Revamping the Image of Science for the Anthropocene

Abstract

Science is often described as a set ofdiscipline-specific paradigms that share common con- cepts, theories, and practices. However, during the Anthropocene, this image of science has become inapplicable and is potentially damaging. Today, many natural and social sci- entists confront problems and systems that transgress traditional disciplinary boundaries— we focus on ecologists and economists. We claim that these changes justify rethinking the prevailing image ofscience, along with the relation between life scientists and social scien- tists. The time is ripe to recognize the new normal in Anthropocene science and spell out what transdisciplinary problems entail for research practice. We suggest three central is- sues should be recognized by any adequate characterization ofthe new normal. First, given the preponderance of natural-social systems in the Anthropocene, we claim that there are circumstances when analyzing such systems requires new methodological standards. Sec- ond, Anthropocene science will increasingly involve discussions that link the normative and the scientific, where questions of how and what we should study imply questions of value. Finally, because the vast majority ofAnthropocene science will be interdisciplinary, we identify some of the mechanisms that allow researchers to engage with social scientists and scholars in the humanities. Keywords