The Dialectic of Anthropocentrism

8 The Dialectic of Anthropocentrism

By At/roll BI'II

Th~ QIlloiogicaJ hitrarrhy 0( 1M human and .nim.l ..... bli>hN by 1M Wa! . "" hum.niSl , ... ditKln h •• I.rg.tly ~n ""n .• \~n ~. iu oppont'm .. as pan of III ~logy ,h.\ II .. b<nd~N h",n." bc-11lgf. ,.".. In ll'Urntnlal"""""l,,n of "the animal" Of • nat .. to'" • con>tqtl<""< of 1M an III ropo«nt ric ... b;e<f. ability CfI'i...ty 10 di_UM 1M $igniC,nn« 0( Iny cons~r'lions ouai<k 1he p.",v-., of lilt hum.n. ;s oflm .... " as .n <1\;Ibllnll (onwtlon for lhe !'fOlir" <kvC'lop . .... "1 of W .. ,"" C •• weil u w,«,,) ind,,"ri.liud clvilllauon. Wllik in • .... ~ Ihis is uw.1 ... WI 10 call into qUallon tM supp<>Hd btnriiu "(II,,mo,, _ lsi .'u,,""""" ... ,ri ..... My putpo$<' hr •• is 10 undHsund how lhe blC1l1 con-IQdictlon. 0( h" .... ,,;11 Inlh"'I"'U"u_ h.o~ m>"lfalcd I .... ~ in • ""*,,, and stlf·ilnIn><1i, ... mannn. (.,01 1>0111 10 human and nonhuman tik.

I ..,U bogl" with I d iK\lSSIon of 1M IJ"nnlotlr 0( ."m.ni" anthropoctn_ l ritm :os • n~rr;llj, .. 0( .. I(,~ulhoorl .. ion and • """ .... of .. If-dtfiailion. J wu]

Ilwn dlK .... con'n"~ry crilJq_ 0( 1/", onlolo&i<al dISli"",ion bttwtm ·..,on" and "animar.lId d .. H1(·IksI'IKtI", V\oIm(~ lhal rnulu from <ud! a diollncl;on. Fln.dly. I will .... ,," ,hal hum.nit! "uhl"OJ'O"~n"i ..... predicaltd 011 Ihis "' \10""","1 di .. inc,;on. n"",""lIr alTh"" aI IIwK """"<"n,, <Ii..,.;f. WslrucHoo b.oo._ <Ii il. ;,n,,,,,,al formal "runu ... -a "ruel" ... IhM dO$<"ly ,"""mbln wtw Htgd Inmtd " .. dO("£1 ~il."

In D/"'tt/ i<:,,/ E"lith/t,,,,,,,,,,. Ado<IW) and I-\o,khtl"..." rxpl.&in bow ,he [nli&h'onmtn, h .. I>twnw • $lIUIU <Ii ta'OI,,,,,,hr .• ub...,ninS iU rx~ pu~ of "Iobe-mlng human boringl from , .. , and Installing 'hrm ... "''''Orl.·' lIy '~.dn~ Ih. I"ndiogkoll otlgln. uf i"'''um.nlal ..... on 10 • prl. _"'i,1 human p .. 1 di<l"".d by m)"lh and ,.j.o~ •• Ih.,. ~al ' hr c", ... ,,1<

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'" 27. 111111.IU. lI. l\1ioL II'.

-:9. Bl4<PucaL no. ......., .... /,n ....... qwoniln 1'III~f{1IlJIU.111 (."100 """,. ». Hqd. ~"'1ItJN,4l) (_lit' AIIt1I \\'00<1 '" ~ 1.0).

l!. ibid .• I'" 11. 1bid.ISl. n. A<Ion>o and Ibkhdmt,./JW«,1t f{£ooIjPO"'''''''' 6-J-I. 1,..,,1<10 ...... _ I ""'. 20. lS. Ibid. lS. 36. Ibid. 29. 37. cr. OI.orlol PmmOll, ElNn'" T,""I~'" (Nrw ,,0<1<: ~t"'" BooIu. 2002). 18. Dorrkl.o ....... ......, I A ... Z6.. l~. I """n • ..... ".11'· ..... In.1I< ,",ulr.l. lilt"] .. "'" olIht wotd, .. ",,,,,,olna.<ad·

!InS. <Onlp .. lon. Or .ymp.lny. <sr. lhn)<lgh ",1" ... 1>1.11,), or .. dntss; pil!>b"" (Ox. 1M! Engi loh DI<,Ionary.) II I. Idling I"" ,h. coll""ulol UR "'ll< wotd ""'" 1",,1, .. fuhngl .... ""'n Or blom., I{",.<I <II InO ..... k "nd htlpl ... ). dlOIo<lo,lOlI< of "hal Adorno and Horkhcim .. da"lfr o"n. ",.Iholllarl." 1"",m, lit( Th< modern, au· thorl l.rl .. IUbJ«l nilU aU olJr" 01 WfW .... .-.I ",lntrab!lIty. Ii< m<><loa ond d._ iI,od .. lh. v\(. im. n .. conl.1I1 wI,h k • .klf. t, b«, ... II< I, ",mpllei! '" I _i<tr Ih., b.. m .... I victim of ... ~r}'O"., lIIetodl"g hlmstlf. In ,lit end. wrokn ... il .. lfh trIOIJy. 01. ~Ion for o\ok"" • . TIl. " ..... <0\11 und< ...... , >1<koo of "'"",l<'fhoo .. wooi:tn .<>nu.I",.JId h"m11I.,,,,, ."lnu4, mo<kl~1 '''I<j",.tinl '" rlvond....,.,,-1"1 of <OWl. <I.""",,,,,,, ••• n«<l,o Losh Qu'" ,boot ........ ","poth<,1<. whot , .. n><n .. "" .bm pip , .............. noo .. and "" , .. wi .... off oflt« dllcKn' &m~ .... Ii« It Lh.o, th<r'" PfO"Ok<'d by , .. d!llOfltd rtfIMlon.1n , .. l<Trirotd ( .... """ , ......... in;; dtm<....,...of'hrit l'\c1l ..... ofth<l,-..dtf • ....J II ..... ct. 'EIrn>«Iuof M.,·S<mlll>m: UmM. of En."""""",' In 0WJt<1i< of lrII,ptt......."

..0. 5ianu<n.l Frn>cI. TIl< ~ uu- of"" C-p/tlt I'>jd ..."... I\i>rb of Siro....J F.....t \~u_ X\'II (I.ool.ion, Jio&onk I'ra&lld. 1962). 1)9.

41 . Im",,~utI Kano. I.t<tu ...... lJllk, (Nt-w Yorl<: Camboldp U., ..... i" ......... lOO').lll. .:. F~ _XVII. 1-10. .l. Thtodo< Momo. M,"~ ~"""';.: kpt<, .... .. ~ ~ Ufo (S. .. Yorl::

\ 'mo., lOllS). 247. u . Ado, ... """ 11oIkhtImt •• DWtttIr 0{ ~"-..,. 110. • ,., AKordinlto I'fImo Lt-Yi, "l ................ 1 ruIt llor ..,...;mI. a«pl mkf-

'''11'' QtllfI In .,cd .... h and kroowtJot Gft-....... !loot."" tkio.. lid domm...d. 1 h ......... th< _,",vol of "'~ ....... and oI"r J'ft'I'I<. 1M lin", .1><1 t" oow...nr. 'thin,,",,' and mod,.,..,.·(SumwII "'A~. 110.)

46. In tlw Unll«i SUlnllvotMaul<o.m .. >fioonll b<twfm "fum .. louis" """coo., oneI <lop. but , ......... rot "' .... 1.1IInt "" .... 111< rahlIIIlo ptrl\.orl IIv _ cumplM of .... ubI, ... y "",Ul&tlon 1><1_11 oIoI<n« and ate. SlIt .... y I>< , kw<d p<1. on <::1-

p<nol' .. """""".. mtal. • poll of mUIt ....... r '" of ~ to b< tort"U'd wI,h ,",,.IIlY prod..ru. dtr<n<linl on tho <OnIUL

..... m 41 Emm.1t-' Lt.-In ... TrIffllI'1 ~ , ....... ,~ ...

p,\" ~ Un"""I!)' Puss. 2001) II ('I.IIk. ,:, , .... ~ ... t.n.rlIwuyIPilubu,p. u.. Ibld..ll . 49. Adorno MId HorthoiIllf1". OWfflit II/Ero/iPI_. ' .....

CHAPTER !1

I. lUI"", ~Lorla Rllkt. "Sonn<l. 10 O.ph<u,' (n. )1;111). In ,. Pm,,,, '" M,""i.y. Sri«/I"'" frrmt 1Iil'_ ,IIa.", llillo. .. , 0.10,. EJ<:'"4M ....... 'm tQ 0rpIt ..... tran~ ."d t4. Mh. 8.0 ........ , ."J joan,.. .\!""r (london ond Sow "or!<: R1 ... rbud BooI<o. lO(l5 ).II~.

I. ""It, SI.".. •• Ani ...... 1..I6.rrarI<m. "" .. f<V. t4. lSorw Vorl:: Avon Boob. 199(1). (i..

l . I h .... bor......-w Ih', ....... """" of .mboJltJ , ...... ""' ...... from ~I.&""". Mttlt .... ·Pon ly. who lUgtl!l 'hOI .. hll. ""'y onlm. l. numan Of ~h<rwi ... h •• ~. -.. ""y\< 0( btlng.· oil ,",bodl«! bringl .... ,·1&>1< tht ""rid .nd ,h.l, "p<.knc< 1h .... gh I,h.'.l bodl<I." M,.rl« M,rk."· I'only . .,.", II-..Jd oj I'rrtrpll.m (London and l'.w York: Routlt<lll" C .... ,co. 1004). 5)r.

4 . .\I ... B.LI,hn",,, "nd Thoodor W. Ado' ..... DIu/mit of ["/igII'''''''''''' PIIU.· lOpI.1r4/ F"" .. ",,,. oJ. (i"n~hn S<hmld Nlxrr and Ed m""~ !<P0«>l1 (Sunlord. CA: Stanford UnlV<"t1i'y rr.1f,100l). 2.

5. 1~1d. J. 6. ll>kI .. 2. 7. 1bid..21H. I. 1bld..18 . 9. lbld..l04. ftwd oloo odutowltdgtt tM prokwul><l shift' in "". ",~,iombip ><ith

orbtt onl ...... ftom .. I",,,,,, and lOI,nUc ,,,d,,_to Ill' G,eet p<riod and pctlno.. If ""Iy 10 ...... n" 10 "" profound poydtlt dll', .. , Ill .. ho, ... uItN. tit poI"" ""t. for ~. ""', ·,m ..... .1' ...... 1 .. ~ol ol~ .formal ,riolwao inlrodt>«d iIfl<r ........ ,lfItc In ..... kh ~ t.d<inll"''' ..... """ .. ...., ... I.· ..... n """"" th< dt«l was """'m~lt<l mlldtr 111<....pen of. fully ..... ,Iontd ..mIX<. ~!ocftnono. F.-d poin .. to "a ,nuln poydllcol >IItnolIon frl)lll ,I>< anlmll' ..... 1dI oau.rN. ........... 'li. ml&tle _Ie ".ad~1ono ........ I'lftIlO "" ·dtanlptlaol" of ,_ ",""",k .. or ... ,,,,,, -.1>", wilh "" In,l"I>Ihoc1lon of doorw .. 1cot1on. s.. Slptuncl ftnId. "1btrm and 'Bboo< Somt eo. .. lf'O'IoI<ncn btl ...... "" hydllcol u.... ofSr> ..... rod Nnorotic:o,'

... 0.. ,I!~""". ~kt"''''''''''''' .\I.......".,.. ,,., .. §II ... n Whl<nldc (LontIooI: "",,pin a....u.lOOS~ U1. 147 .

10. ).lM<uot. O"'·D~ .. 100"" ""'n. I nf. I I. >lM<uot. &no -.I 0l'1li_. 109. Ll. llorthtimtr IIftd .......... xI¥. D. Ibld. !lI. t4. M.rtu ... O"'·01 ...... ~ ,\/an. IS" 15. B.m..., .\1o""", b!>I ~nd eMf"",,,,,,, .. /'flJioscpIt1t<>l ''''1"''' "'f. FttuJ

(1100,,,,,: _Oft "' .... I~). '7. 16. ),lor", ... b!>I •• d 0>"111%111 ..... 51.