Planetary Social Thought: The Anthropocene Challenge to the Social Sciences

The Anthropocene has emerged as perhaps the scientific concept of the new millennium. Going further than earlier conceptions of the human–environment relationship, Anthropocene science proposes that human activity is tipping the whole Earth system into a new state, with unpredictable consequences. Social life has become a central ingredient in the dynamics of the planet itself.

How should the social sciences respond to the opportunities and challenges posed by this development? In this inn...