Peirce's synechism and Haraway's becoming-with
a phenomenological alliance to (de)invisibilize companion species
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47456/sofia.v15i2.50140Keywords:
Peirce, Haraway, semiosis, synecdoche, companion speciesAbstract
This article seeks to show how the understanding of synechism in Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914), articulated with the notion of becoming-with in Donna Haraway (1944), makes it possible to (de)invisibilize nonhuman animals through a phenomenological perception. We propose to discuss how companion species, from Haraway’s perspective, help human animals develop feelings of sympathy through relations of mutual inclusion with the nonhuman animals with whom they live. Initially, we will propose a synechist approach from Peirce, showing that his pragmatic philosophy revolves around a continuum in which human animals establish semioses, that is, a form of bodily communication with nonhuman animals, an interaction that elicits experiences and affects. Then, we will correlate how Peircean phenomenology is intrinsically linked to becoming-with in Haraway, offering examples of relationships between humans and companion species, an interaction that allows us to observe a form of bodily and phenomenal communication that, through perception, deals with the creation of an affectionate and close bond between human and nonhuman. The research indicates that, based on the understanding of Significant Others, it is possible to examine symbolic relations of bodily interaction that go beyond linguistic signs, that is, a synechism observed through pragmatic phenomenology that underlies the creation of sympathetic feelings between humans and the companion species that (de)invisibilize them as species endowed with dignity.
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