Thoreau’s Garden Politics (re-edition)

This essay responds to the emergence of plant as a new subject in contemporary theory. It focuses on two recent books that put vegetable life at center their analyses an effort reassess political landscape Western modernity from ground up. Yet face increasingly urgent climate disasters, these seem oddly demobilizing injunction cultivate more contemplative, less decisive disposition. To make sense this paradox, I look Henry David Thoreau’s botanical ruminations Walden. Notwithstanding theory’s claim 19th century thought entirely disregarded importance life, Thoreau explicitly troubles assumption one has “right” kill and use certain plants for one’s benefit. Not unlike our theorists, he invites his readers adopt “much slower” pace so they may gain “more intimate” knowledge living economy which partake. But goes beyond elaborating speculative ethics modeled after way live. What models, rather, is pragmatic politics planting confronts head-on thorny issues death violence and, such, delineates contours biopolitics capable accounting vegetal life.