The reconfiguration of human nature through otherness

ethical and political challenges of a philosophical anthropology grounded in intersubjectivity

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20873/rpv11n1-54

Keywords:

Philosophical anthropology, Alterity, Homo alter

Abstract

This review assesses the book The human as the other: towards an inclusive philosophical anthropology by Matthew Rukgaber, published in 2025. The book argues for the Homo alter thesis, locating human nature in reciprocal affective and physiological dependence while rejecting purely cognitive criteria for humanity. The discussion examines the author’s use of phenomenology and inclusive naturalism to challenge exclusionary paradigms. However, limitations are noted regarding the political articulation of the argument, specifically the absence of materialist, feminist, and decolonial frameworks within the proposed universalization of affectivity. The review concludes by highlighting the book's relevance for disability studies and ethics, notwithstanding the theoretical gaps identified regarding the concrete historicity of power and domination structures.

Author Biography

Fábio Luiz Nunes, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG)

Brazilian researcher. He holds a Master's degree and is a PhD candidate in Linguistic Studies at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). He holds a specialist certificate in Didactics, Teaching Practices, and Educational Technologies from the Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), a specialization in Teacher Training for the Digital Culture from the State University of Montes Claros (Unimontes), and a specialization in Rhetoric and Discourse Analysis in Advertising and Propaganda from the University of Araraquara. He earned his degree in Psychology from the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Minas Gerais. He is a technical-administrative staff member at the Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG). Lattes CV: http://lattes.cnpq.br/3054450943770058. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0784-1921. Email: fabio.nunes.fln@cefetmg.br.

References

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RUKGABER, M. The human as the other: towards an inclusive philosophical anthropology. London (Reino Unido): Bloomsbury Academic, 2025.

STASZAK, J.-F. Other/otherness. In: KOBAYASHI, A. (ed.). International encyclopedia of human geography. 2. ed. v. 10. [S. l.]: Elsevier, 2020. p. 25-31. Disponível em: https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:166340. Acesso em: 21 dez. 2025.

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Published

2026-08-15

How to Cite

Nunes, F. L. (2026). The reconfiguration of human nature through otherness: ethical and political challenges of a philosophical anthropology grounded in intersubjectivity. Perspectivas, 11(1), 142–150. https://doi.org/10.20873/rpv11n1-54

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): Perspectivas

Section

Resenha

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Copyright (c) 2026 Fábio Luiz Nunes

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