The anxious a priori: An essay concerning science, law, and the temporal politics of the Anthropocene polycrisis

This paper examines the recent rejection of the “Anthropocene” as a formal geological epoch to explore how climate anxiety shapes scientific research. While there is broad agreement among scientists about climate change, political and legal action lag behind. Scientists bridge this gap by communicating their findings in ways that influence policy. This effort reflects the broader condition of “polycrisis”: multiple overlapping global challenges. I argue that terms like “Anthropocene” and “polycrisis” are not fixed truths, but strategies for taming uncertainty. Scientists, accordingly, are increasingly coming to replace legislators in encouraging certain kinds of present-day action toward more desirable futures.