The History of the Anthropocene: Meanings and Research Trajectories

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the Anthropocene has become a concept of multidisciplinary interest and research. A topic of particular interest has been the history of the Anthropocene. The underlying ambiguity of this topic opens it up to four different meanings, each engendering a discrete research trajectory within the emerging field of Anthropocene studies. The present contribution maps these four research trajectories stemming respectively from geology, Earth system science, environmental history and conceptual history. It also explores ways in which these histories overlap, complement or conflict with one another in understanding the global phenomenon that the Anthropocene represents. As the concept of the Anthropocene grows into a social, political and even educational vehicle for environmental communication, organising knowledge in and of the Anthropocene is an urgent task. This task requires going outside disciplinary comfort zones and engaging with neighbouring as well as distant disciplines with curiosity so as to disclose the full potential of the Anthropocene concept.