Green Ideology and its Relation to Modernity. Including a Case Study of the Green Party of Sweden

Abstract: This study seeks to disclose some of the scientific and philosophical ideas that inform the green movement and its ideology. These ideas, like the groups that have been attracted to the movement, are seemingly heterogeneous. This is one reason why attaining a generally accepted ideology is proving to be a drawn-out process. A second reason considered here is the perceived anomalies inherent to the concept of ‘ideology’ itself. A third reason is a reluctance of many greens to engage in what they see as an abstruse discourse of ideological articulation, commonly preferring a ‘hands-on’, activist approach to everyday politics. One of the results of this resistance is that the green movement’s relationship to surrounding society is poorly understood. It is seldom realised, therefore, that a crucial division among greens is that between ‘eco-modernists’ and ‘ecological postmodernists’ A number of heuristic principles are identified that, it is argued, together represent a platform for the on-going theoretical development. Foremost among these is the concept of complementarity that promises to reconcile dialectics with modern systems theory. These theoretical ideas are viewed in connection with the Swedish Green Party.