Postgrowth Humanities: The Limits of Cultural Critique in its Encounter with Planetary Limits
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30827/tn.v8i1.29533Keywords:
Environmental humanities, Cultural studies, Energy humanities, Degrowth, Political ecology, Peak fossil fuelsAbstract
What are the limits of cultural critique in its encounter with planetary limits? The recognition of planetary limits entails a vibrant transformation of the humanities with the rapid emergence of the environmental humanities and the energy humanities. This transformation is forcing cultural studies to adjust their theoretical radars significantly. Yet, some humanities scholars resist or ignore this transformation and still teach and research as if we were not living on a dying planet. If petromodernity and cultural theory emerged together, cultural theory may be nothing but petrocultural theory, in which case peak oil would coincide with peak theory. This essay comments on these transformations and suggests the importance for the humanities to come to terms with planetary limits by becoming what could be named postgrowth humanities. This entails not only to take planetary limits seriously, but for the humanities to intentionally become a key player in the task of envisioning, designing, and transitioning to a regenerative, fair, and post-growth cultural paradigm.
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