Literally the sphere of mind or intellect, the noosphere is part of the realm of the possible in human affairs, where there is a conscious effort to tackle global issues. The history of this rich but poorly explored idea has significant contemporary resonance in understanding the evolution of human society and our position in the biosphere (the sphere of life). The noosphere concept captures a number of key contemporary issues - social evolution, global ecology, Gaia, deep ecology and global environment change - contributing to ongoing debates concerning the implications of emerging...

Literally the sphere of mind or intellect, the noosphere is part of the realm of the possible in human affairs, where there is a conscious effort to tackle global issues. The history of this rich but poorly explored idea has significant contemporary resonance in understanding the evolution of human society and our position in the biosphere (the sphere of life). The noosphere concept captures a number of key contemporary issues - social evolution, global ecology, Gaia, deep ecology and global environment change - contributing to ongoing debates concerning the implications of emerging...