Abstract

In an era of heightened environmental awareness, this paper critically reevaluates the dominant anthropocentric narratives within climate change and mass extinction debates. It argues that the central ecological challenge surpasses the preservation of humanity, highlighting the vulnerability of the intricate and interconnected Cenozoic community. This community, predating and potentially outlasting human existence, constitutes a distinct and complex ecological network. Drawing on Thom van Dooren’s concept of the “Cenozoic community,” the paper adopts a multidisciplinary approach, integrating paleoecology, evolutionary biology, environmental philosophy, and ethics. It examines the historical and ecological materiality of this concept, establishes its ontological validity, and explores its ethical significance. The paper advocates for an ethos that extends beyond mere multispecies coexistence, emphasizing the need for restitution of space, resources, and agency to other-than-human beings through effective ecological restoration and rewilding strategies. Ultimately, this approach calls for a profound reconsideration of how humanity interacts with and contributes to the flourishing of the more-than-human world.