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Navigating the Polycrisis: Mapping the Futures of Capitalism and the Earth
An innovative work of realism and utopianism that analyzes the possible futures of the world-system and helps us imagine how we might transition beyond capitalism.
The world-system of which we are all a part faces multiple climate change and mass extinction, the economic and existential threat of AI, the chilling rise of far-right populism, and the invasion of Ukraine, to name only a few. In Navigating the Polycrisis , Michael Albert seeks to illuminate how the “planetary polycrisis” will disrupt the global community in the coming decades and how we can best meet these challenges. Albert argues that we must devote more attention to the study of possible futures and adopt transdisciplinary approaches to do so. To provide a new form of critical futures analysis, he offers a theoretical framework—planetary systems thinking—that is informed by complexity theory, world-systems theory, and ecological Marxism.
Navigating the Polycrisis builds on existing work on climate futures and the futures of capitalism and makes three main contributions. First, the book brings together modeling projections with critical social theory in a more systematic way than has been done so far. Second, the book shows that in order to grasp the complexity of the planetary polycrisis, we must analyze the convergence of crises encompassing the climate emergency, the structural crisis of global capitalism, net energy decline, food system disruption, pandemic risk, far-right populism, and emerging technological risks (e.g. in the domains of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and nuclear weapons). And third, the book contributes to existing work on postcapitalist futures by analyzing the processes and mechanisms through which egalitarian transitions beyond capitalism might occur.
A much-needed work of global futures studies, Navigating the Polycrisis brings together the rigor of the natural and social sciences and speculative imagination informed by science fiction to forge pathways to our possible global future.
The world-system of which we are all a part faces multiple climate change and mass extinction, the economic and existential threat of AI, the chilling rise of far-right populism, and the invasion of Ukraine, to name only a few. In Navigating the Polycrisis , Michael Albert seeks to illuminate how the “planetary polycrisis” will disrupt the global community in the coming decades and how we can best meet these challenges. Albert argues that we must devote more attention to the study of possible futures and adopt transdisciplinary approaches to do so. To provide a new form of critical futures analysis, he offers a theoretical framework—planetary systems thinking—that is informed by complexity theory, world-systems theory, and ecological Marxism.
Navigating the Polycrisis builds on existing work on climate futures and the futures of capitalism and makes three main contributions. First, the book brings together modeling projections with critical social theory in a more systematic way than has been done so far. Second, the book shows that in order to grasp the complexity of the planetary polycrisis, we must analyze the convergence of crises encompassing the climate emergency, the structural crisis of global capitalism, net energy decline, food system disruption, pandemic risk, far-right populism, and emerging technological risks (e.g. in the domains of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and nuclear weapons). And third, the book contributes to existing work on postcapitalist futures by analyzing the processes and mechanisms through which egalitarian transitions beyond capitalism might occur.
A much-needed work of global futures studies, Navigating the Polycrisis brings together the rigor of the natural and social sciences and speculative imagination informed by science fiction to forge pathways to our possible global future.
312 pages, Paperback
Published April 23, 2024
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June 25, 2025
A timely and innovative approach to understanding and addressing the interconnected global crises of our era. The core of Albert's contribution lies in his robust and transdisciplinary methodology, which he terms "planetary systems thinking." This framework is designed to move beyond siloed analyses of individual crises (e.g., climate change, economic instability, geopolitical tensions, technological disruption, far-right populism) and instead examine their complex, mutually reinforcing interactions as a "planetary polycrisis."
Albert's methodology draws heavily on three key theoretical traditions: complexity theory, world-systems theory, and ecological Marxism. From complexity theory, he adopts the understanding that global systems are nonlinear, adaptive, and prone to emergent behaviors, meaning that the sum of interacting crises is far greater and more unpredictable than their individual parts. This informs his focus on feedback loops, tipping points, and the potential for cascading failures within the world-system.
World-systems theory, particularly its neo-Gramscian interpretation, provides the structural lens through which Albert analyzes global capitalism. He views the polycrisis not as a series of isolated unfortunate events, but as symptomatic of the inherent contradictions and dynamics of the capitalist world-system. This allows him to investigate how dominant hegemonic projects and power structures exacerbate crises and constrain potential solutions, while also identifying avenues for counter-hegemonic struggles.
Ecological Marxism, in turn, underpins his analysis of the metabolic rift between humanity and nature, emphasizing how capitalism's relentless drive for accumulation and growth drives ecological degradation, resource depletion, and climate change. Albert systematically analyzes the "socioecological problematic" by linking climate change, energy supply, and food system disruptions to the underlying logic of global capitalism.
Crucially, Albert's methodology is not merely diagnostic; it is explicitly geared towards critical futures analysis and the identification of plausible pathways beyond capitalism. He is less concerned with precise predictions and more with illuminating a "possibility space" of future trajectories. To achieve this, he integrates quantitative modeling projections with qualitative social theory and speculative imagination. This synthetic approach allows him to build a "cartography of the future," outlining various scenarios ranging from dystopian breakdowns (e.g., neofeudalism, volatile technoleviathan) to more desirable, ecosocialist transformations.
His approach to scenario building is characterized by identifying "nodal points" or bifurcations where different political and social choices could lead the world-system down distinct paths. This emphasizes agency and the potential for transformative action, rather than a deterministic view of the future. Albert advocates for a "transdisciplinary" scholarship that is problem-driven and willing to synthesize knowledge across diverse fields, breaking down disciplinary boundaries to better grasp the systemic nature of the polycrisis.
Albert's methodology draws heavily on three key theoretical traditions: complexity theory, world-systems theory, and ecological Marxism. From complexity theory, he adopts the understanding that global systems are nonlinear, adaptive, and prone to emergent behaviors, meaning that the sum of interacting crises is far greater and more unpredictable than their individual parts. This informs his focus on feedback loops, tipping points, and the potential for cascading failures within the world-system.
World-systems theory, particularly its neo-Gramscian interpretation, provides the structural lens through which Albert analyzes global capitalism. He views the polycrisis not as a series of isolated unfortunate events, but as symptomatic of the inherent contradictions and dynamics of the capitalist world-system. This allows him to investigate how dominant hegemonic projects and power structures exacerbate crises and constrain potential solutions, while also identifying avenues for counter-hegemonic struggles.
Ecological Marxism, in turn, underpins his analysis of the metabolic rift between humanity and nature, emphasizing how capitalism's relentless drive for accumulation and growth drives ecological degradation, resource depletion, and climate change. Albert systematically analyzes the "socioecological problematic" by linking climate change, energy supply, and food system disruptions to the underlying logic of global capitalism.
Crucially, Albert's methodology is not merely diagnostic; it is explicitly geared towards critical futures analysis and the identification of plausible pathways beyond capitalism. He is less concerned with precise predictions and more with illuminating a "possibility space" of future trajectories. To achieve this, he integrates quantitative modeling projections with qualitative social theory and speculative imagination. This synthetic approach allows him to build a "cartography of the future," outlining various scenarios ranging from dystopian breakdowns (e.g., neofeudalism, volatile technoleviathan) to more desirable, ecosocialist transformations.
His approach to scenario building is characterized by identifying "nodal points" or bifurcations where different political and social choices could lead the world-system down distinct paths. This emphasizes agency and the potential for transformative action, rather than a deterministic view of the future. Albert advocates for a "transdisciplinary" scholarship that is problem-driven and willing to synthesize knowledge across diverse fields, breaking down disciplinary boundaries to better grasp the systemic nature of the polycrisis.
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