Kontemporäre Landnahmetheorien

Ursprünge, Landnahme der Natur und neue Perspektiven auf Einverleibung

Abstract

This article examines contemporary theories of appropriation (Landnahme), framing today’s social and socio-ecological crises as manifestations of a deeper systemic crisis inherent to the capitalist mode of production. Central to the analysis is the "inside–outside relationship": while appropriation draws resources from an “outside” into the official economic sphere, its complementary dynamic of externalization ensures that certain resources remain available beyond capitalism’s official confines. Revisiting the theoretical foundations laid by Marx and Luxemburg, the article traces the development of appropriation theories since the 1980s, including feminist contributions. It highlights recent German-language debates, such as Inwertsetzung (Altvater & Mahnkopf, Görg), postfossil extractivism (Tittor), green enclosures (Backhouse), and Einverleibung (Saave). The article clarifies the conceptual foundations of appropriation and demonstrates how capitalist accumulation fundamentally depends on the appropriation of externalized parts.