The measure of all things? The Anthropocene as a global biopolitics of carbon

Abstract

We are now told to welcome ourselves to the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch where humanity is ‘literally making’ the planet (Dalby, 2014). Yet, the underlying philosophical foundations of this human-made epoch remain relatively unexplored. This article makes a new contribution by problematizing the Anthropocene using the philosophies of Arendt, Foucault and Heidegger. It argues that the Anthropocene is a new and global form of biopolitics that asserts the essence of all (human) life and industry — the carbon atom — as the measure and centre of everything. When Nature is pre-reflectively projected, quantified and conceived as a calculable and carbonic human construction, then every thinkable object becomes related back to the human as its creator and steward. This is argued by tracing the entwining of computerized general circulation models, nuclear technologies and Earth system science, as well as by critiquing applicationist uses of biopolitics and governmentality in International Relations. What emerges in the Anthropocene, therefore, is an implicit yet powerful form of subjectivism ranging from atomic to global scales, or what is defined here as ‘relationality’. Echoing Heidegger (1977a: 27), in the Anthropocene, ‘It seems as though man everywhere and always encounters only himself’. Welcome, Anthropos, not to an epoch you are making, but to your new global biopolitics of carbon.

Coming to GRIPs With NETs Discourse: Implications of Discursive Structures for Emerging Governance of Negative Emissions Technologies in the UK

“…Second, although it highlighted that there is more than one type of discourse/knowledge system at play within this sphere of the NETs governance debate, my analysis has shown that the range of knowledge(s) being systematically reproduced is still limited. Comparing my findings with the wider literature has shown that the discursive structures I have identified in this sphere of the NETs debate reflect western, liberal-democratic and anthropocentric dynamics that have been shown to be dominant in broader climate governance (Bäckstrand and Lövbrand, 2016;Hamilton, 2018;McLaren and Markusson, 2020). Climate ethics and justice knowledge is seemingly being constituted as largely external to the discursive structure that shapes what it is possible to (legitimately, authoritatively) know and say within the industry/policy sphere of the NETs debate.…”

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“…Daha sonra buna 'yönetimsellik (governmentality)' adını verecektir. Foucault'nun yaklaşımında biyopolitika ve biyopolitik yönetimsellik iç içe kullanılmıştır (Foucault, 2003: 249;Gora, 2014: 130;Hamilton, 2016;s.40;Konak, 2019: 118;Lemke, 2013a: 55). Foucault'a göre yönetimin özgünlüğünün kavranışı için öncelikle 'güvenlik düzenekleri' denilen işleyişe bakılmalıdır.…”

“…Bu husus Foucault'nun biyopolitik yönetimsellik yaklaşımında bahsettiği, neoliberal politikaların gezegensel bir problem üzerine dahi nasıl kurulduğunu açıklayan en iyi örneklerden biridir. Foucault'nun insan bedeninin istatiksel verilere dökülmesiyle betimlediği süreç, bu kez metalaştırılan karbon üzerinden; karbon tüketicileri ve sayaçları ve bunlar doğrultusunda tanımlanan karbon davranış biçimleri üzerinden tanımlanmakta ve küresel iklim değişikliği müzakerelerini yönlendirmektedir (Hamilton, 2016). Foucault işte tam da bu nedenle ancak liberalizmin ne olduğunu anladıktan sonra biyopolitikanın anlaşılabileceğini ifade etmiştir (Foucault, 2008: 22).…”

Mudança global do clima as cidades no Antropoceno: escalas, redes e tecnologias

“…A literatura científica ainda está bem dividida entre autores que consideram o Antropoceno uma poderosa concepção, capaz de guiar a sociedade a uma atuação mais efetiva na governança climática (Burke et al, 2016;Hamilton, 2016;Haraway, 2016; Franchini, Viola e Barros-Platiau, 2017) e aqueles que são críticos de tal ideia (Wapner, 2014;Fagan, 2016;Chandler, Cudworth e Hobden, 2017; Bauer e Ellis, 2018).…”