Making Sense of the Anthropocene

Abstract

Although geologists themselves are yet to find a consensus about its existence, social scientists seem to have reached the conclusion that the Anthropocene is born. Hence the booming reflection in the field upon the sociopolitical implications of this new age, the main feature of which is the massive influence of human beings and social systems on the global environment. However, before such reflection takes place, or at least while it is taking place, it seems necessary to analyse carefully the notion itself. In fact, making sense of the Anthropocene is a necessary preparation for devising institutions and policies aimed to deal with it. Governance, in sum, require understanding, if we wish that governance to effective. Hence governing the Anthropocene requires understanding it. Thus the panel focuses on the emergence, meaning and implications of the Anthropocene hypothesis. The key questions to be addressed in the panel are: What is exactly the Anthropocene? Is it a geological time-scale, an epistemic category, an academic fad? What does it say about nature and socionatural relations? Which are the implications of the Anthropocene for science and democracy? How should environmental political theory react to it? How does it affect to our understanding of sustainability? How can it be communicated to the wider public? What kind of narratives does the Anthropocene call for?

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