‘Do not go gentle into that good night’: the Anthropecene and the cyclical time of human suffering

ABSTRACT

This short essay explores the notions of ontological recognition in relation to ecological disasters, and examines possibilities for survival. It presents forced migration as an important aspect of the anthropocene and its consequences as suffering and death through the lens of time. The main argument draws on Dylan Thomas’ poem to introduce the politics of the Anthoropocene and addresses the question of death beyond contemporary forms of understanding human suffering via the concept of the aporia of death.

KEYWORDS:

• Cyclical time
• suffering
• Anthropocene

Acknowledgements

The author thanks the editors and reviewers of this special issue for their encouragement and suggestions. She is also in debt to Bulent Ataman for lengthy discussions on the latest phase of capitalism's attacks on life in general.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Although the term refers to a passage in Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s Phenomenology of the Spirit, it is widely considered as a pillar for understanding colonial/postcolonial realities that create subjectivities based on a relationship of bondage. The passage itself describes the formation of two distinct forms of self-consciousness, albeit in a dialectic relationship with each other.

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Notes on contributors

Nergis Canefe

Dr. Nergis Canefe’s areas of interest are genocide and crimes against humanity, memories of atrocities and injustice and the way they shape the notion of citizenship for marginalized groups, the relationship between nationalism and minority rights in the Balkans and the Middle East, and debates on ethics in international law pertaining to mass political violence. She is cross-listed with PPA programme, SocioLegal Studies, SPT graduate programme at York University.