Deep Time, Dark Times: On Being Geologically Human (Thinking Out Loud)

The new geological epoch we call the Anthropocene is not just a scientific classification.It marks a radical transformation in the background conditions of life on Earth, one taken for granted by much of who we are and what we hope for.Never before has a species possessed both a geological-scale grasp of the history of the Earth and a sober understanding of its own likely fate.Our situation forces us to confront questions both philosophical and of real practical urgency.We need to rethink who "we" are, what agency means today, how to deal with the passions stirred by our circumstances, whether our manner of dwelling on Earth is open to change, and, ultimately, "What is to be done?" Our future, that of our species, and of all the fellow travelers on the planet depend on it. The real-world consequences of climate change bring new significance to some very traditional philosophical questions about reason, agency, responsibility, community, and man's place in nature.The focus is shifting f