Workshop 3: A World Without Us? Imagining the End of the Human

The final workshop considered the implications of imagining the end of the human in climate discourse: aside from the scientific bases of such predictions, what are the political and ethical ranifications? Galvanised action? Survivalism? Resignation? a push to save the human at all costs?

Themes explored were: politics of time / prediction and the future; Ethics of responsibility to future generations; Imagination of the future in popular culture; Deep ecology; anti-humanism.

Written Papers

The ‘Starter Papers’ below were presented by participants at the workshop, covering a broad range of topics:

Bringing Hope to Crisis: Crisis Thinking, Ethical Action and Social Change by Dr. Sarah Amsler (Aston University)

Are we Responsible to Future Generations? by Professor Barbara Adam (Cardiff University)

Sustainability Past the Point of No Return by Arran Stibbe (University of Gloucestershire)

The End of the Human: Disaster Narratives and the Gaia Hypothesis by Irene Huhulea (The University of Manchester)

Is the End of the Film the End of the Human? On 28 Weeks Later and The Happening by Benjamin Morris and Bradon Smith (Cambridge University)

Beyond Humanity’s End: An exploration of a Narrative versus Dramatic Rhetoric and its Ethical Implications by Professor Celia Deane-Drummond (University of Chester)

Living the Pathos of the End by Dr. Oliver Smith (University of St. Andrews)

Videos

Scroll down to see some interviews with workshop participants on ‘imagining the End of the Human’:

Sarah Amsler (Aston University)

Arran Stibbe (University of Gloucestershire)

Oliver Smith (University of St Andrews)

Celia Deane-Drummond (University of Chester)

Barbara Adam (Cardiff University)

Benjamin Morris and Bradon Smith (Cambridge University)

Mark Levene (Southampton University)

Workshop participants (mixed)