Nichts ist verloren zu geben: Für eine symmetrische und ausgangsoffene Geschichte der Naturverhältnisse

Historical evidence shows that modern societies have never altogether and unanimously accepted the destructive relationship to nonhuman nature. Nevertheless, some contem- porary narratives elide these earlier contestations and conflicts and draw a homogenized and depoliticised picture of the last two centuries. In this article I argue for a symmetrical history of ecological reflexivity that takes these past critiques of environmental destruction seriously. This enables us to revive a critical historiography that saves past struggles from oblivion, in order to disclose their relevance in the light of contemporary political, environmental and social challenges.