Elective Seminar: ARCH 581A.02ST Fall 2021
The Anthropocene: Looking back from the future? Professor: Christian Hubert. info@christianhubert.com This course meets online on Tuesdays, from 6-9 pm Online office hours (by appointment): Wednesdays 9:30am -12:00pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The concept of the Anthropocene has gained widespread interest since first being coined by two scientists in 2000. The etymology of the term combines the prefix anthropos (humankind) and cene (new). It refers to a new geological epoch, in which humans have become the major geo-historical force.
By and large, the term has been adopted by geologists, although it still needs to be formally ratified, and its starting date has not yet been settled upon. The Anthropocene would be the first geological epoch to include homo sapiens in its definition, and some scientists are still reluctant to adopt it, either because they consider it premature (in relation to geological time), or because it includes a human, political / historical dimension that pushes the concept beyond the goals of physical science.
But it is precisely because the term suggests crossovers between the “two cultures” of science and the humanities, and because it raises questions about the future of the earth, that it has become such a topic for discussion. It mobilizes both hopes and fears about the impact of humans on the planet and raises questions about altering course. As one writer puts it, “The Anthropocene is the sign of our power, but also of our impotence.”
To what extent can design and architecture effectively address the requirements of the Anthropocene? In the face of an existential threat, designers are currently unsure whether to propose large or small design ideas, and their relation to power is a basic structural issue. With its threats of catastrophic environmental consequences, the Anthropocene can appear overwhelming and design can seem helpless in the face of it. And yet, if a desirable future is to be imagined, paths in that direction need to be set out, and design imagination is urgently called for.
In this seminar, we will look at some of the tensions and potentials of the concept and its application. We will explore some related concepts, including the Gaia hypothesis and the notion of the Capitalocene. We will address the differences between the sciences and the humanities, and we will look specifically how the Anthropocene could provide a framework for design thinking
The course will consist primarily of readings, in-class discussions, and short papers. Participation in the scheduled sessions is mandatory.
SCHEDULE:
CLASS 1 August 31: Introduction: What kind of concept is the Anthropocene? Is it a scientific concept? Or is it a cultural / political one? Is there agreement about its definition? How much does that matter and why? Brief intro to related concepts: Gaia, Climate Change, Biodiversity + Extinction, Capitalocene.
CLASS 2 September 07 Does science function differently from the humanities? What is a Paradigm? What is “Normal Science”? Why is a “Golden Spike” so important to geologists? Readings from Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Clive Hamilton, “The Rupture of the Anthropocene”.
CLASS 3 September 14: What are defining features of Anthropocene? Are humans making the planet unlivable for themselves? Is “dangerous climate change” inevitable? Is it already happening? Readings from The Uninhabitable Planet, Readings from The Ministry for the Future
CLASS 4: November 09: Gaia, Myth, and Earth System Science. Is Gaia a scientific concept? Or is it a mythical / religious one? What is Gaia 2.0? Readings from The Revenge of Gaia, Earth Systems Science: A very Short Introduction
ClASS 5 September 21: The consumerist world Readings from The Great Acceleration, Consuming Life
CLASS 6 September 28: Doubt and Denial Readings from Merchants of Doubt
CLASS 7 October 05: Political disagreement: Anthropos as political subject?
CLASS 8 October 19: Another concept: the Capitalocene In what ways is it different from the Anthropocene? Readings from Jason W. Moore
CLASS 9 October 26: Hyperobjects?
CLASS 10 November 02: abandon ship? Pushed or Jumped? Readings from The World Without Us, The Earth After Us
CLASS 11: November 16: Looking Backwards: Discussion of The Ministry for the Future
CLASS 12: November 23: The Anthropocene and design Part 1
CLASS 13 : November 30 : The Anthropocene and design Part 2
CLASS 14: December 14: Final Class, review / discussion, all assignments due.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Please purchase:
J. R McNeill, The Great Acceleration: An Environmental History of the Anthropocene since 1945, Harvard University Press, pb or Kindle Kim Stanley Robinson, The Ministry for the Future (Kindle Edition)
Other Required Readings: (selections from):
Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Tim Lenton, Earth System Science: A very Short Introduction James Lovelock, The Revenge of Gaia Dipesh Chakrabarty, Anthropocene Time, History and Theory 57, no.1, Jason W. Moore, The Capitalocene, Part I: on the nature and origins of our ecological crisis http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2016.1235036 Jason W. Moore, The Capitalocene Part II: accumulation by appropriation and the centrality of unpaid work/energy http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2016.12725 David Wallace-Wells, The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming Alan Weisman, The World Without Us Jan Zalasiwicz, The Earth After Us Bill McKibben, It's Not Science Fiction, The New York review of books. Volume 67. Issue 20.
Recommended / Research Readings:
Paul N. Edwards, A Vast Machine Mike Hulme, Why We Disagree About Climate Change Bruno Latour, Facing Gaia: Eight Lectures on the New Climatic Regime Etienne Turpin, ed. Architecture in the Anthropocene Spencer R. Weart , The Discovery of Global Warming E.O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life
Another class reference: https://www.christianhubert.com/writing