ABSTRACT
In this chapter we analyze development theory as a conduit for capitalist development, the central problem under consideration. It is argued that development theory is an integral component of capitalist development. Neoextractivism as a development theory is a conjunctural phenomenon that becomes manifest at different historical periods in the evolution of capitalism. It is reflective of conditions that emerge in periods of crisis and reform in global capitalism. Resource extraction is a historical process necessary for human survival but capitalism has converted it into a profit-making exercise to benefit individuals who have made themselves owners of nature. Resource extraction for profit is best understood by analyzing the concrete historical conditions that give rise to it under mercantile capitalism and caused it to progress through time to its current neoliberal form, characterized as post-neoextractivism or neoextractivism.
