Scientific Humanisms and the Anthropocene, Or the Dream of Steering the Evolution of the Human and Natural World

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Sommer, Marianne
Data de Publicação: 2021
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.48487/pdh.2021.n11.24293
Resumo: This contribution engages with different forms of humanism coming out of the history of science and evolutionary biology, called new, scientific, evolutionary, and ecological, from the interwar years to the post-war period. The focus lies on issues of progress, teleology, universalism, and Eurocentrism in the associated conceptualizations of (evolutionary) history, the present, and the future. According to the grand narrative of Julian Sorell Huxley, transitions took place at the threshold of the inorganic to the biological and from the biological to the human or psychosocial phase of evolution that changed the rules of the game. As a leading figure of the modern synthesis, he strongly opposed notions of teleology. Yet the latter was paramount in maintaining the possibility for consciously steered development in the human phase. Combined with the science of ecology and applied-ecological programs, such humanisms amounted to a prefiguration of what today is called Anthropocene. They, alongside the Anthropocene, stand for the responsibility of universal humankind for the future of the planet. While it seems as if the real stewards of progressive evolution were scientific elites, it is therefore also the notion of anthropos inherent in such concepts that appears problematic.
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spelling Scientific Humanisms and the Anthropocene, Or the Dream of Steering the Evolution of the Human and Natural WorldHumanismos Científicos e o Antropoceno, ou o Sonho de Conduzir a Evolução do Mundo Humano e NaturalHumanismoEvoluçãoTeologiaAntropocenoHumanismEvolutionTeleologyAnthropoceneThis contribution engages with different forms of humanism coming out of the history of science and evolutionary biology, called new, scientific, evolutionary, and ecological, from the interwar years to the post-war period. The focus lies on issues of progress, teleology, universalism, and Eurocentrism in the associated conceptualizations of (evolutionary) history, the present, and the future. According to the grand narrative of Julian Sorell Huxley, transitions took place at the threshold of the inorganic to the biological and from the biological to the human or psychosocial phase of evolution that changed the rules of the game. As a leading figure of the modern synthesis, he strongly opposed notions of teleology. Yet the latter was paramount in maintaining the possibility for consciously steered development in the human phase. Combined with the science of ecology and applied-ecological programs, such humanisms amounted to a prefiguration of what today is called Anthropocene. They, alongside the Anthropocene, stand for the responsibility of universal humankind for the future of the planet. While it seems as if the real stewards of progressive evolution were scientific elites, it is therefore also the notion of anthropos inherent in such concepts that appears problematic.Este texto procura dialogar com as diferentes formas de humanismo, designadas como novas, científicas, evolucionárias ou ecológicas, que emergiram da história da ciência e da biologia evolutiva desde o período entre- guerras até ao pós-segunda guerra mundial. O texto centra-se em questões relativas ao progresso, à teleologia, ao universalismo e ao eurocentrismo nas conceptualizações da história (da evolução), do presente e do futuro que lhes estão associadas. Segundo a grande narrativa de Julian Sorrell Huxley, as transições que tiveram lugar no limiar entre o inorgânico e o biológico e do biológico para a fase humana ou psicosocial da evolução transformaram as regras do jogo. Uma das principais figuras da síntese moderna, Huxley opunha-se fortemente à teleologia. No entanto, esta última era indispensável para manter a possibilidade de um desenvolvimento consciente na fase humana. Combinados com a ciência ecológica e com programas ecológicos aplicados, estes humanismos resultaram numa prefiguração do que hoje designamos por Antropoceno. Tal como o Antropoceno, estes humanismos assentam na responsabilidade universal da humanidade pelo futuro do planeta. Embora aparentemente os verdeiros guardiões do evolucionismo progressista fossem elites científicas, é então a própria noção de Anthropos inerente a estes conceitos que parece ser problemática.Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa2021-04-23info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://doi.org/10.48487/pdh.2021.n11.24293https://doi.org/10.48487/pdh.2021.n11.24293Práticas da História. Journal on Theory, Historiography and Uses of the Past; No. 11 (2020); 199-223Práticas da História. Journal on Theory, Historiography and Uses of the Past; N.º 11 (2020); 199-2232183-590Xreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAPenghttps://praticasdahistoria.pt/article/view/24293https://praticasdahistoria.pt/article/view/24293/17972Copyright (c) 2021 Práticas da História. Journal on Theory, Historiography and Uses of the Pastinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessSommer, Marianne2023-04-15T05:24:36Zoai:ojs.revistas.rcaap.pt:article/24293Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T17:49:24.770524Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Scientific Humanisms and the Anthropocene, Or the Dream of Steering the Evolution of the Human and Natural World
Humanismos Científicos e o Antropoceno, ou o Sonho de Conduzir a Evolução do Mundo Humano e Natural
title Scientific Humanisms and the Anthropocene, Or the Dream of Steering the Evolution of the Human and Natural World
spellingShingle Scientific Humanisms and the Anthropocene, Or the Dream of Steering the Evolution of the Human and Natural World
Sommer, Marianne
Humanismo
Evolução
Teologia
Antropoceno
Humanism
Evolution
Teleology
Anthropocene
title_short Scientific Humanisms and the Anthropocene, Or the Dream of Steering the Evolution of the Human and Natural World
title_full Scientific Humanisms and the Anthropocene, Or the Dream of Steering the Evolution of the Human and Natural World
title_fullStr Scientific Humanisms and the Anthropocene, Or the Dream of Steering the Evolution of the Human and Natural World
title_full_unstemmed Scientific Humanisms and the Anthropocene, Or the Dream of Steering the Evolution of the Human and Natural World
title_sort Scientific Humanisms and the Anthropocene, Or the Dream of Steering the Evolution of the Human and Natural World
author Sommer, Marianne
author_facet Sommer, Marianne
author_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Sommer, Marianne
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Humanismo
Evolução
Teologia
Antropoceno
Humanism
Evolution
Teleology
Anthropocene
topic Humanismo
Evolução
Teologia
Antropoceno
Humanism
Evolution
Teleology
Anthropocene
description This contribution engages with different forms of humanism coming out of the history of science and evolutionary biology, called new, scientific, evolutionary, and ecological, from the interwar years to the post-war period. The focus lies on issues of progress, teleology, universalism, and Eurocentrism in the associated conceptualizations of (evolutionary) history, the present, and the future. According to the grand narrative of Julian Sorell Huxley, transitions took place at the threshold of the inorganic to the biological and from the biological to the human or psychosocial phase of evolution that changed the rules of the game. As a leading figure of the modern synthesis, he strongly opposed notions of teleology. Yet the latter was paramount in maintaining the possibility for consciously steered development in the human phase. Combined with the science of ecology and applied-ecological programs, such humanisms amounted to a prefiguration of what today is called Anthropocene. They, alongside the Anthropocene, stand for the responsibility of universal humankind for the future of the planet. While it seems as if the real stewards of progressive evolution were scientific elites, it is therefore also the notion of anthropos inherent in such concepts that appears problematic.
publishDate 2021
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021-04-23
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv https://doi.org/10.48487/pdh.2021.n11.24293
https://doi.org/10.48487/pdh.2021.n11.24293
url https://doi.org/10.48487/pdh.2021.n11.24293
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://praticasdahistoria.pt/article/view/24293
https://praticasdahistoria.pt/article/view/24293/17972
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv Copyright (c) 2021 Práticas da História. Journal on Theory, Historiography and Uses of the Past
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Copyright (c) 2021 Práticas da História. Journal on Theory, Historiography and Uses of the Past
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Práticas da História. Journal on Theory, Historiography and Uses of the Past; No. 11 (2020); 199-223
Práticas da História. Journal on Theory, Historiography and Uses of the Past; N.º 11 (2020); 199-223
2183-590X
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
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instacron:RCAAP
instname_str Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
instacron_str RCAAP
institution RCAAP
reponame_str Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
collection Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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