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Kant sought to contain the ancient fear and terror of the natural world in his concept of the sublime. He argued that with human reason we could safely confront an uncontrolled and powerful natural world. But today we no longer have the luxury of the Kantian sublime as we face the oppressive claustrophobic horror of drastic global climate change. The earth itself is now threatened and livelihoods are more precarious. A new sublime incorporating the experience of awe and immensity – coupled with a profound respect for the presence of a great and unpredictable force of nature – can shape our response to the Anthropocene. Climate Chaosreassesses the Kantian sublime, opening up the opportunity to reconsider its dark side and our own fears, as we come face to face with the agency of nature beyond a rational response. Can we find ways to change our thinking, art, and politics to move beyond through the catastrophe of the present? A new aesthetics and a new political narrative of living in harmony with the earth is emerging.
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