{"product_id":"herodotus-in-the-anthropocene-joel-alden-schlosser-9780226704708","title":"Herodotus in the Anthropocene","description":"We are living in the age of the Anthropocene, in which human activities are recognized for effecting potentially catastrophic environmental change. In this book, Joel Alden Schlosser argues that our current state of affairs calls for a creative political response, and he finds inspiration in an unexpected source: the ancient writings of the Greek historian Herodotus. Focusing on the \u003ci\u003eHistories\u003c\/i\u003e, written in the fifth century BCE, Schlosser identifies a cluster of concepts that allow us to better grasp the dynamic complexity of a world in flux. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Schlosser shows that the \u003ci\u003eHistories\u003c\/i\u003e, which chronicle the interactions among the Greek city-states and their neighbors that culminated in the Persian Wars, illuminate a telling paradox: at those times when humans appear capable of exerting more influence than ever before, they must also assert collective agency to avoid their own downfall. Here, success depends on \u003ci\u003enomoi\u003c\/i\u003e, or the culture, customs, and laws that organize human communities and make them adaptable through cooperation. \u003ci\u003eNomoi\u003c\/i\u003e arise through sustained contact between humans and their surroundings and function best when practiced willingly and with the support of strong commitments to the equality of all participants. Thus, \u003ci\u003enomoi\u003c\/i\u003e are the very substance of political agency and, ultimately, the key to freedom and ecological survival because they guide communities to work together to respond to challenges. An ingenious contribution to political theory, political philosophy, and ecology, \u003ci\u003eHerodotus in the Anthropocene\u003c\/i\u003e reminds us that the best perspective on the present can often be gained through the lens of the past.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Joel Alden Schlosser\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 022670470X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780226704708\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Chicago Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/08\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 216\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.03lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.63d","brand":"Joel Alden Schlosser","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48013708361983,"sku":"9780226704708","price":97.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_9baa4131-c2c8-445a-ab33-e89eea6e98e8.jpg?v=1767744273","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/herodotus-in-the-anthropocene-joel-alden-schlosser-9780226704708","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}