The Polycrisis Demands a Renewed Humanism

In this article, Edgar Morin and Claudio Pedretti revisit the concept of polycrisis, arguing that what Morin first introduced in 1999 as a warning has now become our lived reality: a convergence of ecological, political, economic, technological, and existential crises that reinforce one another in cascading, non-linear ways. They show how climate change, inequality, nationalism, and technological disruption interlock to weaken cooperation and deepen systemic ruptures, framing these crises not as isolated shocks but as symptoms of a deeper global breakdown. To address this complexity, they propose a Renewed Humanism that embraces humility, re-centres dignity in human relations, integrates science with ethics and empathy, and guides cultural and institutional transformation toward ecological prudence, global solidarity, and regenerative futures. Rather than obstacles, today’s overlapping crises are cast as opportunities to redefine what it means to be human and to build a more inclusive, caring, and sustainable path forward.