John Bellamy Foster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Bellamy Foster
Born	(1953-08-19) August 19, 1953 (age 71) Seattle, Washington
Education	Evergreen State College, B.A., 1975 York University, M.A., 1977, Ph.D., 1984
Occupation	Professor, Editor
Employer	University of Oregon
Known for	Marxist writings
Title	Professor of Sociology
Board member of	Monthly Review Foundation
Awards	Deutscher Memorial Prize (2020)

John Bellamy Foster (born August 19, 1953) is an American professor of sociology at the University of Oregon. He is also the editor of a magazine called Monthly Review. He writes about how money and power work in the world. He also studies how human actions affect nature. His work often looks at ideas from Karl Marx.

Early Life and Education

John Bellamy Foster was involved in important movements as a young person. He joined groups working against war. He also cared a lot about the environment. In 1971, he started college at Evergreen State College.

He decided to study economics because he saw problems. He felt there was a growing crisis in how the world's money system worked. He also thought about the United States' role in world events.

In 1976, he moved to Canada. He went to York University in Toronto to study political science. He wrote a paper in 1979 about how big companies affect the economy. This paper was sent to Paul Sweezy at Monthly Review.

John Foster also wrote for other important journals. These included The Quarterly Journal of Economics. In 1986, he published a book called The Theory of Monopoly Capitalism. This book was based on his advanced studies.

In 1985, he started teaching at Evergreen State College. A year later, he became a professor at the University of Oregon. By 2000, he was a full professor of sociology. In 1989, he joined the board of the Monthly Review Foundation. He also became part of the magazine's editing team.

Working with Monthly Review

John Foster's first article for Monthly Review was published in 1981. He was still a student at the time. In 1989, he became a director for the Monthly Review Foundation. He also joined the magazine's editorial group.

In 2000, he became a co-editor of Monthly Review. He worked with Paul Sweezy and Harry Magdoff. Another scholar, Robert W. McChesney, also joined them. Two years later, John Foster became the president of the Monthly Review Foundation.

After Paul Sweezy passed away in 2004, Robert McChesney left his co-editor role. Harry Magdoff also passed away in 2006. This meant John Foster became the only editor of the magazine.

Main Ideas and Research

John Foster's early research looked at how money and power work. He studied how big companies grow and affect the economy. His first book, The Theory of Monopoly Capitalism, explored these ideas.

Ecology and the Environment

In the late 1980s, John Foster started focusing on environmental issues. He studied how problems with the environment are linked to the global economy. He believes we need a more sustainable way of living. This way should also be fair for everyone.

During this time, he wrote The Vulnerable Planet. This book looked at the history of how humans have affected nature. He also wrote an important article called "Marx's Theory of Metabolic Rift." This idea explains how human society can break its connection with nature.

His book Marx's Ecology further developed these ideas. It showed how Karl Marx also thought about nature. This work helped him win an award from the American Sociological Association. His book Ecology Against Capitalism also criticized how the current economic system harms the environment.

Global Politics and Money

As editor of Monthly Review, John Foster returned to studying the global economy. He focused on the role of the United States in the world. This was especially true after the events of September 2001.

His 2006 book, Naked Imperialism, looked at the growing military role of the U.S. in the world. He also wrote many articles in Monthly Review about this topic. He has also studied how money and big banks now play a huge role in the economy. He calls this "monopoly-finance Capital." He has written several books about this topic. These books include his ideas on the financial crisis of 2007–08.

Science and Philosophy

John Foster also wrote a book called Critique of Intelligent Design. He wrote it with Brett Clark and Richard York. This book explores ideas about science and how we understand the world. It defends a scientific way of thinking. It argues against ideas like intelligent design.

His book The Return of Nature: Socialism and Ecology (2020) won a special award. In this book, Foster explores how thinkers have tried to understand nature. He looks at how they wanted to create a better world. He includes people like William Morris and Rachel Carson.

Articles and Lectures

• 1999. Marx's theory of metabolic rift: classical foundations for environmental sociology. American Journal of Sociology 105(2):366-405. DOI: 10.1086/210315
• 2016. Marxism in the Anthropocene: dialectical rifts on the Left. International Critical Thought 6(3):393-421. DOI: 10.1080/21598282.2016.1197787

See also

In Spanish: John Bellamy Foster para niños

• Eco-socialism
• Environmental sociology
• Metabolic rift
• Social metabolism