Anthropocene, human sciences and historiography

Abstract

Abstract The article initially presents an increasingly significant move of discussions about the Anthropocene towards humanities and social sciences. Then, taking as a starting point the proposal that these fields could contribute to the understanding of the “consequential meta-level” of studies on the Anthropocene, it discusses how some works produced in humanities and social sciences have dealt with the relationship between causes, effects and consequences regarding the new planetary regime, with a special focus on the debate about the “technosphere.” It concludes by indicating the potential of the “ontological turn” to expand the explanatory and communicative horizons of historiography.