Introducing the Pluriverse of the Anthropocene: Toward an Ontological Politics of Environmental Governance in Indonesia

This chapter introduces an idea that is gaining increasing prominence in discussions of the Anthropocene: the idea of the pluriverse. We argue that the very condition of the Anthropocene can serve as an opportunity to give serious consideration to the ontological thesis of the pluriverse, namely that there are many kinds of worlds, some of which may allow for “social” relations that are constituted by “more-than-human” beings. In the first part of the chapter, we draw from the literature on the pluriverse and studies of indigenous worlds that have appeared in the past decade to elaborate on the idea of the pluriverse, highlighting, in particular, the ethical motivation that underpins calls to recognize different kinds of worlds. In the second part of the chapter, we consider the implications of the pluriverse in Indonesia, particularly in relation to “adat revivalism” and CSR practice. We suggest that an “ontological politics” toward the recognition and preservation of many kinds of worlds can be understood in Indonesia as a struggle to deepen Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), which the modern Indonesian state has long professed to be one of its foundational principles.