An accessible and thought-provoking, yet academically rigorous, monograph.
Feature image credit: IFF Books
For many years now, the idea of living in the present has pervaded our consciousness. Carpe diem and all that. Yet what may seem like a sensible, if slightly simplistic, framework for living a good life, has in fact repercussions for larger questions of history, philosophy, and collective human behaviour.
Professor of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry at Western Sydney University, (and Flinders Uni graduate) Brett Bowden explores these questions in his monograph Now is Not the Time.
Bowden conflates what he calls “presentism” with human egotism: our sense that what is happening right here and right now, to us, is more important than anything that ever was or ever will be. He clearly explains how this is not just about merely living in the moment, but about our historical view both backwards and forwards. In other words, this presentism colours our view of the past and vision of the future, in ways which are distorted.
Most interesting is his discussion of the coining of the term “Anthropocene” for the geological era in which we now live. Are we over-estimating our importance in geological terms? Or are we maybe underestimating the damage we may be doing into the future? Bowden attempts, and for the most part succeeds, in putting this into geological, and thereby philosophical, perspective.
Now Is Not the Time is as shape-shifting as time itself. Its philosophical bent and interrogation of uber-questions moulds it into a work of meta-history. What is history? What is our place in it? And not so much what is time (leave that to the physicists!), but what is our human and historic relationship to time as a concept?
Despite its seemingly obtuse subject matter, this is a very readable work, which at a mere 80 pages can be read in one sitting. Most importantly, it will make you look at things (all things!) slightly differently.
And isn’t that the ultimate aim of any good piece of writing?
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
X: @TraceyKorsten
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: IFF Books
Released: December 2024
RRP: Approx $20
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