Ecosophy

Ecosophy is a non-standard term coined by psychoanalyst and militant Felix Guattari in 1992 as a response to perceived shortcomings in the science of ecology.

Guattari holds that ecology generally obscures the complexity of the relationship between humans and their environment; he envisions ecosophy as a new field with a more holistic approach to such study. In this conception, he considers ecosophy as a science of ecosystems, of which he claims there are mental ecosystems, environmental ecosystems, and social ecosystems; that is, human subjectivity, the environment, and social relations, all of which are intimately interconnected.

He writes:

"Without modifications to the social and material environment, there can be no change in mentalities. Here, we are in the presence of a circle that leads me to postulate the necessity of founding an "ecosophy" that would link environmental ecology to social ecology and to mental ecology."

Guattari, Félix (2000) The Three Ecologies. Trans. Ian Pindar & Paul Sutton, London & New Brunwick, NJ: The Athlone Press.