Wikipedia

Draft:Planetary thinking


Planetary thinking is a conceptual framework that emphasizes the Earth as an interconnected system encompassing ecological, geological, and social dimensions. It focuses on transcending anthropocentric perspectives by offering a broader understanding of humanity’s relationship with planetary processes.[1][2] This framework integrates long-term perspectives on planetary dynamics, human-planet interactions, and systemic considerations for ecological sustainability.[3][4]

Historical and theoretical background

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The origins of planetary thinking can be traced back to the intellectual developments in the mid-20th century, where concerns about the planet’s finite resources, environmental degradation, and the impacts of human activities led scholars to think in broader, interconnected terms.[5][6] In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, authors such as Bruno Latour and Dipesh Chakrabarty have further expanded on these ideas. Latour’s Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime proposes a new political order grounded in planetary responsibility​,[7] while Chakrabarty’s The Climate of History in a Planetary Age explores how human history can be understood within planetary scales.[8] The development of planetary thinking incorporated scientific insights and Indigenous knowledge, underscoring the interconnectedness of life and natural processes. This perspective aligns with theories of planetary multiplicity, which highlight the Earth’s historical evolution through various states of change.[9]

Core Concepts

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  1. Planetary Interconnectedness: The recognition that Earth's systems—ecological, geological, atmospheric, and human—are deeply interlinked. Planetary thinking suggests to view these systems as part of a single, integrated whole.[10]
  2. Temporal and Spatial Scales: The framework considers the temporal and spatial dimensions of Earth processes. It incorporates perspectives on "deep time," addressing planetary dynamics over millennia, as well as the global scale of current environmental challenges.[11]
  3. Beyond Anthropocentrism: Moving away from a strictly human-centered worldview, planetary thinking proposes recognizing the agency and value of non-human entities, including ecosystems and other natural processes.[12]
  4. Interdisciplinarity: Planetary thinking draws from multiple disciplines, including environmental science, philosophy, sociology, and political science. It suggests to integrate these perspectives to develop a holistic understanding of planetary systems.[2]

Implications for governance and democracy

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Planetary thinking has potential implications for democratic governance, suggesting institutional reforms that reflect the long-term and global nature of planetary processes. Nation-state governance has been critiqued as insufficient for addressing planetary-scale challenges that require coordinated international responses.[13] Scholars like Frank Biermann, Stefanie Fishel, and Anthony D. Burke propose institutional innovations, including global environmental treaties and multinational regulatory frameworks, to address these interconnected challenges.[14][15]

The framework also suggests expanding democratic systems to represent future generations and non-human entities.[16] This includes the legal recognition of ecosystems through concepts such as the rights of nature, which grant legal personhood to natural systems. Such approaches suggest an ethical and practical need for inclusive governance that recognizes humanity's interdependence with the environment.[17] However, planetary governance raises concerns about democratic legitimacy and representation, as expanding decision-making to a global scale may distance governance from local communities. Balancing global coordination with local democratic participation remains a central challenge.[18]

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Panel on Planetary Thinking - University of Giessen

Planet Politics Institute

Earth System Governance Project

References

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  1. ^ Mohr, Magali (March 15, 2023). "HOW CAN WE THINK LIKE A PLANET?". Futurium. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
  2. ^ a b Hanusch, Frederic (2021). Planetar denken [Planetary thinking] (in German). Bielefeld: Transcript. ISBN 978-3-8376-5383-0.
  3. ^ Bray, Karen; Eaton, Heather; Bauman, Whitney, eds. (2023). Earthly things: immanence, new materialisms, and planetary thinking. New York: Fordham University Press. ISBN 978-1-5315-0306-2.
  4. ^ Hui, Yuk (December 2020). "For a Planetary Thinking". E-flux Journal (114).
  5. ^ Arendt, Hannah; Kohn, Jerome (2006). Between past and future: eight exercises in political thought. Penguin classics. New York (N.Y.): Penguin books. ISBN 978-0-14-310481-0.
  6. ^ Axelos, Kostas (1964). Vers la pensée planétaire [Toward Planetary Thinking] (in French). Paris: Les Éditions de Minuit.
  7. ^ Latour, Bruno (2018). Down to earth: politics in the new climatic regime. Cambridge, UK ; Medford, MA: Polity Press. ISBN 978-1-5095-3059-5.
  8. ^ Chakrabarty, Dipesh; Latour, Bruno (2021). The climate of history in a planetary age. Chicago London: The University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-73286-2.
  9. ^ Dürbeck, Gabriele; Hüpkes, Philip, eds. (2021). Narratives of scale in the anthropocene: imagining human responsibility in an age of scalar complexity. Routledge interdisciplinary perspectives on literature. New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-68338-2.
  10. ^ Braidotti, Rosi; Hlavajova, Maria (2018). Posthuman glossary. Theory series. London: Bloomsbury academic. ISBN 978-1-350-03025-1.
  11. ^ Hanusch, Frederic (2023-12-07). "The Politics of Deep Time". Elements in Earth System Governance. doi:10.1017/9781108936606. ISBN 978-1-108-93660-6.
  12. ^ Bennett, Jane (2010). Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things. Duke University Press. doi:10.1215/9780822391623. ISBN 978-0-8223-4619-7.
  13. ^ Dryzek, John S.; Pickering, Jonathan (2018-12-06). The Politics of the Anthropocene. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oso/9780198809616.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-184689-2.
  14. ^ Biermann, Frank; Lövbrand, Eva, eds. (2019). Anthropocene Encounters: New Directions in Green Political Thinking. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108646673. hdl:10453/143642. ISBN 978-1-108-48117-5.
  15. ^ Burke, Anthony; Fishel, Stefanie (2020), Pereira, Joana Castro; Saramago, André (eds.), "Across Species and Borders: Political Representation, Ecological Democracy and the Non-Human", Non-Human Nature in World Politics: Theory and Practice, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 33–52, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-49496-4_3, ISBN 978-3-030-49496-4, retrieved 2024-09-20
  16. ^ Lawrence, Peter (2022). "Justifying Representation of Future Generations and Nature: Contradictory or Mutually Supporting Values?". Transnational Environmental Law. 11 (3): 553–579. doi:10.1017/S2047102522000176. ISSN 2047-1025.
  17. ^ Schlosberg, David (2007-05-01). Defining Environmental Justice: Theories, Movements, and Nature. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199286294.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-171332-3.
  18. ^ Eckersley, Robyn (2004-03-05). The Green State: Rethinking Democracy and Sovereignty. The MIT Press. doi:10.7551/mitpress/3364.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-262-27213-1.
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