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Handbook of the Anthropocene

Humans between Heritage and Future

  • Interdisciplinary and international work of reference that provides the key to understanding the Anthropocene

  • First publication to group together the ideas of world experts on the Anthropocene

  • Challenges the reader to think about the most pertinent, and efficacious way of acting collectively in the Anthropocene

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Table of contents (279 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-li
  2. Part I: The Earth as a System

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-7
    2. Atmosphere

      • Lutz Möller
      Pages 9-15
    3. Biocapacity and Regeneration

      • Mathis Wackernagel, David Lin
      Pages 17-20
    4. Biosphere

      • Lutz Möller
      Pages 21-26
    5. Cosmos

      • Mark Williams, Tom Stallard, Jan Zalasiewicz
      Pages 27-31
    6. Deep Ecology

      • Konrad Ott
      Pages 33-39
    7. Earth History

      • Francine M. G. McCarthy
      Pages 41-43
    8. Earth Systems

      • Francine M. G. McCarthy
      Pages 45-48
    9. Environment

      • Federica Buongiorno, Xenia Chiaramonte
      Pages 49-54
    10. Geosphere

      • Lutz Möller
      Pages 55-61
    11. Global Change

      • Zhisheng An
      Pages 63-67
    12. Hydrosphere

      • Lutz Möller
      Pages 69-75
    13. Life

      • Catherine Fino
      Pages 77-80
    14. Living

      • Dorothée Browaeys
      Pages 81-84
    15. Nature

      • Gérald Hess
      Pages 85-89
    16. Planetary Boundaries

      • Ulrich Brand, Barbara Muraca, Éric Pineault, Marlyne Sahakian, Anke Schaffartzik, Andreas Novy et al.
      Pages 91-97
  3. The Earth’s Surface and Its Elements

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 99-99
    2. Air

      • Andreas Weber
      Pages 101-105
    3. Amazon

      • Pierre-Yves Cadalen
      Pages 107-111

About this book

This Handbook is a collection of contributions of more than 300 researchers who have worked to grasp the Anthropocene, this new geological epoch characterised by a modification of the conditions of habitability of the Earth for all living things, in its biogeophysical and socio-political reality. These researchers also sought to define a historical and prospective anthropology that integrates social, economic, cultural and political issues as well as, of course, environmental ones. What are the anthropological changes needed to ensure that our human adventure will be able to continue in the Anthropocene? And what are the educational and political issues involved?

Anthropocene is fast becoming a widely-used term, but thus far, there been no reference work explaining the thoughts of the greatest experts of the present day on this subject (at the intersection of biogeophysical and socio-political knowledge). A scientific and political concept (but which is also the conceptual vehicle for conveying the scientific community's sense of concern), this complex term is explained by international experts as they reflect on scientific arguments taking place in earth system science, the social sciences and the humanities. What these researchers from different disciplines have in common is a healthy concern for the future and how to prepare for it in the Anthropocene and also the identification of possible anthropological changes. This Handbook encourages readers to immerse themselves in reflections on the human adventure through descriptions of our differing heritages and the future that is in the process of being written.




Keywords

  • Anthropocene understanding
  • Ecological thinking
  • Sustainable development anthropocene
  • Sustainable education
  • Politics in the Anthropocene
  • Humanity in the Biosphere
  • New Humanism
  • Prospective Anthropology
  • Future of Technology
  • Bioeconomics and anthropocene
  • Earth stewardship
  • Homo oeconomicus, homo collectivus, homo religatus
  • human activities on Earth System
  • aesthetics and ethics
  • Capitalocene
  • Convivialism
  • Machine/Robot anthropocene
  • Planetary boundaries
  • Mass Extinction anthropocene

Editors and Affiliations

  • Université Catholique de l’Ouest (UCO), Angers, France

    Nathanaël Wallenhorst

  • FB Erziehungswissenschaft, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Christoph Wulf

About the editors

Nathanaël Wallenhorst is Professor at the Catholic University of the West (UCO). He is Doctor of Educational Sciences and Doctor of Philosophy (first international co-supervision PhD), and Doctor of Environmental Sciences and Doctor in Political Science (second international co-supervision PhD). He is the author of twenty books on politics, education, and anthropology in the Anthropocene. Together with Christoph Wulf, he is editor of the "Anthropocene - Humanities and Social Sciences" series at Springer-Nature. His passion: trying to listen to the future.


Christoph Wulf is Professor of Anthropology and Education and a member of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Historical Anthropology, the Collaborative Research Centre (SFB, 1999-2012) “Cultures of Performance,” the Cluster of Excellence (2007-2012) “Languages of Emotion,” and the Graduate School “InterArts” (2006-2015) at the Freie Universität Berlin. His books have been translated into 20 languages. For his research in anthropology and anthropology of education, he received the title “professor honoris causa” from the University of Bucharest. He is Vice-President of the German Commission for UNESCO.


Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 299.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access