Reimagining International Relations in the Anthropocene

Abstract

Recognition of the Anthropocene within the discipline of International Relations (IR) is a relatively recent development. Understood as a condition that defines the evolution of the planetary system, the Anthropocene poses a set of challenges, ontological and epistemological, regarding the way we do and think about IR. As we delve into the causes and consequences of living in the Anthropocene, existential threats provide a compelling reason for scholars to revisit the limitations of existing explanations, reinforcing the need for a more eclectic approach that questions the asymmetries of power and knowledge that have historically determined the disciplinary boundaries of IR scholarship globally. Notwithstanding the inclusion of feminist, post-colonial, post structural, green and other theoretical perspectives within the rubric of IR; the discipline continues to predominantly focus on the human, rather than the planet. This Special Issue on International Relations in the Anthropocene, consisting of a series of articles by scholars drawn predominantly from the field of IR in India, seeks to explore new perspectives and challenges that the Anthropocene poses for the discipline as a whole.