What is it about capitalism that is uniquely capable of reordering society so quickly and profoundly that it can undertake the job of repairing humankind’s relationship with the global environment? This chapter represents an attempt to contextualize this book in a very long and very old literature, drawing upon many of the greatest economic thinkers throughout history, and occurring in several disciplines. Against that backdrop, there is a specialized but considerable literature on the relationship between capitalism and the environment. Necessarily, I have omitted much work that is thoughtful and profound, and might shed light on the relationship between capitalism and the environment. And inevitably, my editorial choices reflect my own unique prioritizations of what is important to understand. This chapter provides some sense of where, in my view, this problem of environmentally destructive capitalism comes from. And again, given the complexities and differences in degree, it is worth taking with a grain of salt black-and-white distinctions between capitalism and socialism, including this book.