Elemental politics between minoritarianism and live democracy

Toplak, Cirila (author)

Human interaction combined with natural elements makes water, air, earth/soil and fire inherently political. Access to the elements and the way they are treated cause fundamental injustices and inequalities between living beings, yet at the same time the elements are recognised for their importance for the well-being and prosperity of human societies and ecosystems. After reviewing relevant analogical literature, the author theorises elemental politics, elemental democracy, elemental justice, and elemental citizenship. Based on a case study of past and recent elemental politics pertaining to the Soča River basin and the natureculture of the Nature Worshippers of Primorska, the author argues there is a need for a thorough reconsideration of natural elements, especially of their holism, in view of the elemental legal and political subjectivity. The latter might be achieved with the use of a modified elemental vocabulary and collective imaginary inspired by both naturecultures’ ontologies and recent theories on glocalism.

• Language: English
• Keywords: elemental politics, elemental justice, Soča River Basin, nature worship, minoritarianism, old faith
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 04.07.2024
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 293-311
• Numbering: Letn. 61, št. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-160899-91fb8379-079f-75bb-cc18-8eed1d2e1a17
• UDC: 321.7:502.1
• ISSN on article: 0040-3598
• DOI: 10.51936/tip.61.2.293
• COBISS.SI-ID: 200707331
• Publication date in RUL: 05.09.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Teorija in praksa : revija za družbena vprašanja
• Shortened title: Teor. praksa
• Publisher: Fakulteta za družbene vede
• ISSN: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 763652

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Elementalna politika med minoritarizmom in živo demokracijo – primer Posočja

Abstract

Človekova interakcija z naravnimi elementi dela vodo, zrak, zemljo/ prst in ogenj inherentno politične. Dostop do elementov in ravnanje z njimi povzroča temeljne krivice in neenakosti med živimi bitji, prinaša pa tudi priznanje njihovega pomena za blaginjo človeških družb in ekosistemov. Avtorica z uvidi v ustrezno analogno literaturo teoretizira elementalno politiko, elementalno demokracijo, elementalno pravičnost in elementalno državljanstvo. Na podlagi študije primera preteklih in sodobnih elementalnih politik v Posočju in zgodovinskega primorskega naravoverstva zagovarja nujnost temeljite refleksije naravnih elementov, predvsem njihove celostnosti, v luči njihove potencialne pravne in politične subjektivizacije. Slednjo bi bilo moč doseči s transformacijo elementalnega besednjaka in kolektivnega imaginarija, ki jo navdihujejo ontologije naravnih kultur in sodobne teorije glokalizma.

• Keywords: elementalna politika, elementalna pravičnost, Posočje, naravoverstvo, minoritarizem, staroverstvo