Green Apocalypse: A Biocultural Perspective on End of the World Narratives in Environmental Movements
Humans have produced countless narratives about world-ending calamities, whether in the form of punishing floods, Earth-destroying conflagrations, or endless winters. In this article, we show that a version of such a narrative emerges from groups engaged with climate change, such as Extinction Rebel...
| Authors: | ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Zygon
Year: 2025, Volume: 60, Issue: 3, Pages: 700–19 |
| Further subjects: | B
Cognitive Science
B Agency B Climate Change B Apocalypse B Narrative B Religion B Ritualization |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Humans have produced countless narratives about world-ending calamities, whether in the form of punishing floods, Earth-destroying conflagrations, or endless winters. In this article, we show that a version of such a narrative emerges from groups engaged with climate change, such as Extinction Rebellion. We call this narrative the Green Apocalypse. Applying a biocultural perspective, we explore the biological underpinnings of this narrative in a human disposition to simulate adversity. Such simulations could be beneficial since they prepare subjects for real-world adversity. We argue that the Green Apocalypse can be seen as a simulation-device that lets social activists experience the end of the world virtually. Since simulating the end of the world threatens their sense of agency and triggers anxiety, social activists need ways to resolve the psychological tension that arises. We argue that social activists resolve some of this tension through ritualistic behavior, including the use of symbolic acts. |
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| ISSN: | 1467-9744 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Zygon
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.16995/zygon.18365 |
