Anthropology after Progress

Situating Public Chemistries Ethnographically to Better Understand Life as Aftermath

Abstract

Synthetic chemicals are ubiquitous. They circulate in large amounts turning organisms and their environments anthropogenic and constituting life as aftermath (Landecker 2025). Trying to understand life as aftermath challenges modern chemistry and the life sciences. I propose here to use relational-processual ontology, para-siting/parasighting, and anthropology’s anticipatory competences to develop in collaboration with chemistry situated and public chemical practices that are able to expand beyond their current progressive commitments to economic growth, molecular knowledge, and reductionist risk assessment and that are able to address life as aftermath. In a second step, I argue for a Wissenschaft after progress as a Wissenschaft able to address anthropocenic challenges, and I suggest the need for post-heroic, collective, and cooperative institutions as homes to a more-than-progressive Wissenschaft.