Matthew Harvey

The Sublime and the Pale Blue Dot: Reclaiming the Cosmos for Earthly Nature

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:48:08 +0000

The Sublime and the Pale Blue Dot: Reclaiming the Cosmos for Earthly Nature Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 11:48

The Sublime and the Pale Blue Dot: Reclaiming the Cosmos for Earthly Nature

By: Matt Harvey

Abstract:

Amidst a worsening climate crisis, there is growing public discourse theorising the possible colonisation of outer space to secure a sustainable future for humanity. In the face of these escapist fantasies, political discussion on humanity’s relation to the universe is notably limited and primarily frames space exploration as a dangerous Promethean endeavour. While I do not contest this claim, I argue that humanity’s technological capabilities and acquired knowledge of the universe can alternatively facilitate an Earth-centred engagement with the Cosmos as a sublime aesthetic experience. I frame the sublime Cosmos and its infinite expanse of dynamic material forces, as a site of resistance against Promethean visions of human mastery and colonisation. I then theorise how the sublime Cosmos can be productively engaged as a source of political imagination and spiritual elevation. Recovering a spiritual attachment to Earth is necessary, for we are irrevocably tied to this rapidly destabilising planet.

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Congratulations to Matt Harvey on his second article!

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 16:08:22 +0000

Congratulations to Matt Harvey on his second article! Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/02/2022 - 10:08

Congratulations to Matt Harvey for publishing his second peer reviewed article and his first single-authored piece: The Sublime and the Pale Blue Dot: Reclaiming the Cosmos for Earthly Nature in Environmental Values (in AOP, in print in 2023). This is an article-version of a chapter of his exciting dissertation.

Click here to read the article!

Click here to read a blog post on the article

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Congratulations to GIPS Paper Prize awardees Matthew Harvey, Brendan Connell and Hannah Paul!

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 17:27:56 +0000

Congratulations to GIPS Paper Prize awardees Matthew Harvey, Brendan Connell and Hannah Paul! Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/12/2021 - 10:27

Congratulations to Matthew Harvey, Brendan Connell, and Hannah Paul on their GIPS Paper Prize awards!

The Graduates in Political Science (GIPS) Paper Prize is a department-level prize designed to provide graduate student participants with funding and feedback on their ongoing research projects. The goal of the GIPS Paper Prize is to recognize the development and encourage the publication of scholarly research by graduate students in the Political Science department.

First Place: Matthew Harvey, “The Sublime and The Pale Blue Dot: Optimism in an Era of Ecological Crisis”
Second Place: Brendan Connell, “A ‘Diplomatic Advantage?’ Diplomacy, Ideas, and State Access to Capital”
Third Place: Hannah Paul, “Personalizing Politics: An Experimental Examination of the Effects of a Refugee’s First-Person Narrative on Political Attitudes”

Thank you to everyone who participated! We had several very good submissions and hope for even more next year!

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