Towards a new knowledge regime in the Anthropocene. The contribution from anthropology

Abstract

The world is overheated, global civilization has painted itself into a corner and negotiates an uncomfortable double-bind between growth imperatives and an urgent need for sustainable solutions. It is widely agreed today that these challenges urgently need to be taken seriously in research, political mobilization and policy making. The question is what kind of knowledge is needed for the appropriate steps to be taken. The short answer is: Many kinds of knowledge. A longer answer begins with a follow-up question: Which knowledges? Using the concept and metaphor of overheating to explain the contemporary impasse, this contribution shows the importance of interdisciplinarity and asks to what extent the knowledge produced in anthropology can contribute to the kind of enlightenment which is needed. Should we learn from past mistakes and successes, seek the necessary insights from the remaining small-scale societies, or instead insist that modernity has to solve its contradictions through its own means, whether that means some kind of global government or technological solutions?