ABSTRACT
In this chapter I begin by looking at socialism, focusing on its nineteenth- and twentieth-century variants, taking the Paris Commune of 1871 as an instance of the former, and the Russian Revolution of 1917 as an example of the latter. In addition to the achievements of each, I address Stalinism with respect to the Soviet Union, as well as the Soviet Union and ecology. I go on to address socialism of the twenty-first century, arguing that ecosocialism is the only credible solution to the threat of impending ecological disaster, and that socialists should change the nomenclature ‘socialism’ to ‘ecosocialism’, instead. I draw on the work of Michael Löwy, Leigh Brownhill and Terisa Turner and others in promoting the necessity of a ‘great transition initiative’ towards ecosocialism, one that is also ecofeminist, and inclusive of diverse women in all continents. I conclude with a brief look at cultural change, before posing the question as to whether we have arrived at a Gramscian ‘moment’. By challenging the public pedagogies of the pro-capitalist lobby and appropriating for ecosocialism, the vast and very real potential gains that are heralded by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ecosocialists can confidently make the case that lasting equality for humankind is becoming increasingly possible and achievable.
