The nonhuman turn: philosophical and ethical aspects

The article explores philosophical approaches related to the rethinking of the roles of the human and the nonhuman in the modern world. The emergence of this new field of interdisciplinary posthuman critical studies, known as “the nonhuman turn,” is closely linked to such philosophical directions as object-oriented ontology, posthumanism, and materialism. This approach seeks to expand the boundaries of traditional epistemology, which is rooted in anthropocentrism. It involves the deconstruction of dualistic oppositions such as “human/nonhuman” and “subject/object.” Therefore, a key question is how nonhuman agents such as animals, geophysical processes, technologies, and material systems interact with humans and co-construct reality. As in the posthumanist optic, the boundaries between human and nonhuman are questioned and challenged. However, the nonhuman turn is not about replacing the human with the posthuman, but rather about acknowledging the role of nonhuman entities as active participants in the world. In this context, it explores how non-human entities, from animals to geophysical processes, form a new ethical and philosophical perspective. Themes such as oppression, racism, and sexism also fit into the logic of the “nonhuman turn”. These ideas are represented in ecofeminism, which focuses on politics and oppression. The article focuses on Animal Studies, ecofeminist ideas, and “dark ecology” to highlight the logic of planetary interconnectedness expressed in the “nonhuman turn”. In engaging with the ideas of the “nonhuman turn”, the authors leave open questions about how far we are willing to go in expanding epistemology through the lens of nonhuman agency and in displacing the human from its privileged position. Whether a revival of humanism is possible while preserving the uniqueness of the human. At the same time, maintaining the realization that the modern era requires a more inclusive understanding of the world.