The Anthropocene as a historical hyperobject

Abstract

The notion of the Anthropocene has gained momentum in many academic disciplines in the last couple of decades. Yet it seems that history, both as a human science and a political frame, fails to come to terms with this new geological epoch in which the distinction between humanity and nature blurs. Employing the concept of ‘hyperobject’, this article argues that such collision is not an accident or the result of historiography lagging behind. Rather, it is linked to both epistemological limits (related to time-scale, documentary and field autonomy issues) and political questions (related to human agency and universality). In conclusion, potential alternatives to posthuman anthropocenism are considered as a way to both maintain the foundations of the discipline and build post-anthropocentric approaches.