Earth Emotions; New Words for a New World | Lecture and conversation by environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht, philosophers Elize de Mul and Boris van Meurs

Announcement

Landscape pain and climate stress. We feel emotions at the changing nature around us. Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht, one of today's most influential environmental philosophers, tries to put our relationship with the earth into words. He describes new emotions, such as solastalgia, the homesickness one feels while at home and the nature around it is in decline. Come and learn from Glenn Albrecht how to put words to the emotions we feel about the environmental crisis.

Symbiocene

Glenn Albrecht is the creator of the common term the Symbiocene. By this he indicates the need for a change in our attitude toward the earth. We need to say goodbye to the Anthropocene, the human-centered era, and move toward the hopeful Symbiocene. In the Symbiocene, we live and work together with everything that lives on earth. We no longer see nature as a mere utensil or object, but as an essential cooperative partner. The Symbiocene brings us hope again for a future in which we actually live together with nature.

Terrafuria

To express our emotions that describe the decline of biodiversity and the loss of nature, Glenn Albrecht designs new terms. Albrecht sees terrafuria, the anger we feel for the planet's decline, as one of the defining emotions of the twenty-first century. After his lecture on earth emotions, he will engage in a conversation with philosophers Elize de Mul and Boris van Meurs, led by Cees Leijenhorst, to arrive at a symbiography, a description of our lives in relationship with nature rather than as mere consumers of the earth. 

This programme will be in English. 

About the speakers

Glenn Albrecht is a philosopher at University of Sydney, Australia. He is one of today's most influential environmental philosophers. He gives new words to our emotions at the decay of the earth, contributing to a hopeful solution to the climate crisis.

Boris van Meurs is a philosopher at Radboud University. He researches the influence of humans on the earth. Looking at this on a geological time scale puts the effects of our actions in a different perspective. He wants to know how philosophy can help understand humans as an important geological force.

Elize de Mul is a philosopher and postdoctoral researcher at Radboud University. She conducts research in the field of environmental humanities, where her background in media studies and philosophy come together. She is co-author of Onszelf voorbij. Her book Dansen met een plastic zak was previously published. 

Cees Leijenhorst is a philosopher and director of education at Radboud University's Faculty of Theology, Philosophy and Religious Studies. He is an experienced moderator and will lead this evening's discussion.