Publication ahead of print | ||
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Journal |
Nat. Sci. Soc.
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Section | Vie de la recherche – Research news | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/nss/2024052 | |
Published online | 27 January 2025 |
Anthropocène, la fin de l’homme ? Retour sur un colloque à l’École polytechnique
Anthropocene: The End of Man? A symposium at the Paris École polytechnique
Philosophie, École polytechnique, Laboratoire interdisciplinaire (LinX), Palaiseau, France
* Auteur correspondant : thomas.sentis@polytechnique.edu
Cet article rend compte du colloque de sciences sociales intitulé « Anthropocène, la fin de l’homme ? », qui s’est tenu les 28 et 29 septembre 2023 à l’École polytechnique. Histoire, anthropologie et philosophie y ont dialogué autour de la notion d’Anthropocène, dans laquelle la figure de l’homme est centrale, mais où elle semble aussi dépassée, chargée des catégories d’une modernité qui s’achève. Si l’histoire ne peut plus être pensée comme progrès, et si l’homme est déchu de son surplomb sur la nature, quel avenir reste-t-il ? Les interventions ont proposé différentes perspectives : notre époque peut être celle des devenirs nouveaux de l’humain, par lesquels nous pourrions apprendre à habiter la Terre ; elle peut être aussi celle d’un autre rapport à l’histoire, sans utopie et sans futur écrit d’avance, où l’histoire retrouve son rôle de sage conseillère ; notre époque peut, enfin, renoncer à l’idéal moderne du progrès sans pour autant perdre de vue celui de l’émancipation.
Abstract
This paper provides an account of the symposium held on September 28th and 29th, 2023, at the École Polytechnique, Paris. Scholars in history, anthropology, and philosophy convened to explore the theme ‘Anthropocene: The End of Man?’. Reflecting upon the scientific hypothesis that the current geological era of our planet is the ‘era of Man’, a paradox emerges: humans are at the center of our time, yet the idea of ‘Man’ seems outdated. The modern dominion of ‘Man’ over nature is undermined by the current planetary crises, reminding us of our fragile condition as living beings. At the same time, while ‘Men’ used to be considered agents of universal progress, they are now regarded as drivers of forthcoming desolation. In this context, what kind of future are we left with? Most conveners warned against holding onto illusory hopes, pointing out the numerous social, economic or historical obstacles that prevent any collective tackling of the current planetary crises. Yet, insightful perspectives have been drawn. First, the idea of ‘Man’ could be surpassed by new ways to live both individually and collectively and by new ways to dwelling on Earth that entail an entanglement between human and non-human beings. Second, history could be considered less as a progress towards a foreseeable future and more as a wise advisor or as a compass for troubled times. Lastly, our epoch could be a time when, although abandoning the ideal of progress, other modern ideals can be kept alive, such as that of emancipation.
Mots clés : Anthropocène / homme / histoire / avenir / crise
Key words: Anthropocene / humans / history / future / crisis
© T. Sentis, Hosted by EDP Sciences, 2025
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, except for commercial purposes, provided the original work is properly cited.
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