Peak Libido: Sex, Ecology, and the Collapse of Desire

by Dominic Pettman

What is the carbon footprint of your libido?   

In this highly original book, Dominic Pettman examines the mutual influence and impact of human desire and ecological crisis. His account is premised on a simple but startling the decline of libido among the world’s population, the loss of the human sex drive, closely tracks the destruction of environments worldwide. The advent of the Anthropocene leads to the decline of eros, the weakening of the link between sexual pleasure and human reproduction, and thus, potentially, to human extinction. Our capacity to care for one another in any meaningful way is being replaced by a restless, technologically-enhanced zombie drive. The environmental crisis of our time is also, and simultaneously, a crisis of human reproduction and of interpersonal intimacy. What Freud called ‘libidinal economy’ has morphed into libidinal ecology.   

Drawing on the work of a wide range of thinkers from Georges Bataille to Donna Haraway, Pettman explores the implications of peak libido, linking this development to the new cultural interest in eco-sexuality, polyamory, and other cases of the ‘greening of the libido’.  Peak Libido  is a forceful reminder that our hearts and loins are primarily ecological organs, beholden to their wider environments, and, as such, they share the same fate.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

166 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Dominic Pettman currently lives, works, learns and teaches in New York City. He is particularly interested in the ways in which "technology" influences our self-perceptions and cultural conversations.

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important (and beautifully written) word of warning.

[Merve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacivert Kitaplar serisi Ayrıntının ağır kitaplar serisi kadar ağır bir seri aslında. Bu kitapta bir istisna değil. Psikanalitik okuma çok yapmadığım için bazı alana dair derin kavramlarla karsilastikca metne yabanci kaldım. Libidinal ekolojik düşünme nasıl olur, Libidinal ekonomi ( Lyotard'ın aynı adlı eseri de var elimde de belirsiz bir tarihe erteledim onu okumayı bu kitaptan sonra) nasıl oluşur buna dair kısa ama derin, anlamak için berrak zihne değil sadece biraz da bu alana aşinalık hatta belki de alana dair daha derin okuma deneyimi gerekiyor.
Çeviri de beni çok zorladı. Bircok anlam karmaşası yaratan cümlelerde takılıp kaldım metin çok zor aktı. Velhasıl kelam çıkar çıkmaz heyecanla alıp ilk okuyanlardanım ama aynı hevesle okuyamadım da.

[Anisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful read! Important and well written. Very nice to see Pettman's voice come through, found myself laughing more than I thought I would at such a serious piece. The subtle humour made it a lot easier to digest and connect with.

[Francesca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Forse non ho un'anima abbastanza filosofica, forse non sono abbastanza mentalmente aperta o non so cosa ma non sono riuscita a non lanciare questo libro a metà lettura.

Mi continuo ad interrogare sul senso di questo "saggio" che sembra un minestrone di filosofia antica, moderna, scienza, pseudo-scienza, attualità, arte .. altro?

In Italia il libro è stato portato da Tlon, al quale va riconosciuto il merito di aver scritto un quarto di copertina che attira i lettori interessati ai temi di ecologia/climate change etc.. ma che poi non c'entra niente col libro. In particolare, sarebbe interessante capire dov'è trattato il tema "quanto inquina la nostra libido?".

[Leandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pettman espone contenuti e teorie interessanti che però, spesso, sembrano un po' girare a vuoto. Ad una prima lettura, quindi, il libro è sicuramente seducente e scorrevole - se anche tendente ad una certa ironia sottile tipica dei filosofi contemporanei, a tratti compiaciuta - ma la somma delle sue parti non colpisce per forza e organicità.
Comunque da tenere in considerazione, e rileggere magari dopo essersi immersi in alcune delle letture consigliate dall'autore.

[Ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard the writer interviewed on the Filmsuck podcast and I thought it sounded interesting. I don't know a lot about this area and learned about the major thinkers. I think Pettman is on to something: so much of the left is about denial and self-abnegation but the only future worth living for should have pleasure and joy as a part of it. The problem, of course, is getting there.

[George L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought provoking, and an interesting perspective on the social exhaustion we feel in the air at present, but its impression doesn't last. 'Libido' is a vaguely defined term here, supposedly something like a 'life-force' that is present when involved in cooking a fulfilling meal to thinking or feeling as part of a group enterprise. Too vague almost to feel the thread of a strong argument. Indeed, it may be better approached as a lecture, rather than a book, as it has a meandering quality abotu it. On the other hand insights around the exploration glimmer in the background. Brief forays into the past, including the utopianism of past communes and parochial superstitions reveal the way desire was rooted in the way they saw the world. It extended past only the experience of humans and animals, but even to trees and brooks. The comprehensiveness of the world-view shown he contrasts with our situation now, interpellated as 'neo-pavlovian mammals,' 'trapped in our digital enclosures', having reached 'peak libido'. Interesting, but I wish there was more meat to the bone here. For that matter, more bone for the meat, too.