On the Composition of the World in the Age of the Anthropocene: Ontologies of Human-Nonhuman Entanglements

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the composition of the world in the era of the Anthropocene through a dialogue with Yukio Maeda’s Planet Politics of the ‘Anthropocene’: The End of the Age of Only Looking at Humans ‘( Jinshinsei’ no Wakusei Seizigaku: Hito dake wo Mireba Sumu Jidai no Shuen), which advocates extending ‘politics’ to nonhumans. ‘Anthropocene’ refers to a new geological epoch that represents the geological changes caused by human activity. This impact has led to the emergence of diverse research trends in International Relations, ranging from posthuman to multi-species approaches. While critically inheriting these trends, this book can be viewed as the latest outcome of a study on ontology stemming from the new relationship between humans and nonhumans. This paper examines the validity of planet politics proposed in this book concerning the types of relations that can be established between humans and nonhumans and the kind of framework suitable for this purpose, on an Earth that has reached its planetary limits. While it agrees with the basic premise that we can no longer focus solely on the interactions among humans in the Anthropocene, and that we must consider both humans and other life forms, along with the material planet Earth that underpins our activities, the paper argues that to acheive tangible progress, we must prioritise ‘diplomacy’. This refers to enhancing the conversation between humans and nonhumans, rather than attempting to conceptualise planet ‘politics’ in one swift move.