Environment and Society Socionatural Relations in the Anthropocene
This short book sets out to explore the concept of nature in the context of a changing reality, in which the extent of our transformation of the environment has become evident: What is nature and to what extent has humanity transformed it? How do nature a
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Manuel Arias-Maldonado
Environment and Society Socionatural Relations in the Anthropocene
SpringerBriefs in Political Science
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/8871
Manuel Arias-Maldonado
Environment and Society Socionatural Relations in the Anthropocene
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Manuel Arias-Maldonado University of Málaga Málaga Spain
ISSN 2191-5466 ISSN 2191-5474 (electronic) SpringerBriefs in Political Science ISBN 978-3-319-15951-5 ISBN 978-3-319-15952-2 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-15952-2 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015932511 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © The Author(s) 2015 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
To my parents: in memoriam
Preface
This is a book about something that used to be considered a book: nature. According to the Christian tradition, the greatness of the divine creator was communicated to its creation, which, in turn, could be read as a book wherein such godly traces were to be found. In a post-metaphysical age, after God and Darwin, this book has turned into a scientific code to be broken, whose marvels are translated into the language of genetics or biochemistry. But, most significantly, the book of nature has been so much used—and misused—by human readers throughout history that it has ceased to be a mirror of a godly creation, turning instead into a laboratory where a gigantic experiment is taking place: that of a socionatural entanglement deeply imbricating the workings of humanity and nature. There is no purity anymore, but an incredibly complex entity that can be decomposed into endless relations and processes at different spatial and temporal scales. In sum, nature is not what it used to be. To be sure, the most dramatic ascertainment of this shift lies in the very proposition that we may have entered a new geological age, moving
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