Mathias Albert is Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University, Germany. He is the author of many books and articles including A Theory of World Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2016). Barry Buzan is Professor Emeritus in the Department of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His many publications include Making Global Society: A Study of Humankind Across Three Eras (Cambridge University Press, 2023).

'The new circumstances of the Anthropocene and the severity of the global ecological crisis demand a comprehensive response from the social sciences. Here, drawing on a diverse range of contemporary scholarship in this carefully crafted volume, is a convincing proposal for a sophisticated world system science, one with the necessary scope and methodological rigour to accomplish this urgent albeit daunting task.' Simon Dalby, Professor Emeritus, Balsillie School of International Affairs, Wilfrid Laurier University

• Preface; Part I. Introduction: World System Science and Earth System Science: 1. Introducing the project and the framework Mathias Albert and Barry Buzan; 2. The global tipping points report 2023: a response from world system science Barry Buzan; Part II. Past and Future as Methodological Approaches: 3. World system collapse: two precedents for a possible Anthropocene future, 1250–900 BCE and 350–800 CE Iver B. Neumann; 4. World system futures: scenarios for the twenty-first century Heikki Patomäki; Part III. World System Studies for the Anthropocene: 5. Nothing can make sense to us except in the light of culture: the earth–world nexus in evolutionary time Inanna Hamati-Ataya; 6. Addressing 'growthism' in world system science Heikki Patomäki and Rubén Vezzoni; 7. One planet, many species: towards a multispecies justice framework for world system science research on earth's tipping points Joana Castro Pereira; Part IV. Conclusions: 8. 'Poly-periodization': relating social and natural systems through system histories Mathias Albert and Zoltán Boldizsár Simon; 9. Conclusions: towards world system science Barry Buzan and Mathias Albert; References; Index.

Mathias Albert is Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University, Germany. He is the author of many books and articles including A Theory of World Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2016). Barry Buzan is Professor Emeritus in the Department of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His many publications include Making Global Society: A Study of Humankind Across Three Eras (Cambridge University Press, 2023).

'The new circumstances of the Anthropocene and the severity of the global ecological crisis demand a comprehensive response from the social sciences. Here, drawing on a diverse range of contemporary scholarship in this carefully crafted volume, is a convincing proposal for a sophisticated world system science, one with the necessary scope and methodological rigour to accomplish this urgent albeit daunting task.' Simon Dalby, Professor Emeritus, Balsillie School of International Affairs, Wilfrid Laurier University

• Preface; Part I. Introduction: World System Science and Earth System Science: 1. Introducing the project and the framework Mathias Albert and Barry Buzan; 2. The global tipping points report 2023: a response from world system science Barry Buzan; Part II. Past and Future as Methodological Approaches: 3. World system collapse: two precedents for a possible Anthropocene future, 1250–900 BCE and 350–800 CE Iver B. Neumann; 4. World system futures: scenarios for the twenty-first century Heikki Patomäki; Part III. World System Studies for the Anthropocene: 5. Nothing can make sense to us except in the light of culture: the earth–world nexus in evolutionary time Inanna Hamati-Ataya; 6. Addressing 'growthism' in world system science Heikki Patomäki and Rubén Vezzoni; 7. One planet, many species: towards a multispecies justice framework for world system science research on earth's tipping points Joana Castro Pereira; Part IV. Conclusions: 8. 'Poly-periodization': relating social and natural systems through system histories Mathias Albert and Zoltán Boldizsár Simon; 9. Conclusions: towards world system science Barry Buzan and Mathias Albert; References; Index.

Mathias Albert is Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University, Germany. He is the author of many books and articles including A Theory of World Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2016). Barry Buzan is Professor Emeritus in the Department of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His many publications include Making Global Society: A Study of Humankind Across Three Eras (Cambridge University Press, 2023).

'The new circumstances of the Anthropocene and the severity of the global ecological crisis demand a comprehensive response from the social sciences. Here, drawing on a diverse range of contemporary scholarship in this carefully crafted volume, is a convincing proposal for a sophisticated world system science, one with the necessary scope and methodological rigour to accomplish this urgent albeit daunting task.' Simon Dalby, Professor Emeritus, Balsillie School of International Affairs, Wilfrid Laurier University

• Preface; Part I. Introduction: World System Science and Earth System Science: 1. Introducing the project and the framework Mathias Albert and Barry Buzan; 2. The global tipping points report 2023: a response from world system science Barry Buzan; Part II. Past and Future as Methodological Approaches: 3. World system collapse: two precedents for a possible Anthropocene future, 1250–900 BCE and 350–800 CE Iver B. Neumann; 4. World system futures: scenarios for the twenty-first century Heikki Patomäki; Part III. World System Studies for the Anthropocene: 5. Nothing can make sense to us except in the light of culture: the earth–world nexus in evolutionary time Inanna Hamati-Ataya; 6. Addressing 'growthism' in world system science Heikki Patomäki and Rubén Vezzoni; 7. One planet, many species: towards a multispecies justice framework for world system science research on earth's tipping points Joana Castro Pereira; Part IV. Conclusions: 8. 'Poly-periodization': relating social and natural systems through system histories Mathias Albert and Zoltán Boldizsár Simon; 9. Conclusions: towards world system science Barry Buzan and Mathias Albert; References; Index.