Conceptual Dictionary of the Anthropocene: An Enhanced Vocabulary for the Contemporary Environmental Experience (Part 1)

Introduction

1 Purpose and Scope: A Compass for the Anthropocene

We live in times of unprecedented redefinitions, where human impact on Earth systems ushers in a new geological epoch – the Anthropocene. Climate crises, biodiversity loss, and socio-environmental inequalities demand a new language, new concepts, and, above all, new ways of thinking and acting.

This dictionary has been meticulously crafted to meet this crucial demand. Its purpose is to provide a robust and interdisciplinary conceptual framework for navigating the intricate relationships established in this scenario. Our objective is to offer complete, deeply grounded answers with multidisciplinary analyses for all those who yearn for a more holistic and critical understanding of the contemporary world.

2 Unique Features and Special Resources: Depth in Detail

Distinguishing itself from a traditional glossary, this dictionary offers an enriched learning experience through carefully considered elements:

• Comprehensive Definitions and Gender Nuances: Each term is presented with a clear and concise explanation, complemented by an indication of its Gender (F/M), adding linguistic precision.

• Multidisciplinary Perspectives: One of the pillars of this work. Each concept is dissected through various lenses – from Philosophy to Political Ecology, from Sociology to Environmental Ethics, from Law to Environmental Psychology. This approach ensures a rich and contextually relevant understanding, crucial for those seeking in-depth knowledge and interconnected analyses.

• Vivid and Concrete Examples: To solidify comprehension, each entry is illustrated with practical Examples and real cases that demonstrate the use and implications of the term in the contemporary world, facilitating the visualization and application of the concept.

  
  

3 Structure and Organization: Clarity and Consistency

Entries are organized alphabetically, ensuring easy consultation and accessibility. Each concept follows a standardized and rigorous format, ensuring that all fields – Word, Gender, Definition, Perspectives, Example, and Illustration – are completed comprehensively and consistently. Meticulous review and the addition of content to absent or incomplete fields were carried out to ensure maximum quality and uniformity in style and depth.

4 Notable Aspects and Innovations: Unveiling Complexity

This dictionary stands out for its audacity in addressing concepts at the forefront of environmental and social thought. It recognizes the "Anthropocene as an Epistemic Battlefield," underscoring that terminology itself is a terrain of disputes over power, knowledge, and responsibility. It innovates by including terms such as "Distributed Agency," which expands our understanding of action beyond the human; "Ontological Decolonization," which challenges hegemonic categories of being; "Hyperobject," which confronts us with entities of incomprehensible scale and complexity; and "Scientific Shamanism," which seeks the synthesis of traditional and modern knowledge. Concepts like "Bodily Scale of Ecological Trauma" and "Solastalgia" humanize the crisis, while "Biodemocracy" and "Multispecies Justice" point towards more inclusive and ethical futures.

5 How to Effectively Use This Dictionary

For master's students and researchers, this work will be an invaluable source for the theoretical foundation of their dissertations, for identifying new lines of investigation, and for constructing solid arguments. For legal professionals, it offers a robust conceptual basis for case analysis, drafting opinions, and formulating policies that reflect the complexity and urgency of environmental issues. For authors and scientists, it will serve as a wellspring of inspiration and a guide for terminological precision in their productions.

We encourage you, the reader, to explore this dictionary not only as a compendium of information but as a catalyst for critical thinking. Connect the concepts, observe their intersections, and reflect on how they manifest in your daily life and in your field of activity.

By doing so, you will not only deepen your linguistic knowledge but strengthen your ability to navigate and intervene meaningfully in the complexity of the Anthropocene era.

We hope that this "Conceptual Dictionary of the Anthropocene" becomes an indispensable companion on your academic and professional journey, inspiring new perspectives and promoting a more conscious and engaged dialogue with the future we are building.

Entries

Distributed Agency

Definition: A concept that recognizes the capacity for action not only of human beings but also of non-human elements (animals, plants, ecosystems, technologies) in shaping socio-environmental reality. It challenges the traditional anthropocentric view by considering that agency emerges from complex relational networks among multiple actors, where influence and the capacity to modify the environment are shared.

Gender: Feminine (F).

Perspectives:

• Philosophy of Science/Ontology: Questions the centrality of the human subject and proposes a more relational view of reality, where agency is an effect of interactions.

• Ecology: Recognizes the interdependence and self-regulatory capacity of ecosystems through the action of their biotic and abiotic components.

• New Materialisms: Emphasizes the importance of matter and objects as active agents in the constitution of the world.

Example: Marine microalgae exert distributed agency by influencing global climate cycles through oxygen production and carbon absorption, actively modifying planetary conditions regardless of direct human will or action.

Urban Agroecology

Definition: A practice and philosophy that integrates food production, ecological restoration, and social justice in urban contexts. It goes beyond urban agriculture by incorporating ecological principles that strengthen biodiversity, soil health, and community relations, creating more resilient, just, and democratic food systems, with a focus on sustainability and local autonomy.

Gender: Feminine (F).

Perspectives:

• Urbanism/Urban Planning: Proposes solutions for food security and land use in cities, transforming idle spaces into productive areas.

• Sociology/Anthropology: Studies the role of these practices in community building, health promotion, and the valorization of local knowledge.

• Ecology: Analyzes the capacity of urban gardens and orchards to promote biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem resilience in anthropized environments.

Example: Community gardens in urban peripheries practice urban agroecology by combining heirloom varieties, collective composting, nutritional education, and strengthening social ties among neighbors, creating hubs of resistance and food sovereignty.

Climate Literacy

Definition: The ability to critically and contextually understand, interpret, and respond to information related to climate change. This includes not only scientific knowledge about causes and impacts but also emotional competencies to deal with the complexity and uncertainty of climate scenarios, and the ability to engage in mitigation and adaptation actions.

Gender: Feminine (F).

Perspectives:

• Education/Pedagogy: Focuses on the development of curricula and methodologies to teach about climate and its challenges.

• Social Communication: Addresses how climate information is transmitted and received by the public, combating misinformation.

• Environmental Psychology: Investigates the impact of understanding climate crises on mental health and motivation for action.

Example: Climate literacy programs in schools teach students to interpret temperature graphs, understand climate feedbacks, and develop community adaptation and mitigation strategies, empowering them to be agents of change.

Anthropocene as an Epistemic Battlefield

Definition: While the Anthropocene is often used as a geological concept marking a new epoch dominated by human influence, this entry explores the term not merely as a fact but as a terrain of intense disputes over knowledge, power, and responsibility. It is a space where different narratives about the origin of the crisis, the culprits, the victims, and the solutions confront each other, questioning who has the power to name, define, and consequently shape the response to environmental crises. This includes the critique that the term homogenizes human responsibility, obscuring historical inequalities and colonial and capitalist power relations.

Gender: Masculine (M) (Battlefield).

Perspectives:

• Philosophy of Science/Epistemology: Analyzes the construction of scientific knowledge and its social and political implications, investigating the assumptions and interests behind the terminology.

• Sociology/Anthropology: Explores different worldviews, traditional knowledge, and critiques the hegemony of Western knowledge, giving voice to plural narratives.

• Post-Colonial Studies/Political Ecology: Questions dominant narratives and gives voice to marginalized perspectives on the crisis, highlighting dimensions of power and injustice.

Example: The dispute between the use of the term "Anthropocene" (which suggests that all humanity is equally responsible) and "Capitalocene" (which points to capitalism and colonialism as the main drivers of the crisis). This discussion is not merely semantic; it defines who should pay the "ecological debt" and who has the right to propose solutions, revealing the profound ethical and justice implications of conceptual choices.

Anthropotrauma

Definition: A collective psychic wound resulting from the awareness that the human species is simultaneously a victim and perpetrator of environmental destruction. It manifests through ecological anxiety, civilizational guilt, a sense of powerlessness in the face of the magnitude of environmental crises, and a feeling of grief for the loss of a sustainable future.

Gender: Masculine (M).

Perspectives:

• Psychology/Psychoanalysis: Explores defense mechanisms, denial, and the working-through of trauma at individual and collective levels.

• Existential Philosophy: Addresses the crisis of meaning and existential disorientation in the face of being both agent and victim of one's own destruction.

• Sociology of Emotion: Investigates how feelings such as guilt and anxiety are socially constructed and shape collective responses to the crisis.

Example: Young climate activists frequently develop anthropotrauma by internalizing responsibility for a future they inherited already compromised by previous generations, feeling the weight of inaction and ongoing destruction.

Biodemocracy

Definition: A system of governance that includes the representation of the interests of other species and ecosystems in democratic processes. It recognizes that human decisions deeply affect other living beings, proposing institutional mechanisms to include their "voices" (through spokespersons, guardians, or legal rights) in politics, overcoming anthropocentric exclusivism.

Gender: Feminine (F).

Perspectives:

• Political Science/Democratic Theory: Challenges the liberal conception of democracy and expands the concept of citizenship and representation.

• Environmental Law/Animal Ethics: Grounds the idea of rights of nature and the legal personality of non-human entities.

• Political Anthropology: Draws inspiration from indigenous cosmologies that already recognize other species as political subjects.

Example: Parliaments that include "deputies" representing forests, rivers, and endangered species through specialized scientists and activists exemplify experiments in biodemocracy, seeking more inclusive and ecocentric governance.

Capitalocene

Definition: An alternative term to the Anthropocene that emphasizes the specific role of the capitalist system in creating contemporary environmental crises. It argues that it is not humanity as a whole, but the mode of production based on capital accumulation, unlimited resource exploitation, and the externalization of costs that is responsible for ecological destruction and socio-environmental inequalities.

Gender: Masculine (M).

Perspectives:

• Political Economy/Critical Geography: Analyzes the intrinsic relationship between the economic system and environmental degradation, identifying capitalism as the driving force.

• Environmental History: Traces the historical origins of the environmental crisis to the development of industrial and colonial capitalism.

• Environmental Sociology: Studies how class and power relations are determinant in the unequal distribution of environmental impacts and benefits.

Example: The logic of the Capitalocene manifests when companies externalize environmental costs to maximize profits (e.g., polluting rivers without paying for depollution), transferring ecological damages to vulnerable communities and future generations, perpetuating cycles of injustice.

Ecological Cyborgization

Definition: The process through which digital technologies and artificial systems integrate with natural cycles, creating techno-natural hybrids that challenge traditional distinctions between organic and artificial, natural and technological. It is not about replacing nature, but a deep intertwining where technology becomes an integral part of ecological and co-social dynamics.

Gender: Feminine (F).

Perspectives:

• Science and Technology Studies (STS): Analyzes the co-constitution of technology and nature, and how innovation shapes and is shaped by the environment.

• Post-humanist Philosophy: Questions the boundaries between human, animal, and machine, exploring the ontological implications of technological fusion.

• Systems Ecology: Studies how sensor networks and AI can function as extensions of Earth's nervous system, monitoring and influencing ecological processes.

Example: IoT sensors in forests that monitor humidity, temperature, soil health, and animal movements exemplify ecological cyborgization by creating techno-natural networks of environmental information and response, aiding in fire prevention or species tracking.

Coexistentialism

DDefinition: A practical philosophy that proposes reforming human relationships based on the recognition of the fundamental interdependence among all forms of life. It goes beyond traditional environmentalism by questioning the power structures that sustain domination over other beings and ecosystems, advocating an ethics of coexistence and mutual respect.

Gender: Masculine (M).

Perspectives:

• Environmental Philosophy/Ethics: Develops moral frameworks that include non-human life and ecosystem health as central values.

• Anthropology: Studies interspecies coexistence practices in different cultures, especially indigenous and traditional ones.

• Political Ecology: Analyzes how power relations impact the capacity for coexistence and proposes more equitable governance models.

Example: Indigenous communities practice coexistentialism by making decisions that consider impacts on seven future generations and including the "voices" of forests and rivers in their deliberative processes, recognizing them as community members.

Multispecies Community

Definition: A relational structure that transcends the boundaries of the human species, recognizing and valuing the interdependence and cohabitation of different life forms (humans, animals, plants, microorganisms, ecosystems) within the same territory or network. This concept challenges the anthropocentric view that places humans at the top of the hierarchy, proposing an ethics of coexistence and mutuality, where the well-being of one part is intrinsically linked to the well-being of the others.

Gender: Feminine (F).

Perspectives:

• Anthropology: Redefines "social" and "culture" to include non-human agents in the construction of realities and meanings, broadening the understanding of community.

• Philosophy/Environmental Ethics: Proposes relational ontologies and biocentric or ecocentric ethics, such as Aldo Leopold's land ethic, which intrinsically value life in its multiple forms.

• Ecology: Underpins the understanding of the interconnectedness of living systems and the importance of interspecific relationships for ecosystem health.

Example: An agroecological farm where farmers work in collaboration with the soil (microorganisms), plants (crop rotation, companion planting), animals (pollinators, biological pest control), and natural water and sun cycles. The health of the harvest and the resilience of the system depend on the vitality and harmonious interaction of all living and non-living components, recognizing "non-human agency" in the success of the endeavor.

Regenerative Worldview

Definition: A worldview that prioritizes the restoration and strengthening of living systems, going beyond sustainability (which seeks to maintain the status quo) to actively pursue ecological and social regeneration. It is based on principles of reciprocity, cyclicity, interdependence, and abundance, seeking to create systems that not only minimize harm but actively heal and improve the environment and communities.

Gender: Feminine (F).

Perspectives:

• Indigenous Studies/Land Philosophy: Draws inspiration from ancestral knowledge that promotes a relationship of care and interdependence with nature.

• Ecological Design/Permaculture: Applies regenerative principles to the planning of human settlements, agricultural systems, and ecosystems.

• Environmental Ethics: Develops a morality that prioritizes the health and self-renewal capacity of living systems.

Example: Permaculture projects apply a regenerative worldview by designing systems that improve soil fertility, increase biodiversity, purify water, and strengthen local communities over time, transforming degraded landscapes into abundant ones.