The Critical Ecofeminism of Alicia Puleo: Weaving the Thread of the «New Ariadna»

Abstract

The reflection upon feminism and the environment has gained relevance in the past decades. Nevertheless, ecofeminism has arisen discredit among several thinkers due to the popularization of versions considered “classic” and essentialist. In this context, Alicia Puleo’s contribution is fundamental because, based on her analysis of Modernity, she has traced the illustrated origins of feminism, of environmental ethics, and of the spread of moral considerations beyond the human scope. If we lacked the work that has been carried out by this philosopher, very little would be known of constructivist ecofeminism in Spanish speaking countries. Having said that, the objective of this article will be to present A. Puleo’s thinking and to make visible her contributions to ecofeminism. This will be accomplished through four sections: the first one explores the forgotten voices of Modernity; the second sets out a reading of Simone de Beavoir from the perspective of critical ecofeminism; the third presents the proposal that A. Puleo has named critical ecofeminism, and finally the fourth examines the main challenges ecofeminism faces regarding environmentalism, ecosocialism and the downturn.