Abstract

Today, we face the looming threat of irreversible ecological meltdown (runaway climate change, biodiversity collapse, etc.), and technological disaster (in particular, the nuclear threat). To prevent these dangers from being realised, a change of direction is needed in how political actors think and behave. The political apparatus as we know it has been built on a ‘continuist’ vision, which is typical of the modern era: time is thought of as being utterly limitless. However, we may now be facing a very real limit: in what is referred to as the ‘End Times’, humanity’s time on Earth may very well come to an end – we may go the way of countless species before us, into extinction and obscurity. The image of a closing window facilitates a political perspective of time that is adjusted to take account of these all-too-real threats. It serves as a counterweight in the political mechanism. Taking a realistic view in light of the upheavals currently in progress, the options available to us for action become clear. Representing a relatively short time, the concept of a closing window highlights the need to reassess the aims of political action, from a balanced perspective integrating today’s people, future generations and non-humans alike. This article presents the main features of the concept and the political prospects which it opens up.