At the crossroads of critical realism and the ecological materialism of metabolic rift theory: an interview with John Bellamy Foster

This interview with John Bellamy Foster delves into the parallels between critical realism and the ecological materialism of the metabolic rift school, illustrating his key contributions to connecting and advancing both schools of thought. The interview begins by tracing early influences that shaped his academic trajectory, including his family’s role in his socialist upbringing, his interdisciplinary educational background, and his active participation in political struggles. The conversation then moves on to explore his engagement with the theory of monopoly capitalism, labour environmentalism, and Marx’s theory of the metabolic rift, with particular attention to the role of critical realism in these intellectual pursuits. The final section of the interview examines dialectical critiques of various intellectual traditions, including post-humanism, reactionary variants of spiritualism, as well as certain realist and ecosocialist approaches. Foster concludes by offering insights into underexplored areas in dialectical approaches to human-nature relations, as well as sharing his future plans.