Anticipating the Anthropocene

There is an important precedent in the history of ideas for the Anthropocene proposal. This is not found in the precursors that have been proposed to the formal scientific concept, but rather in the work of the eighteenth‐century social theorist Jean‐Jacques Rousseau. I argue that Rousseau's speculative account of the development of human society models a way of viewing the condition of the physical environment as an expression of the social and economic institutions that support human beings' way of life. Key Points There are historical antecedents for the Anthropocene idea The Anthropocene idea has roots in social theory Rousseau's social theory anticipates the Anthropocene idea