Dear colleagues,

The concept of the Anthropocene is one of the few, genuine, widely understood novelties to have emerged in the human sciences in the last few decades. Originally coined by natural scientists and soon adopted by environmental historians, it has propagated at great speed across all of the social sciences and the humanities. As a result, the conversation about the human disruption of planetary systems has become both nuanced and sophisticated, encompassing a variety of disciplines, as well as a remarkable ambition to attempt to manage «system Earth». Unsurprisingly, one of the key issues in this debate is that of the relation between the science of the Anthropocene and its politics. However, it also features the philosophical, normative, and political implications of a wide-ranging concept that emphasizes the telluric dimension of socionatural relations: as much as the human species is presented as a global environmental force, it is also reminded of its geological insignificance.

Remarkably, this conversation is taking place against the backdrop of rising environmental awareness, as the rise of the climate movement has underlined how urgent it is to make collective decisions lest the planet becomes unhospitable to human beings and other animal species. Yet, governing the Anthropocene is not an easy task, as the appearance of countermovements, such as the French «yellow vests» and the diverging goals of rich and developing countries come to show. While planetary challenges are starting to resonate in the political discourse, the rise of national populism casts doubts upon the ability of human societies, whether democratic or not, to achieve global sustainability. Arguably, the governance of the Anthropocene has not yet begun.

This is partly the result of a lack of consensus about how to approach such a colossal subject. On the one hand, natural and social scientists have different outlooks that cannot be easily reconciled despite the calls for interdisciplinarity. On the other hand, social scientists themselves are bound to disagree in their quest for explanations and meanings, and the same goes for the practitioners of environmental humanities. The Anthropocene cannot be captured by a single interpretation, nor is there a unique prescription for dealing with it. It might be argued that the Anthropocene is, for these very reasons, a failed concept that brings nothing new to the field of environmental studies. Yet, the opposite is more likely. This Special Issue is grounded on the premise that the Anthropocene encourages fresh thinking and opens up new perspectives for the social sciences. Despite the attention that has already been devoted to it, however, both the concept of the Anthropocene and the reality that it tries to capture demand closer scrutiny. This Special Issue attempts to evaluate the impact of the Anthropocene in society, politics, and governance. It does adopt an open approach that welcomes different perspectives and deals with a variety of topics.

Thus, we seek papers dealing individually or in combination with the following questions:

- How useful is the Anthropocene for environmental thinking? Can it become a driver for achieving global sustainability? Might it be a distraction or a hindrance? Does the Anthropocene lead to different interpretations of key modern political concepts, such as autonomy or freedom or justice?

- How should the social sciences relate to the natural sciences as far as the Anthropocene is concerned? Is the latter robust enough, or is some caution warranted? What should be the role of experts in the politics of the Anthropocene?

- Who is the Anthropos of the Anthropocene, and how useful is it to ground a political response to planetary challenges in the category of the human species?

- How should the geological aspect of the Anthropocene be approached? Is it relevant for political purposes? How can deep time be incorporated into political concepts and democratic practices?

- How does the Anthropocene affect inherited views of nature? Does it suggest the collapse of ontological or cultural distinctions between the human and the natural? Does it confirm the «end of nature» or just the opposite? Does it provide a new framework for thinking differently about animals and the human relation with them?

- What story does the Anthropocene tell? Is it one about human power, or is it about human helplessness in the face of the Earth's dangerousness? And how does the Anthropocene relate to modernity, capitalism, and the universalist creed?

- Does it make sense to talk about a «good Anthropocene»? Is it still possible to articulate a positive view of the future that can mobilize social action, or is fear the most effective driver for obtaining social consent?

- Is ecomodernism an appropriate response to the Anthropocene? If not, what is the alternative? Can a collective answer to planetary challenges be articulated that is at the same time normatively satisfying and politically realist?

- Can the ideal of sustainability survive the Anthropocene, or should it be replaced by a different concept?

- How does the Anthropocene intertwine with current material practices, both local and global? Do the latter also offer opportunities for resisting harmful change and reimagining alternative futures?

- Is liberal democracy well equipped for dealing with the Anthropocene challenges? Can democratic institutions provide the structural changes that seem necessary to secure human habitability? Can non-democratic regimes do it? What is the role of non-state actors, both transnational and local, in this process?

- What democratic innovations might be needed for governing the Anthropocene? And how compatible is this agenda with the current rise of populistic politics? Is a «green populism» for the Anthropocene conceivable? Can the Anthropocene provide a unifying theme for pluralistic, fragmented societies, or will it just prove another contested issue?

- In view of the momentum acquired by the climate movement, is there any potential for revolutionary politics in the Anthropocene? Contrariwise, can a top-down approach work? How necessary is it to steer technological and economic innovation? And how can it be done?

- In order to call the attention of citizens to this key concept, what language should be employed and what images should be chosen for representing the Anthropocene? What is the best way to depict human-induced planetary changes in the political discourse, mass media, and the arts?

Prof. Dr. Manuel Arias-Maldonado
Guest Editor

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• Anthropocene
• Sustainability
• Democracy
• Environmentalism
• Climate change
• Nature
• Social movements
• Social change