la descalificación de numerosas pensadoras debido a la popularización de las versiones consideradas “clásicas”, de corte esencialista. En este contexto, la aportación de Alicia Puleo es fundamental porque, a partir de sus análisis de la Modernidad, ha rastreado los orígenes ilustrados del feminismo, la ética ecológica y la extensión de las consideraciones morales más allá del ámbito humano. De no ser por el trabajo que ha realizado esta filósofa, se conocería muy poco sobre ecofeminismo constructivista en lengua castellana. Ahora bien, el objetivo de este artículo es presentar el pensamiento de A. Puleo y visibilizar sus aportaciones al ecofeminismo. Lo anterior a través de cuatro apartados: el primero explora las voces olvidadas de la Modernidad; el segundo plantea una lectura de Simone de Beauvoir desde las coordenadas del ecofeminismo; el tercero presenta la propuesta de lo que A. Puleo denomina ecofeminismo crítico y, finalmente, el cuarto examina los principales retos que enfrenta el ecofeminismo ante el ecologismo, el ecosocialismo y el decrecimiento.Palabras clave: Ecofeminismo, Ilustración, ética ecológica, géneroSummaryThe reflection upon feminism and the environment has gained relevance in the past decades. Nevertheless, ecofeminism has arisen discredit among several thinkers due to the popularization of versions considered “classic” and essentialist. In this context, Alicia Puleo’s contribution is fundamental because, based on her analysis of Modernity, she has traced the illustrated origins of feminism, of environmental ethics, and of the spread of moral considerations beyond the human scope. If we lacked the work that has been carried out by this philosopher, very little would be known of constructivist ecofeminism in Spanish speaking countries. Having said that, the objective of this article will be to present A. Puleo’s thinking and to make visible her contributions to ecofeminism. This will be accomplished through four sections: the first one explores the forgotten voices of Modernity; the second sets out a reading of Simone de Beavoir from the perspective of critical ecofeminism; the third presents the proposal that A. Puleo has named critical ecofeminism, and finally the fourth examines the main challenges ecofeminism faces regarding environmentalism, ecosocialism and the downturn.Key terms: Ecofeminism, Illustration, Environmental Ethics, Gender