This Element aims to show why the ancient tradition still matters in the Anthropocene. Revisiting ancient materials alongside central concepts of contemporary environmental theory, Schliephake offers new perspectives and argues that classical ecological knowledge is a powerful resource for creating alternative world views.
City Space, Material Agency, and Environmental Politics in Contemporary Culture
Focusing on urban ecocriticism, this book explores the under-researched intersection of urban environments and environmental humanities. It delves into the complexities of how urban spaces interact with ecological concerns, inviting a deeper understanding of their significance in contemporary discourse. Through a trans-disciplinary lens, it aims to enrich the dialogue surrounding urban ecology and its implications for sustainability and environmental awareness.
Exploring Geographies, Memories, and Cultural Identities along the North-West Frontier of British India in the Nineteenth Century
How did British officers, geographers, and adventurers use the motif of 'travelling' in Alexander's 'footsteps' during their respective missions in Central Asia? Christopher Schliephake shows how the reception of Alexander the Great became an integral part of imperial self-representation and colonial identity in the nineteenth century. As Schliephake argues, the experiential framework of the exploration and conquest of regions like the Punjab or Afghanistan turned the abstract notion of following in Alexander's 'tracks' into a highly relevant category for negotiating the relationship between the present and the past, Europe and Asia. However, the further the British explorers advanced, they realized that Alexander had already been waiting for them – he came in the guise of Sikander or Iskander and some local indigenous tribes even claimed direct descent from him. The way the writings of the travelers reacted to the cultural confrontation between a 'Western' and an 'Eastern' Alexander will be one of the main themes of this book.