Anthropocene : the enigma of 'the geomorphic fold'

Ben Dibley

    Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperChapter

    Abstract

    After the humiliating blows to the human subject delivered, as the cliche goes, by Copernicus, Darwin, and Freud, the notion of the Anthropocene would appear as some strange reversal, positing the Anthropos at the centre of planetary time and the Earth system's evolution. By some weird twist, it would seem 'man' is back - the human subject, returned to its privileged position, reassuringly ensconced at the hub of planetary disorder. The notion would seem to confirm at least the possibility of human control and dominance. This much is clear for literary critic, Tom Cohen, as he sardonically puts it: 'The term "anthropocene" ... [is] the epitome of anthropomorphism itself- irradiating with a secret pride invoking comments on our god-like powers and ownership of "the planet"' (Cohen 2012, 240). The formulation in this chapter's title, 'the geomorphic fold', is borrowed from Cohen (2010).
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationAnimals in the Anthropocene: Critical Perspectives on Non-Human Futures
    Place of PublicationSydney, N.S.W.
    PublisherSydney University Press
    Pages19-32
    Number of pages14
    ISBN (Print)9781743324394
    Publication statusPublished - 2015

    Keywords

    • anthropocene
    • cultural theory
    • environmental humanities

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