Abstract
The chapter introduces the postmodern movement as a reaction to Modernity, and postnormal times as a transition period from Modernity to a new, yet unknown state. The way this future state will look like depends on what we do now. Postmodern and postnormal are not synonyms, therefore, but have synergies as well as shadowy interfaces. The key reflection of the chapter and of the whole book is about how to proceed in order to allow the emergence of a future state of planetary well-being – a more comprehensive and inclusive type of sustainability than the one limited by modern fences. I describe as exemplary cases the dialogue between science and philosophy with historical visions of wholeness addressed in previous chapters: (1) scientific theories related to the biosphere, Gaia and autopoiesis and (2) the philosophical approaches to ecology, known as ecosophy. In particular, I examine how these two cases often cross in time and space the boundaries between traditional, modern and postmodern worldviews. Finally, I argue that perhaps for this very reason, they can be conducive lines of thought for building dialogues that help regenerate lost connections between self, social and nature.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bateson G (1972/1987). Steps to an ecology of mind: collected essays in anthropology, psychiatry, and epistemology. Chicago University Press, Chicago
Buschke FT, Botts EA, Sinclair SP (2019) Post-normal conservation science fills the space between research, policy, and implementation. Conserv Sci Pract 1:e73. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.73
Colloff MJ, Lavorel S, van Kerkhoff LE, Wyborn CA, Fazey I, Gorddard R, Mace GM, Foden WB, Dunlop M, Prentice IC, Crowley J, Leadley P, Degeorges P (2017) Transforming conservation science and practice for a postnormal world. Conserv Biol 31(5):1008–1017
de Chardin PT (1946/2004) The future of man, 1st edn. Image Books, New York
de Chardin PT (1955/2008) The phenomenon of man, 1st edn. Harper Perennial, New York
Deleuze G, Guattari F (1991/1994) What is philosophy? Columbia University Press, New York
Dingler J (2005) The discursive nature of nature: towards a post-modern concept of nature. J Environ Policy Plan 7(3):209–225. https://doi.org/10.1080/15239080500339679
Elhacham E, Ben-Uri L, Grozovski J, Bar-On YM, Milo R (2020) Global human-made mass exceeds all living biomass. Nature 588:442–444. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-3010-5
Foucault M (1980) Power/knowledge: selected interviews and other writings. Pantheon Books, New York
Funtowicz SO, Ravetz JR (1991) A new scientific methodology for global environmental issues. In: Costanza R (ed) The ecological economics: the science and management of sustainability. Columbia University Press, New York, pp 137–152
Funtowicz SO, Ravetz JR (1993) Science for the post-normal age. Futures 25:739–755
Gare AE (1995) Postmodernism and the environmental crisis. Routledge, London
Gibbons LV (2020) Regenerative – the new sustainable? Sustainability 12:5483. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135483
Guattari F (1989/2000) The three ecologies. Athlone Press, London
Guillaume B (2014) Vernadsky’s philosophical legacy: a perspective from the Anthropocene. Anthr Rev 1(2):137–146. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053019614530874
Horrocks C (2002) Introduction. In: Appignanesi R (ed) Postmodernism and big science. Icon Books, Cambridge, pp 5–10
Jacoby R (2020) On diversity. Seven Stories Press, New York
Kortetmäki T, Puurtinen M, Salo M, Aro R, Baumeister S, Duflot R, Elo M, Halme P, Husu H-M, Huttunen S, Hyvönen K, Karkulehto S, Kataja-aho S, Keskinen KE, Kulmunki I, Mäkinen T, Näyhä A, Okkolin M-A, Perälä T, Purhonen J, Raatikainen KJ, Raippalinna L-M, Salonen K, Savolainen K, Kotiaho JS (2021) Planetary well-being. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 8:258. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00899-3
Latour B (2018) Down to earth: politics in the new climatic regime. Polity, Cambridge
Levesque S (2016) Two versions of ecosophy: Arne Næss, Félix Guattari, and their connection with semiotics. Sign Syst Stud 44(4):511–541. https://doi.org/10.12697/SSS.2016.44.4.03
Lovelock JE, Margulis L (1974) Atmospheric homeostasis by and for the biosphere: the Gaia hypothesis. Tellus 26:2–10. https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v26i1-2.9731
Lyotard J-F (1979/2021) A Condição Pós-Moderna. José Olympio, Rio de Janeiro
Macauley D (1996) Hannah Arendt and the politics of place: from earth alienation to oikos. In: Macauley D (ed) Minding nature: the philosophers of ecology. The Guilford Press, New York, London, pp 102–133
Maffesoli M (2017/2021) Ecosofia. Edições Sesc, São Paulo
Maturana H, Varela FJ (1984/2001) A Árvore do Conhecimento, Palas Athena, São Paulo
Mayo L (2020) The postnormal condition. J Future Stud 24(4):61–72. https://doi.org/10.6531/JFS.202006_24(4).0006
Mickey S, Kelly S, Robbert A (2017) The variety of integral ecologies. Suny Press, Albany
Næss A (1984) A defence of the deep ecology movement. Environ Ethics 6(3):265–270
Paul H (2021) Introduction: post-concepts in historical perspective. In: Paul H, van Veldhuizen A (eds) Post-everything: an intellectual history of post-concepts. Manchester University Press, Manchester, pp 1–14. https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526148179.00006
Paul H (2022) The postcritical turn: unravelling the meaning of ‘post’ and ‘turn’. In: Paul H (ed) Writing the history of the humanities: questions, themes and approaches. Bloomsbury, London, pp 305–324
Poelina A, Wooltorton S, Blaise M, Aniere CL, Horwitz P, White PJ, Muecke S (2022) Regeneration time: ancient wisdom for planetary wellbeing. Aust J Environ Educ 2022:1–18. https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2021.34
Poli R (2017) Introduction to anticipation studies. Springer, Cham
Sardar Z (2021) Afterthoughts: Transnormal the “new normal” and other varieties of “normal” in postnormal times. World Futures Rev 13(2):54–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/19467567211025755
Salazar NB (2021) Post-national belongings, cosmopolitan becomings and mediating mobilities. J Sociol 57(1):165–176. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783320987639
Saldanha A, Stark H (2016) A new earth: Deleuze and Guattari in the Anthropocene. Deleuze Stud 10(4):427–439. https://doi.org/10.3366/dls.2016.0237
Sardar Z (2010) Welcome to postnormal times. Futures 42:435–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2009.11.028
Sardar Z (2015) Postnormal times revisited. Futures 67:26–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2015.02.003
Scarano FR (2019) Regenerantes de Gaia. Dantes Editora, Rio de Janeiro
Schroeder HW (2007) Place experience, gestalt, and the human–nature relationship. J Env Psychol 27:293–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.07.001
Totaro F (2018) Metaphysics and eco-phenomenology aiming at the harmony of human life with the cosmos. In: Smith WS, Smith JS, Verducci D (eds) Eco-phenomenology: life, human life, post-human life in the harmony of the cosmos, Analecta Husserliana CXXI. Springer, Cham, pp 25–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77516-6_3
Vernadsky VI (1938/1997) Scientific thought as a planetary phenomenon. Nongovernmental Ecological VI Vernadsky Foundation, Moscow
Walsh Z, Böhme J, Wamsler C (2021) Towards a relational paradigm in sustainability research, practice, and education. Ambio 50:74–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-020-01322-y
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Scarano, F.R. (2024). Postmodern or Postnormal? Are We Farther or Closer to Nature?. In: Regenerative Dialogues for Sustainable Futures. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51841-6_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51841-6_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-51840-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-51841-6
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)