HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE ANTHROPOCENE

The course is part of the Master's program in ENVIRONMENTAL HUMANITIES, and contributes to this broad field, especially from the perspective of the history of science and intellectual history.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired both basic and, in some respects, specialized knowledge about the history and philosophy of the environment in the Anthropocene from an interdisciplinary perspective from the nineteenth century to the present. They will also be able to develop a critical perspective on the meaning of the Anthropocene itself, its main declinations, and the scientific-institutional context that contributes to its legitimation.

The course does not require any prior specialized knowledge. There are no specific prerequisites other than enthusiasm, curiosity, and a willingness to actively participate in class discussions

This course provides an introduction to the theory of the Anthropocene - the idea that humanity is the primary agent of planetary transformation and has created an environmental crisis unprecedented in Earth's history - from an interdisciplinary perspective that weaves the dialogue between the natural and environmental sciences, intellectual history and science, with insights from literature and the visual arts, against the backdrop of the broader working framework of the environmental humanities.

The Anthropocene will be explored and contextualized historically, i.e, in its emergence as an idea/concept and a theory through which philosophers, writers, and natural scientists (Antonio Stoppani, Joseph Le Conte, George Perkins Marsh, Vladimir I. Vernadsky, etc.) have understood and elaborated over the past two centuries the impact of human activities on the local and global environment and the co-evolutionary relationship between humanity and the biosphere (Antropozoic, Psychozoic, Noocene, etc.).
These narratives will range from reflections on the alteration of ecosystem balances, the exploitation of natural resources and fossil fuels, the loss of biodiversity, animal husbandry, etc., to an understanding of the Earth as a planetary, self-organizing energy system composed of interacting parts (geosphere-biosphere, Gaia, Earth System).

The Anthropocene will also be explored as a generator of plausible scenarios leading to anthropogenic mass extinctions and the tools to prevent and mitigate them. Case studies such as the threat of nuclear winter, global pandemics, and extreme events capable of causing natural and humanitarian disasters will be considered from scientific, literary, and visual perspectives, i.e., the proliferation of apocalyptic scenarios into popular culture and the imagination.

One part of the course will explore the multiple declinations, genealogies, and traditions traceable to the Anthropocene, that is, the ways in which different authors understood human alteration of environmental systems prior to the emergence and success of the Anthropocene concept in the 2000s and beyond.
A second part of the course will explore the emergence of scientific theories and practices, including research agendas and models, that have enabled the legitimization of the Anthropocene as a geo-anthropological theory and continue to provide evidence useful for the implementation of governmental measures to defend the global environment (Earth System Governance). Fundamental will be the study of the development of Earth System Sciences (ESS), global ecology, and international programs and research (the IGBP, MAB, Nuclear Winter Research) that emerged in the post-World War II era during the Cold War.

Reading materials and texts will be extracted from essays and works by the various authors we will cover and will be made available on moodle a few months before the course begins. We therefore recommend that you register and log in to the platform on a regular basis.

The final exam will be written and consist of a short research paper on a topic of your choice but pertaining to the course and assigned readings. There will also be oral presentations (group or individual) during the course.

During the weekly lectures, we will read and comment on several texts that exemplify the heterogeneity of approaches, traditions, meanings, and discourses related to the Anthropocene and the various hypotheses about its beginning date. We will also discuss some artistic, visual, and multimedia representations to stimulate interdisciplinary reflection and class discussion. During the course we will also have opportunities to visit exhibitions, participate in outside workshops and, weather permitting, take field trips.

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