At the end of the eighteenth century, the French naturalist Georges Cuvier boldly proclaimed that there existed a previous world, most possibly very different from the contemporary one. From his study of fossils, Cuvier argued that extinction, the total disappearance of species, was part and parcel of nature. Scientists have since unearthed two different extinction pathways affecting life on Earth: background extinction occurring over millions of years, and catastrophic extinction events—like the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs—that push all living species to the brink in a very short period of time. In the last decade, scientific consensus has formed around the idea that we are undergoing a sixth extinction event, this one caused by human activity. As our climate crisis intensifies, the loss of biodiversity becomes more acute, threatening ecosystems and our very way of life. How should we make sense of this alarming disappearance of species within the larger context of our political economy and relationship with nature?
In this course, we will explore the history of theories of extinction, and the nature of the extinction event that confronts us today. We will survey the extent and drivers of biodiversity loss across the planet—from microorganisms to mammals—and consider how such loss affects the biosphere writ large. We will also take up debates over what is to be done in the face of such adversity. Can we rely on technological advancements to resurrect extinct species? What criteria should guide our conservation efforts? We will strive to answer such questions by exploring scientific literature on biodiversity loss, the climate crisis, and extinction, as well as texts by Adrienne Buller, Troy Vettese, Alyssa Battistoni, Annalee Newitz, Elizabeth Kolbert, George Church and Ed Regis, among others.
