What is it about?
The article discusses the Anthropocene phenomenon and the resulting global risks, such as the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and socio-political instability. Drawing on Ulrich Beck’s theory and reports from the World Economic Forum, the author identifies three possible strategies for responding to these threats: denial and rejection, apathy and nihilism, and social transformation. He argues that only the latter constitutes a constructive response, one that nevertheless requires cooperation among individuals, civil society, and state institutions in the spirit of global planetary responsibility.
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Why is it important?
The article combines scientific, philosophical, economic, and political perspectives into a single coherent argument something that is rarely seen in discussions of the climate crisis. It does not stop at diagnosing the problem, but seeks concrete strategies for action.
Perspectives
This article was written in response to the public sense of threat arising from the mounting crises of the contemporary world, which can be grouped under the term “Anthropocene.” My aim was to capture the interdependence of these various risks and to present a broader cognitive perspective that allows for their analysis from a critical yet engaged standpoint.
prof. Edyta B. Pietrzak
Lodz University of Technology
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Anthropocene as a Global Risk: The Socio-political Contexts, April 2026, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004756861-003.
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