Navigating Universality in the Anthropocene: The Contested “Anthropos” in Bewilderment (2021) and The Red Deal (2021)

This paper explores the diverse and often conflicting interpretations of the concept of the Anthropocene, extending the debate from academic discourses in the natural sciences and humanities to cultural representations in literature and activism. Widely recognized in the natural sciences as an epoch in which human activity has become the dominant influence on the planet, the Anthropocene’s universalizing framework has been critiqued by scholars in the humanities and social sciences. These critics argue that the concept overlooks significant social, racial, and economic disparities that determine who is responsible for environmental degradation and who suffers its impacts. Central to this debate is the tension between the notion of humanity as a homogeneous geological force and as a culturally and economically differentiated entity. Scale emerges as a critical lens, illuminating how human agency is conceptualized differently at planetary, collective, and individual levels. By juxtaposing Richard Powers’s novel Bewilderment and the manifesto The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save Our World, this paper examines how literary and activist engagements navigate tensions between conceptualizing humanity as a geological force and addressing socio-historical inequalities. Bewilderment imagines humanity’s universal impact as a geological force, while The Red Deal critiques capitalism and colonialism as root causes of ecological crises, emphasizing socio-historical specificity. This analysis argues that the universalizing frameworks of Earth System Science and the differentiated responsibilities highlighted by the humanities are not mutually exclusive but exist in productive tension. Rather than seeking to resolve these tensions, this paper suggests that engaging with them enriches understandings of humanity’s shared impact on the planet while recognizing critical differences shaped by historical and socio-political contexts.