Ecological Enlightenment [Paperback]

 

 

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Ecological Enlightenment, by Ulrich Beck, posed a series of questions about the way in which people should view their society. This collection of twelve essays focuses and tries to make sense of an idea Beck terms "risk society." Basically, a risk society is a society in which the conflicts are focused on the distribution of "bads," like environmental and technological risk, rather than focused on the distribution of "goods" that are typical of a class society. These "bads" may come in a variety of forms, like a nuclear accident, oil spill, large computer failure, and so on. One great example would be the nuclear accident that occurred in 1986 at the Chernobyl Power Plant in the Ukraine, or former Soviet Union.
Ulrich argues that today's society is moving into a new phase where we offer a much more critical eye to the processes of science and technology and the risks they may bring. No longer do we necessarily trust these principles, mainly due to the previous problems we have faced in traditional industrial societies. A risk society, according to Ulrich, is no longer worried only about their survival but rather much more concerned about human beings' catastrophic influence on the Earth and its entire ecosystem.
I understood the main point in Ecological Enlightenment, but for the most part it was extremely difficult to get through. It seemed to be geared toward an audience that has expert knowledge in environmental problems, sociology, and politics. Just the terminology alone is enough to turn off a person with average knowledge in these disciplines. But Ulrich's basic argument on how we are a risk society remains throughout all of his essays with concrete research and examples.
One of the more interesting topics I found in Ecological Enlightenment was in the essay titled "Science and Security". I read this soon after our discussion in class on who and what a person should believe. Ulrich argues that many controversial topics in science will no longer get one cut and dry answer. Instead, a person may expect to get numerous different answers about one questionable topic. The example in his essay is whether or not formaldehyde is poisonous. You "will get fifteen different answers from, say, five scientists, all the answers garnished with 'yes, but' or 'on the one hand...on the other hand'-if those questioned are thoughtful."
So do I think we are living in a risk society? That's a difficult question to answer and one that I could not give a definite "yes" or "no" to. Ulrich's basic argument of a risk society makes sense to me and I can see examples of this in many modern day situations. People just don't believe that everything is going to be okay and our problems will miraculously be solved anymore. But I must also say that I would be much more enlightened by Ulrich's theory if it were put in more simplistic terms.

Ulrich Beck, a professor at the Institute for Sociology at the Ludwig-Maxillians Univeristy, Munich, discusses environmental and social implications involved with modernity in his book, Ecological Enlightenment: Essays on the Politics of the Risk Society.
Beck begins by defining the term risk society, "an epoch in which the dark sides of progress increasingly come to dominate social and political debates". His overall argument expresses that people are able to recognize the changes in logic that take place in industrialized, modern societies. In the past, industrialized societies were concerned with producing material goods. However, since the end of WW II, the issue has shifted, and now people are worrying about the production of risks. According to Beck, "It is not that industrial societies produce no risks, but rather that the nature of contemporary risks tends to become more visible and worrisome as a more affluent society demands a better quality of life". Previously, in industrialized societies, typically wealthy people with high social economic status were exposed to fewer hazards than the middleclass or poor people. However, the newer risks such as the greenhouse effect, nuclear radiation and biotechnology wastes that people are faced with today, pose as harmful risks to all social groups.
With the creation of chemical, nuclear and genetically modified products, the present era, initiates what Beck calls modern risks. He states that modern risks are results of social decisions that are based on technological/economical advantages, as well as decision-making concerning usage.
Beck also emphasizes the need for scientific expertise when experimenting with modern forms of environmental degradation compared to traditional methods used in the industrial era, due to the increased levels of toxicity. For example, nucleic waste is far more deadly than factory smoke. By presenting an expert's results, the general level of comprehension is increased and the status of professionals in the related field helps determine the level of people with or without knowledge.
Additionally, Beck states that the conflict of the future will no longer be between East and West, or communism or capitalism; it will be stem between two modernities, which will battle over the compatibility of survival and human rights.
This is a very challenging book meant for highly informed readers interested in subjects related to environment sociology. Beck brings up some interesting insights of the types of challenges the world has yet to face.

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