Human impacts on the Earth system mark the dawn of a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. This claim has triggered a debate in science, media, and politics in which ‘humanity’ as a whole is commonly identified as the driving force of epochal environmental change. The historically and geographically specific expansion of capitalist society-nature relations and the associated social differentiation have led to persistent social inequalities, challenging the assumption of humanity as a homogenous driver. Based on a review of social and political ecology literature, we propose a differentiated research agenda focusing on drivers of accelerating resource use in the Anthropocene. As many current governance instruments replicate and reinforce these drivers, such a research agenda can offer crucial insights for sustainability transformations.