Not-quite-agency. Anthropocene and Modernist Dreams

The article deals with the issue of tension between management and unplanned consequences that result from it. By recalling the works of Anna Tsing, I indicate that management based on the modernist rationality led to the Anthropocene defined as the era of feral effects. The full agency of man, which is at the basis of modernist thinking about human-environment relations, is presented in the article as a myth. In fact, the actions leading to the Anthropocene were of the nature of not-quite-agency – their consequences were beyond the domain of human control. The article also deals with the issues of management in the Anthropocene itself, pointing out that global attempts to overcome the environmental crisis are also marked by not-quite-agency, which – in order to protect against possible negative side effects – requires inclusion in the design process by thinking about the internal resilience of the system.

* Badania nad europejskimi ekowioskami prowadzone dzięki wsparciu Ministerstwa Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego w ramach programu Diamentowy Grant. Nr projektu: DI2014002344.

The article deals with the issue of tension between management and unplanned consequences that result from it. By recalling the works of Anna Tsing, I indicate that management based on the modernist rationality led to the Anthropocene defined as the era of feral effects. The full agency of man, which is at the basis of modernist thinking about human-environment relations, is presented in the article as a myth. In fact, the actions leading to the Anthropocene were of the nature of not-quite-agency – their consequences were beyond the domain of human control. The article also deals with the issues of management in the Anthropocene itself, pointing out that global attempts to overcome the environmental crisis are also marked by not-quite-agency, which – in order to protect against possible negative side effects – requires inclusion in the design process by thinking about the internal resilience of the system.

* Badania nad europejskimi ekowioskami prowadzone dzięki wsparciu Ministerstwa Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego w ramach programu Diamentowy Grant. Nr projektu: DI2014002344.