Stranger (in) Danger? Otherness and Proximity Across Species in Donna Haraway

Julita SKOTARSKA

doi:10.24193/subbphil.2026.2.09

Authors

Julita SKOTARSKA Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czechia, julita.skotarska@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2673-624X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphil.2026.2.09

Keywords:

otherness, Donna Haraway, ethics, boundaries, encounter, extinction, SF

Abstract

This article explores Donna Haraway’s understanding of otherness in the context of suffering of nonhuman animals, as well as biodiversity loss. Haraway emphasizes “significant otherness,” to respect animals by acknowledging them as strangers. While critics argue that her rejection of strict human-animal demarcation undermines moral accountability, her focus on situated encounters allows for responsibility to emerge. This, however, points to the risks of physical proximity, which often results in animals’ “killability.” By drawing on selected conceptual tools, the article points to valuing the lives of others through distance and imaginative connection rather than intrusive contact.

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