Haraway Bookshelf #7

Dialectical ecology iii Donna Haraway

In her second manifesto, the Companion Species Manifesto, Donna Haraway traces out radical modes of interspecies being. Meditating on the ancient symbiosis between human being and dogs, Haraway evokes a set of principles for a what might be called a socialism extended to all life. Dogs are considered domesticate animals, “close” to human being, and yet radically other. In this circle we will examine to what extent the mutual emergence of human and dogs can be used as a model to understand the thick, trans-temporal symbiosis from which human being emerges and which conditions their prospects into the future. Also in this circle, we will examine the contention that Haraway’s strong commitment to non-human life as evinced in her credo “make kin not babies”, the Camille stories, interviews and other writings evidence unacknowledged or unconscious racism in her stated concern for “overpopulation”.

preparatory readings

Situated-Kinmaking-and-the-Population-Problem

Sopie Lewis: Cthulhu Plays no role for me

read in session

The Companion Species Manifesto

extra reading

Making kin, not babies? Towards childist kinship in the “Anthropocene” - Nikolas Mattheis, 2022