A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things

“Capital” refers to a process by which money flows through nature, transforming money into commodities and back into money with a profit. Capital is not a stock of money or resources but a dynamic process of circulation and accumulation that reshapes socioecological relations.

Capitalism is an economic and social system based on the private ownership of the means of production, the exploitation of labor, and the endless accumulation of capital. Patel and Moore argue that capitalism has been the primary driver of global environmental change over the past five centuries.

The authors use “capitalism’s ecology” to denote the intertwined system of power, capital, and nature that characterizes the historical development of capitalism. This perspective emphasizes the co-production of capital accumulation and environmental transformation, challenging conventional distinctions between nature and society, economy and ecology.

“Capitalocene” is an alternative term proposed by Patel and Moore to describe the current geological epoch, emphasizing the central role of capitalism in driving global environmental change. The Capitalocene highlights how the logic and practices of capital accumulation have reshaped the Earth’s system.

“Cheapness” or “cheapening” refers to strategies used by capitalists to control and exploit a wider web of life, externalizing costs and undervaluing the contributions of both human and nonhuman natures. Cheapening involves the devaluation of nature, money, labor, care work, food, energy, and human lives to maximize profits.

Colonialism involves taking control of another country through occupation and exploitation. Patel and Moore argue that colonialism was a key driver of the early development of capitalism, as seen in the Portuguese colonization of Madeira.

The encomienda system was a legal system used by the Spanish Crown during the colonization of the Americas, granting settlers the right to extract labor and tribute from Indigenous peoples. Patel and Moore cite the encomienda system as an example of how colonialism cheapened Indigenous lives and labor.

Feudalism was a social and economic system characterized by the granting of land in return for military service or labor. Patel and Moore argue that the crisis of feudalism in late medieval Europe, triggered by climate change and the Black Death, created the conditions for the emergence of early capitalism.

The authors use “frontier” to denote sites where crises encourage new strategies for profit making, allowing capitalists to reorganize socioecological relations on a world scale. Frontiers are not just geographical spaces but zones of experimentation and innovation in the production of cheap nature, labor, and lives.

According to Patel and Moore, the “Great Domestication” refers to the process by which some humans, particularly women, were confined to new social and ecological units called “households.” This process was essential for providing the unpaid reproductive labor necessary to sustain the capitalist system. The authors assert that the Great Domestication was facilitated by several factors, including the enclosure of common lands, the creation of wage workers, and the emergence of a gendered division of labor, with women’s work being devalued and confined to specific seasons and domestic tasks.

The Holocene is the current geological epoch, which began approximately 11,700 years ago after the last glacial period. The Holocene has been characterized by relatively stable climate conditions that have enabled the development of human civilizations.

Imperialism refers to a country extending their power and influence, usually through colonization or use of military force. Patel and Moore argue that imperialism, as seen in events like the Crusades, was a key driver of early capitalist expansion.

In the context of the Capitalocene, “Nature” (which Patel and Moore capitalize) refers to the conceptual separation of the natural world from human society, a dualism that emerged in early modern Europe. This separation justified the exploitation and domination of nature as an external object.

Oikeios is a Greek term used by Patel and Moore to describe “the creative and multilayered pulse of life-making through which all human activity flows” (19). The oikeios names the co-production of humans and nature, challenging the dualism of nature and society.

Reparation ecology is an approach to ecological restoration and justice that seeks to repair the damages of the Capitalocene through the redistribution of wealth, power, and access to nature. Reparation ecology aims to re-sacralize human-nature relations and create more just and sustainable forms of life.

In the context of the Capitalocene, “Society” (which Patel and Moore capitalize) refers to the conceptual separation of human social relations from the natural world, a dualism that emerged in early modern Europe. This separation obscured the co-production of humans and nature and justified the domination of nature.

A state shift is a fundamental transformation in the structure and function of a system, often triggered by the crossing of critical thresholds. Patel and Moore argue that the Capitalocene represents a state shift in the Earth system, requiring a fundamental reorientation of human-nature relations.

The Little Ice Age refers to a period of regional cooling that occurred between the 14th and 19th centuries, following the Medieval Warm Period. Patel and Moore argue that the onset of the Little Ice Age in the 14th century, combined with the crisis of feudalism, created the conditions for the emergence of early capitalism.

The Medieval Warm Period was a period of warm climate in the North Atlantic region that lasted from about 950 to 1250 CE. Patel and Moore argue that the Medieval Warm Period enabled population growth and agricultural expansion in Europe but also set the stage for the crisis of feudalism when the climate turned colder.