From Kainos to Kairos. Critique of the Anthropocene
Přednáší:
Ralf Gisinger
Although the epoch of the Anthropocene has been provisionally rejected
by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) in March 2024, the
concept of the Anthropocene has not only arrived, but its proliferation
through the sciences, humanities, politics and arts seems to be without
limits.
Nevertheless, the success of the term coincides naturally with some ambiguity regarding its conceptual, scientific and political viability. Starting by summarizing some of the most controversial debates (name, timeframe, causality, justification, implications), I will ask what the role could be that philosophy or the humanities should play in, for, towards or even against the Anthropocene.
Thus, in my talk I want to tackle several dimensions of the Anthropocene that are interconnected and which lead to a Critique of the Anthropocene (in a Kantian sense) that focuses mainly on the temporal dimension (for example the question of epoch or event) as well as the interconnection of time and catastrophe in conversation with thinkers like Walter Benjamin.
Lots of emphasis has been placed on the first part of the neologism: the anthropos. Although I still think this should be a cornerstone of a Critique of the Anthropocene, I will try to outline some philosophical considerations about the “-cene”, the kainos/καινός (new, recent), that, in a time of impending catastrophe, has to be understood more as kairos/καιρός (a critical, proper moment).
Nevertheless, the success of the term coincides naturally with some ambiguity regarding its conceptual, scientific and political viability. Starting by summarizing some of the most controversial debates (name, timeframe, causality, justification, implications), I will ask what the role could be that philosophy or the humanities should play in, for, towards or even against the Anthropocene.
Thus, in my talk I want to tackle several dimensions of the Anthropocene that are interconnected and which lead to a Critique of the Anthropocene (in a Kantian sense) that focuses mainly on the temporal dimension (for example the question of epoch or event) as well as the interconnection of time and catastrophe in conversation with thinkers like Walter Benjamin.
Lots of emphasis has been placed on the first part of the neologism: the anthropos. Although I still think this should be a cornerstone of a Critique of the Anthropocene, I will try to outline some philosophical considerations about the “-cene”, the kainos/καινός (new, recent), that, in a time of impending catastrophe, has to be understood more as kairos/καιρός (a critical, proper moment).