| This thesis examines anthropogenic mass extinctions of species in historical perspective. The comparative historical and interpretative sociological study contributes to an understanding of contemporary species mass extinction and progressive ecocide, manifest in the rapid decline of global biodiversity and erosion of collective life support systems, by exploring the social conditions that produced such practices. The work investigates holocaustic society-nature relations, the mediating effects of social institutions, political economy, technology, and demographic change. Patterns of mass extinction of species are explored and compared across time and space. Changes of social organization and changing qualitative relations to the physical and biotic environment are traced historically. Whereas most of the literature on this topic is developed within disciplinary frameworks the thesis applies a comparative historical and unified approach, bridging the boundaries of social and natural sciences. The study complements existing life science studies of mass extinctions and environment change by tracing the social underpinnings and long term consequences for all human species. |
