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Abstract

A strong showing for the Greens was the only bright note in the otherwise dismal Australian
federal elections of 2001. While the Greens have been able to take advantage of growing
public cynicism towards prevailing political practices and discourses, they must also be wary
of the same tide of cynicism and seek to build forms of political practice that are both more
inclusive and more inspiring. While green political theorists are doing important work on
critically reviewing the traditions and institutions of liberal democracies, this paper joins with
philosophers such as ValPlumwood (2002) in calling for a more deep-seated cultural
renaissance of ecological reason within green political thought. In particular, it suggests a
need to adopt a broader conception of 'reason' and a much better understanding of the art of
rhetorical political discourse, and it urges greens to celebrate the 'wisdom' of lived experience
while working on the neglected skills of eloquence that might enable us to give voice to our
experiences of a 'more-than-human' world. It seeks to counterpose a 'poetic politics' to the
increasingly discredited 'pragmatic politics' and suggests some projects that might give
expression to the form of political practice that the authors adovcate.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Davison, A and Mulligan, M
Journal or Publication Title:	Ecopolitics: Thought and Action
ISSN:	1445-1840
Item Statistics:	View statistics for this item

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