The Anthropocentrism of the Anthropocene
Environmental philosophers for decades have been discussing the idea of anthropocentrism. This is the idea that humans are the most central and significant being on the planet. One new book, “Learning to die in the anthropocene” has a very interesting premise, which is that dying now in today’s world is different from the period in which people died in the past. But there are problems with the way the book was executed. The question really becomes, does anthropocentrism spark the discussion and the identity of the anthropocene? The anthropocene has become a “reflection on the reinforcement of the anthrpocentric actionable worldview that generated the anthropecene.” Has humanity become a geological force? Are we as beings controlling the future of our world? The answer is a resounding, yes. But the more important concept to focus on is how are we living, and how are we impacting our environment. Cosmic, Axiological, and Epistemic values are all key in the theme of anthropocentrism.