''Uncivilization: The Dark Mountain Manifesto'' is the manifesto released in 2009 by

Paul Kingsnorth Paul Kingsnorth (born 1972) is an English writer who lives in the west of Ireland. He is a former deputy-editor of ''The Ecologist'' and a co-founder of the Dark Mountain Project. Kingsnorth's nonfiction writing tends to address macro themes l ...

and

Dougald Hine Dougald Hine (born 1977 in Cambridge, England) is a British author, editor and social entrepreneur. He co-founded School of Everything and The Dark Mountain Project, of which he is Director at Large. In 2011, he was named one of Britain's 50 top ...

to signal the beginning of

The Dark Mountain Project Paul Kingsnorth (born 1972) is an English writer who lives in the west of Ireland. He is a former deputy-editor of ''The Ecologist'' and a co-founder of the Dark Mountain Project. Kingsnorth's nonfiction writing tends to address macro themes l ...

Summary

''Uncivilization'' argues against the possibility that technological solutions to climate change are possible. Instead, it suggests that notions of 'progress' should be re-evaluated. The book primarily addresses writers and artists, rather than suggesting political action on climate change. Nor do they describe what they expect following their suggested '

collapse Collapse or its variants may refer to: Concepts * Collapse (structural) * Collapse (topology), a mathematical concept * Collapsing manifold * Collapse, the action of collapsing or telescoping objects * Collapsing user interface elements ** ...

Reception

A variety of critics criticized the bleakness in the Uncivilization project. Erica Wagner describes the general reaction following ''Uncivilization's'' publishing, noting that " ingsnorthand his co-founder, Dougald Hine, were accused by some of a bleak nihilism, of walking away from the problems that face the planet." Writing for ''The New Statesman'', English philosopher John Gray critiques the authors' idea of a 'cleansing collapse,' writing that "a scenario of this kind is not remotely apocalyptic. It is no more than history as usual, together with new technologies and ongoing climate change. The notion that the conflicts of history have been left behind is truly apocalyptic, and Kingsnorth and Hine are right to target business-as-usual philosophies of progress. When they posit a cleansing catastrophe, however, they, too, succumb to apocalyptic thinking." ''The New York Times'' notes that the work was highly criticized, with Kingsnorth, Hine, and admirers of the work being labeled as " doomers" or "nihilists". The times highlights that "One critic, a sustainability advocate, published an essay in ''The Ecologist'' — a magazine Kingsnorth once helped run — comparing Dark Mountaineers to the complacent characters in

Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' developed into a " ...

’s novel '

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe ''The Restaurant at the End of the Universe'' is the second book in the ''Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' comedy science fiction "trilogy" by Douglas Adams, and is a sequel. It was originally published by Pan Books as a paperback in 1980. T ...

”: “Diners hoenjoyed watching the obliteration of life, the universe and everything whilst enjoying a nice steak.'"

Context

Kingsnorth and Hine met after Hine reached out towards Kingsnorth about one of his blog posts. They proceeded to exchange ideas and publications, including works of

Robinson Jeffers John Robinson Jeffers (January 10, 1887 – January 20, 1962) was an American poet, known for his work about the central California coast. Much of Jeffers's poetry was written in narrative and epic form. However, he is also known for his short ...

, a celebrated writer of the 1930s and 1940s who wrote poetry in the style Jeffers describe as 'Inhumanism.' Jeffers' works had a major influence on ''Uncivilization''.

Influence

Kingsnorth Hine discussing Uncivilization 5 years

''Uncivilization'' was not much noticed on release, with only 500 printed copies for its first edition. However, attention grew over time. The text has been included on college reading lists, and festivals centered on the concept of uncivilization were held with hundreds of attendees.

References

External links

''Uncivilization: The Dark Mountain Manifesto''

Hine's 10-year retrospective on the Dark Mountain Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uncivilization (manifesto) 2009 documents Manifestos Literary collaborations Climate change mass media