Reclaiming planetary consciousness

In this commentary, I argue that new concepts and neologisms must reckon with history. The idea of Gaia, to which Gonin et al. refer, is not without its sins, and is in fact at the origin of a controversial tradition that initially gave little weight to the impact of human activities in transforming the biosphere. Politicizing Gaia is not the answer. In my view, it is important to refocus on human agency and strive for common goals to address the crisis of the Anthropocene. What is still missing is a systematic study of the various ways in which a highly differentiated humanity across the globe has conceived itself as a geohistorical force. Pursuing this path helps to provide a historical foundation for the need to build a necessary planetary consciousness.