Ecodependence: The Intrinsic Connection between Living and Killing

Abstract

This article fleshes out the concept of ecodependence, situating it in discussions about more-than-human relationality and biopolitics. In ecofeminist discourses, ecodependence emphasizes human dependency on natural resources, whereas the notion of interdependence focuses on interpersonal relationships. The article critiques a distinction between these types of dependency and opposes the related tendency to romanticize more-than-human relationality. In contrast, it develops an understanding of ecodependence that foregrounds the ambivalent and destructive qualities of relationality. Through an analysis of Maria Mies’ ecofeminist framework, the article identifies two dimensions of ecodependence: one structural and one ontological. Ecofeminist accounts incline toward idealizing dependency in the latter sense. By engaging with the works of Donna Haraway and Jacques Derrida, the article proposes a conceptualization of ecodependence that acknowledges the destructive character of relationality not only structurally but also on an ontological level. It points out the intrinsic connection between living and killing, leading to a perspective of affirmative thanatopolitics.