Different Ways of Thinking Globally: The Unlikely Return of the Noosphere in Russian Environmental Discourses

Abstract

The concept “Noosphere,” introduced by Vladimir Vernadsky (1863–1945), features frequently in Russian environmental legislation and is used by senior officials and business actors alike. This paper argues that the current usage of the concept shifted away from Vernadsky’s materialistic and universalistic approach towards a more esoteric and particularist definition.