The Task of Philosophy in the Anthropocene : Axial Echoes in Global Space

In its early modern form, philosophy gave a decisive impetus to the science and technology that have transformed the planet and brought on the so-called Anthropocene. Can philosophy now help us understand this new age and act within it? The contributors to this volume take a broad historical view as they reflect on the responsibilities and possibilities for philosophy today. The term ‘Anthropocene’ signifies the era of the arrival of human beings as a force that affects global ecosystems in ways that are potentially disastrous for humanity itself, as well as for countless other species. This volume explores whether philosophy has meaningful tasks to fulfill in this unparalleled situation. Do philosophers need to reflect on new topics today? Do they need to think in new ways? Do they need new relationships to their own tradition? And are there concrete actions they should take, over and above philosophical reflection? The contributors to this volume thus take on the question of the relevance and responsibility of philosophy, drawing upon diverse legacies, in the current global situation. The Task of Philosophy in the Anthropocene 1 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Introduction 10 1 Environmental Cosmopolitanism as a Philosophy for the Anthropocene 22 2 The Coming of the Post-Axial Age 44 3 On Nature and Liberation 64 4 Eidetic Eros and the Liquidation of the Real 84 5 Odysseus on the Beach: Humanity between the Anthropocene and the Hubriscene 106 6 Starting from Ourselves as Living Beings 128 7 Philosophy’s Homecoming 140 8 The Uncanny Anthropocene 156 9 Which Way I Fly: Reforming Nihilism in the Anthropocene 174 10 Ecological Finitude as Ontological Finitude: Radical Hope in the Anthropocene 196 11 The Voices of Nature: Toward a Polyphonic Conception of Philosophy 214 Index 236 About the Contributors 244 The so-called anthropocene is one of the most widely discussed concepts in philosophy and critical theory at the moment. This volume takes a broad historical view of the topic, bringing together high profile theorists, including Luce Irigaray and Adrian Parr, providing a platform for highly original work in this important and timely field.