A philosophy of social work beyond the anthropocene

Abstract

Dominant forms of social work are still largely a product of the modernist, humanist, Euro–Western foundations out of which they have grown. These foundations are conventional, conservative and under-examined. They are based largely on individualised subjectivity and hierarchical dualism, and this presents some major conceptual challenges for transformative social work. To realise its radical potential, a thorough conceptualisation of the philosophy of social work is critical. This chapter positions social work as an emerging radical transdisciplinary entity focused on resisting anthropocentrism and human exceptionalism. A philosophy of social work is presented as a foundation for articulating the nature of knowledge in social work, social work purpose and scope, as well as guiding principles for theory and practice. Ideas from a range of feminist and critical posthumanist theorists are analysed and synthesised into a post-conventional vision for social work as we move beyond humanism and anthropocentrism and towards multispecies ecojustice for a fairer, synergist and sustainable future.