Special Issue of the journal Studium (ISSN 0039-4130), Issue 3/2025, edited by Simona Langella and Marco Damonte
Deadline for article proposal submissions: April 14, 2025
The term “Anthropocene” emerged through a tumultuous history, only garnering significant scholarly attention in 2000 when it was adopted during the International Geosphere and Biosphere Programme conference. Its journey has been briefed yet eventful: on March 20, 2024, the International Union of Geological Sciences deemed it inadmissible. Nevertheless, this neologism has gained traction, inspiring innovative research initiatives across various disciplines while also creating potential ambiguities around its meaning. This term's use underscores a paradox: if humanity is to blame for today’s issues, then the desired changes rely equally on human choices and future actions. Addressing this paradox demands an anthropological stance to redefine human identity, limitations, and relationships with the environment. This Call for Papers aims to contribute to the ongoing debate, asking philosophically whether the notion of the Anthropocene captures overlooked aspects of the contemporary world and, if so, which ones. Furthermore, can it foster a human responsibility – both individual and collective – commensurate with the existential and political challenges faced by globalized societies?
In light of these questions, we invite submissions on the following topics (this list is illustrative, not exhaustive):
- The history, definition, potentials, and limitations of the term Anthropocene;
- Historical, theoretical, and legal precedents for the Anthropocene;
- The relevance of the Anthropocene as a concept for identifying postmodern thought in relation to complementary or alternative terms (post-modern, hyper-modern, trans-humanism, etc.);
- The use of Anthropocene vis-à-vis related and alternative terms (Capitalocene, Chthulucene, Misanthropocene, Novacene, Plasticocene, Urbanocene, Wastocene, etc.);
- The potential of the Anthropocene concept to illuminate neglected aspects of past authors or to reevaluate overlooked thinkers;
- The hermeneutic value of the Anthropocene as a framework for reinterpreting previously analyzed texts;
- The possibility of utilizing “Anthropocene” to examine anthropological and ontological dimensions beyond environmental issues (nature-culture, facts-values, technology, progress, sacrality, etc.);
- Critical perspectives and the interdisciplinary potential of the Anthropocene, including applications in geography, urban studies, economics, sociology, ethics, political philosophy, and more;
- Survey of major current research projects related to the Anthropocene concept;
- Challenges related to the Anthropocene (education, training, solidarity, common good, social justice, self-care, sustainability, ecological transition, civil disobedience, etc.).
Proposals should be accompanied by a brief CV (max 300 characters) of the author(s) in a separate file and sent to langellauni@gmail.com, marco.damonte@unige.it, and rivista@edizionistudium.it by April 30, 2025.
Accepted articles may be written in Italian, English, Spanish, French, or German. They should include an abstract in both Italian (max 300 characters) and English (max 300 characters) and five keywords (in Italian and English). Submissions should be between 35,000 and 45,000 characters (including spaces, notes, and bibliography) and adhere to the journal’s editorial guidelines, available at:
https://riviste.gruppostudium.it/sites/default/files/norme_editoriali_studium.pdf
Submissions will be evaluated through a double-blind peer review process.