The Age of Man: A Conceptual History of the Anthropocene

Abstract

This thesis studies the emergence of the concept of Anthropocene and its migration from geology to the other sciences, the public debate and beyond. It asks how this migration occurred and to what extent it was accompanied by a politicisation of the concept. Research into the Anthropocene commonly focuses on questions of periodisation from the perspective of specific disciplinary interests. As a result, the historicity of the concept itself, as questions of conceptual change and drift are neglected. This research aims to contribute to historiography of conceptual history and history of knowledge by scrutinising the concept of ‘Anthropocene’ as it appears in scientific and public discourse. Firstly, this thesis traces the history of the word and examines the geological debate on the concept. Secondly, digital analyses of the Anthropocene show how the academic debate developed between 2000 and 2020, and how the term was transformed in the process. Finally, the case study of Dutch newspapers reveals how scientific knowledge was increasingly politicised, giving insight into the way in which a scientific concept migrates to the public debate and ultimately into the political sphere.