Our Planetary Mirror: Earth Science and the Reimagining of Humanity

A philosophical analysis of three scientific visions of humanity: the noosphere, the Anthropocene, and Gaia theory. How can we explain humanity’s unique relationship to the Earth? In Our Planetary Mirror, cultural theorist Boris Shoshitaishvili considers the three major ways earth scientists have answered this question in recent years: the noosphere (humans as a layer of thought and culture covering the earth), the Anthropocene (humans as a geological force), and the Gaia hypothesis (humans as part of a superorganism comprising life on Earth). To explore how these concepts extend beyond contemporary science, Shoshitaishvili traces the metaphors at the heart of each framework through their ancient predecessors, including Babylonian myth, Greek philosophy, Aztec metaphysics, and medieval European theology. Using this approach, Shoshitaishvili develops fresh responses to pressing global issues such as geoengineering, artificial intelligence, and the balance between cosmopolitanism and a world of intensified nationalism.