Security in the Anthropocene ─ Reflections on Safety and Care

The belief that Nature exists as a blank, stable stage upon which humans act out tragic performances of international relations is no longer tenable. In a world defined by human action, we must reorient our understanding of ourselves, our environment, and our security. This book considers how decentred and reflexive approaches to security are required to cope with the Anthropocene—the Human Age. Drawing from various disciplines, this bold reinterpretation explores the possibilities for understanding and preparing a future that will look vastly different from the past. The book asks us to dig deeper into what it means to be human and what it means to be secure in an age of ecological exception.

Cameron Harrington is the National Research Foundation Global Change and Sustainability Postdoctoral Fellow in the Global Risk Governance Programme at the University of Cape Town.

Clifford Shearing holds positions at the Universities of Cape Town, Griffith, and Montreal.