Often throughout the course of this class, conversation took on an integrative tone: just as often as we discussed individual behavior, we would discuss politics, the environment, and the ways in which all are connected within the greater system of our world – and potentially, our universe. A series of writings reference and evaluate this notion, but none do so… Read more »
At the beginning of the quarter, I didn’t know what the Anthropocene was. On the first day of class, I learned it is the current epoch, characterized by unprecedented human impacts on the Earth system. We have become geological agents to the point where we greatly influence the planet’s climate, carbon cycle, and more. The problems of this time are… Read more »
Over the past few years, I’ve felt surrounded by the world’s grand demise, but didn’t know how to process much of what I was encountering. Eventually I knew I had to get involved in fighting these large-scale injustices. I was too afraid of the idea of being silent, yet too overwhelmed by the idea of committing myself to making change…. Read more »
I’ve learned quite a bit over the entirety of this quarter. This class, in particular, has highlighted some topics I wasn’t aware of before, like systems theory and the idea of ‘active hope’. If there’s one takeaway that I believe is most important, however… it would be political activism. There was an article we read a while ago about how… Read more »
The 2013 ritual rebuilding of the Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture, Japan Active Hope helped me to understand that building trust is key to action. One must find strength from others to become an active participant in the greater rhythm of the earth. Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone define active hope as a practice that “like tai chi… Read more »
One of the most human experiences is to perform or listen to music. I’ve been lucky witness this while playing cello in the Campus Philharmonic Orchestra this quarter. Being immersed in Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet reminded me of living in the Anthropocene. While I am not at all qualified to be commenting on Tchaikovsky’s works, this metaphor works too well… Read more »
Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it’s a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from. — Al Franken As humans, we are bound to mess up. Luckily, most of these mistakes help us to grow and learn. As… Read more »
Prior to taking this course, my first instinct in approaching an issue as immense and all-encompassing as the Anthropocene was to look anywhere but inward. I was under the impression that an issue as complex as our changing climate and degrading Earth strictly required stark scientific objectivity. Viewing the Anthropocene through a scientific lens granted the issue irrefutable credibility, and… Read more »
For the first few weeks of this course, I could not understand why everyone loved the contemplative practices. It seemed utterly counterproductive to discuss systems theory while also emphasizing the awareness of our personal experiences. However, I realized that these two perspectives are what ultimately define what it means to be a human. I chose to represent my human “beingness”… Read more »
For the first few weeks of this course, I could not understand why everyone loved the contemplative practices. It seemed utterly counterproductive to discuss systems theory while also emphasizing the awareness of our personal experiences. However, I realized that these two perspectives are what ultimately define what it means to be a human. I chose to represent my human “beingness”… Read more »
